| A | B |
|---|
| land bridge | narrow strip of land that joins two larger landmasses |
| peninsula | piece of land with water on three sides |
| latitude | location north or south of the Equator, measured by imaginary lines that are numbered in degrees north or south |
| altitude | height above sea level |
| hurricane | violent tropical storm with high winds and heavy rains |
| vaquero | cowhand |
| maquiladora | factory that assembles parts made in other countries |
| subsistence farm | small plot where a farmer grows only enough food to feed his own family |
| plantation | large farm that grows a single crop for sale |
| industrialize | to change an economy to rely more on manufacturing and less on farming |
| service industry | business that provides services to people instead of producing goods |
| jade | shiny, usually green gemstone |
| obsidian | hard, black glass created by the cooled molten lava of a volcano |
| maize | Native American name for corn |
| hieroglyphics | form of writing that used signs and symbols |
| mural | wall painting |
| hacienda | large ranch |
| plaza | public square |
| adobe | sun-dried clay bricks |
| federal republic | government divided between national and state powers |
| migrant worker | person who travels from place to place when extra help is needed to plant or harvest crops |
| national debt | money owed by a nations government |
| smog | thick haze of fog and chemicals |
