| A | B |
|---|
| llanos | grassy plains in Venezuela |
| hydroelectric power | water-generated electricity |
| altitude | height above sea level |
| caudillos | harsh military rulers of Venezuela in 1800's and 1900's |
| Simon Bolivar | freed northern South America from Spanish rule |
| Lake Maracaibo | the largest lake in South America |
| Orinocco River | Venezuela's most important river |
| Caracas | capital of Venezuela |
| Guyana | formerly British Guiana |
| Suriname | formerly Dutch Guiana |
| basin | low area entirely surrounded by higher land |
| selva | Brazilian name for the rain forest |
| escarpment | steep cliff between a higher and lower surface |
| sisal | Brazilian plant fiber used to make rope |
| favela | Brazilian slum area |
| yerba mate | tea-like drink made from leaves of holly trees |
| landlocked | country without a sea coast |
| buffer state | small country located between larger, often hostile neighbors |
| welfare state | uses tax money to provide for its people |
| gaucho | cowhands in Argentina, Uruguay |
| cassava | plant used to make tapioca |
| Gran Chaco | large forest region of nothwestern Argentina and western Paraguay |
| pampas | vast treeless plains of Central Argentina |
| Patagonia | dry, windy plateau located east of the southern Andes in Argentina |
| estancia | term for large ranches found in Argentina and other parts of S. A. |
| Rio de la Plata | funnel shaped bay that enters the Atlantic situated between Argentina and Uruguay |
| Andes and Patagonia | location of Argentina's major oil fields |
| People of Italy and Spain | immigrants to Argentina during late 1800's |
| beef and food products | major exports from Argentina |
| Buenos Aires | Capital and most densely populated area of Argentina |
