| A | B |
|---|
| land bridge | narrow strip of land that joins two larger land masses |
| peninsula | piece of land with water on three sides |
| latitude | location north or south of the equator |
| altitude | height above sea level |
| hurricane | fierce tropical storms with high winds and heavy rains from over the warm waters of the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean |
| vaquero | Mexican cowhands |
| maquiladora | factories that assemble parts made in other countries |
| subsistence farming | small plots where farmers grow only enough food to feed their families |
| plantation | large farms that raise a single crop for sale |
| industrialize | changed its economy to rely less on farming and more on manufacturing |
| service industry | businesses that provide services to people rather than produce goods |
| jade | a local shiny stone that comes in many shades of green as well as other colors |
| obsidian | a hard, black glass created by the volcanoes in the area |
| maize | corn |
| hieroglyphics | a form of writing that uses signs and symbols |
| mural | wall paintings |
| hacienda | large ranches |
| plaza | public squares |
| adobe | sun-dried clay bricks |
| federal republic | where power is divided between national and state governments |
| migrant worker | people who travel from place to place when extra workers are needed to plant or harvest crops |
| national debt | money owed by the government |
| smog | thick haze of fog and chemicals |
