1. Name: _____________________
CRCT Review – Social Studies
Part One Directions: Please use a separate sheet of paper OR note cards to answer questions 1-
58 below.
LATIN AMERICA and CANADA
1. Who were the Aztecs and where did they settle?
Ancient civilization of Latin America – Located in the valley of Mexico
2. Who were the Incas and where did they settle?
Ancient civilization of Latin America – Located along western coast of S. America
3. What was the Columbian Exchange?
The moving of animals, plants, people, and diseases from the Old World (Europe)
to the New World (Americas) and from the New World to the Old World
4. Who were Hernan Cortez and Francisco Pizarro?
Cortez – Conquistador who conquered the Aztecs
Pizarro – Conquistador who conquered the Incas
5. Who were Montezuma and Atahualpa?
Montezuma – Aztec leader Atahualpa – Incan leader
6. Why does Quebec want to be an independent nation?
Some Quebec citizens feel they are losing their French culture.
7. What two countries colonized Canada?
France and Great Britain
Independence Movements
8. Who is Miguel Hidalgo? Country?
Catholic priest who helped lead Mexico’s fight for independence
9. Who is Toussaint Louverture? Country?
Former slave who helped Haiti gain their independence
10. Who is Simon Bolivar? Countries?
Known as el libertador, he helped many south American countries become
independent, including his home country of Venezuela
20th Century
11. Who is Fidel Castro and how did he change Cuban History?
He overthrew the Cuban government in 1959, and has been dictator up until 2008.
He refuses to let people in Cuba have freedoms or leave the country.
12. Who are the Zapatistas?
A rebel group in Mexico that fought for the rights of Native Mexicans
13. What is NAFTA and how does it affect Mexico, US, and Canada?
North American Free Trade Agreement – Allows them to trade w/out tariffs
Culture
14. Who are the Inuits?
The native people of Canada
15. What is the primary religion practiced and the primary language spoken in Latin America?
Christianity and Spanish
16. What languages are spoken in Canada?
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2. French & English
EUROPE:
17. What was the Age of Exploration and how did it affect the world?
The time period when many European nations were trying to venture out and
acquire new territories and resources. The cultures of these countries impacted
the places they explored and colonized.
18. Who are Prince Henry the Navigator, Henry Hudson, and Christopher Columbus?
Prince Henry – Poruguese explorer who helped discover many breakthroughs in
mathematics and naval technology.
Columbus – Italian-born explorer who sailed for Spain. Gets credit for discovering
America.
Henry Hudson – Dutch explorer; explored New York and Canada; Hudson Bay is
named after him.
WWI
19. What were the Causes of the War? 3 main causes and 1 main event
Causes: Nationalism, Colonialism, and Alliances
Main event: The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand
20. What were the results of the War?
The Austria-Hungary empire was dismantled.
The Ottoman Empire was destroyed.
Russian Revolution would take place in 1917
21. What was the Treaty of Versailles?
Treaty that ended WWI
21. How did the War affect Germany?
Germany was blamed for starting the war and was asked to pay for the damage
leaving the country in financial ruins.
WWII
22. What is Nazism?
The belief by the Nazi party that the German race is superior to other races and
ethnicities.
23. What is Fascism?
A radical form of nationalism that promotes political violence
24. Who were the Axis Powers?
Germany, Italy, and Japan
25. Who were the Allied Powers?
Great Britain, USA, Russia, France, and China
26. What caused WWII to take place?
Treaty of Versailles was the main cause because it punished Germany and they
ended up poor and humiliated
27. What was the Holocaust?
The attempted extermination of the Jews by Hitler and the Nazis.
28. Who were Hitler, Mussolini, Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill and Stalin?
Hitler – Leader of Germany
Mussolini – Leader of Italy
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3. Roosevelt – U.S. President at the start of WWII
Truman – U.S. President who made decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan
Churchill – Prime Minister of Great Britain
Stalin – Leader of Russia
Russian Revolution
29. Who was Vladmir Lenin?
Led the 1917 Russian revolution and took over control of Russia
30. What was the Russian Revolution?
The takeover of Russia by Lenin – it led to a communist government in Russia
31. Who was Czar Nicholas II?
The last Russian emperor’ he was overthrown by Lenin.
32. Who was Joseph Stalin?
Head of Russia during WWII
Cold War
33. What happened at Chernobyl?
Nuclear plant exploded, killing many and damaging the environment permanently
34. What was the Cold War? Countries involved?
A time of tension, but no direct warfare from 1945-1991, b/w U.S. & U.S.S.R
35. What happened to Berlin after WWII?
It was divided up w/ the Soviet Union occupying east Berlin, and France, the UK,
and the U.S. dividing up West Berlin.
36. What was the impact of the fall of Berlin Wall?
It symbolized the end of communist rule in Germany.
Europe Culture
37. What is the European Union and how has it helped Europe after the Cold War?
It has united European countries, promoting free trade and developing a common
currency.
AUSTRALIA
38. Who were the Aborigines?
The indigenous (native) people of Australia
39. What was Australia first used as by the British?
A penal colony – a place to send prisoners
40. Where do most Australian’s live and why?
Along the coast because the climate inside Australia is too dry
GOVERNMENT
41. What is an autocracy?
One ruler makes all decisions – citizens have no say
42. What is an oligarchy?
Small group of people run the country – citizens have little or no say
43. What is a democracy?
Power is given to the people by voting
44. What system of government (autocracy, oligarchy, democracy) do the following countries have-
Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, and United Kingdom?
All have democracies except Cuba has an oligarchy (communist)
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4. 45.What is a unitary power structure?
Power lies in the hands of a central government
46. What is a confederation?
Small independent states/countries have power over a smaller central government
47. What is a federation?
Power is divided amongst a central and local governments
48. How is power distributed (unitary, confederation, federation) in the following countries have-
Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Australia, Germany, Russia, and United Kingdom?
Mexico – Federal
Brazil – Federal
Cuba – Unitary
Canada – Unitary
Australia – Federal
Germany – Federal
Russia – Federal
United Kingdom - Unitary
49. What is a parliamentary democracy?
Democracy where the Prime Minister is elected by the legislature
50. What is a presidential democracy?
Democracy where the people elect representatives and a President.
51. Which countries have a parliamentary democracy- Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Australia,
Germany, Russia, and United Kingdom?
Canada, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom
52. Which countries have a presidential democracy- Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Canada, Australia,
Germany, Russia, and United Kingdom?
Mexico, Brazil, and Russia
ECOMONIC SYSTEMS
53. What are the four economic systems? Describe each.
Traditional – Customs and beliefs answer the economic questions
Command – Government makes all decisions, answers 3 questions
Market – NO government involvement at all (no pure market economies)
Mixed – Combination of command and market economies
54. What are the 3 economic questions that every country must answer?
What to produce? How to produce? For whom to produce?
55. What are the 3 economic trade barriers? Describe each.
Tariff – Tax on imported goods
Embargo – Refusing trade with another country (usually politically motivated)
Quota – A limit on the number of an import that can enter a country
56. What are the 4 factors of economic growth (hint—they impact a country’s GDP)? Give an example
of each.
1 – Natural resources available, 2 – Entrepreneurship, 3 – Investment in capital
goods, and 4 – Investment in human capital
57. What is Gross Domestic Product?
A country’s total amount of goods and services produced in a year
58. What is the purpose of currency exchange?
So that countries can trade with one another
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