1. Geographic Determinism and the Early Civilizations in Latin America

4. Maya (300-900)

5. Aztec (1325-1519)

6. Inca (late 1400s-1532)

7. Geographic Determinism The GEOGRAPHY of a region DETERMINES how people there live

8. Civilization #1: Maya

9. Location: Southern Mexico and Central America

10. Problem #1 Dense vegetation (trees and plants)

11. Wild plants can take over crops and buildings.

18. Civilization #2: Aztec

19. Location: Central Mexico, where Mexico City is today.

20. Problem #1: The water in the lake was salty, so it was not good for farming, drinking or bathing.

21. Solution #1: They built aqueducts to bring fresh water from the mountain springs to the city. Q: Why do you think they chose to build their city in the middle of a lake?

23. Solution #2: They built floating gardens called chinampas to grow crops.

24. Civilization #3: Inca

25. Location: Andes Mountains of South America

27. Solution #1: The Incas used terrace farming, which created small flat fields that could hold water.

28. Problem #2: Inca leaders had to rule over a 2000 mile long stretch of mountains

29. Solution #2: The Inca built roads and suspension bridges and used a messenger system to communicate with different parts of the empire

30. Aztec Chinampas Inca Terrace Farming Maya Slash and Burn

31. Panama Canal