Central American Civilizations

By: Coty, Triston, and Kaelyn

Location and Region

Toltec● Movement: moved by foot and small boats. Evidence of war with

Mayans.● Human Geography:

-religion: Toltec-Mayan religion as result of war. Polytheistic-customs: built pyramids and palaces. Large paintings on

walls. Were craftsmen and farmers. Ate beans, squash, maize-economy: melting metals. Hunter-gatherers and farmers-government: mostly based on religion. Ruled by gods. Had

warriors ● Physical Geography:

-landforms: San Juan River, Coatzacoalcos River, mountains-climate: wet, rainy-vegetation: tropical rainforests, marshes, swamps, grasslands,

desert shrubs.-animals: frogs, snakes, turtles, deer, fish, birds, rabbits

● Human-environment interaction: Lived off land. Crafted art from resources

Olmec● Movement: mother tribe of all tribes. Moved by foot. Evidence of cultural

influence in other tribes.● Human Geography:

-religion: religious system basis for other religions. Sacrificial buildings, temple mounds.

-customs: large stone heads and carvings. Ate corn and variety of game. -economy: farmers, warriors, traders, hunter-gatherers, fishermen-government: theocratic society. Led by Shaman or priest. Social classes

● Physical Geography:-landforms: Coatzacoalcos River, volcanoes, Tuxtla Mtns., Mezcalapa River,

San Juan River.-climate: wet, rainy-vegetation: swamps, marshes, tropical forests, grasslands, desert shrubs-animals: birds, snakes, frogs, fish, black bear, turtles, deer, rabbit, raccoon

● Human-environment interactions: elaborate water and drainage systems. Large cities and buildings

Aztecs● Movement: The Aztecs had massive markets with trade networks across mexico.

They had a three-way alliance with the Texcocans and Tacubans to defeat the Tepanec to take vast control.

● Human Geography-religion: polytheist religion based on the sun god Huitzilopochtli. Intense rituals.

Mixture of other religions-customs: solar calendar, ate squash corn, potatoes, tomatoes. Adobe houses-economy: Farmers with a Marketing community, and small hunter group. -government: Military based. Emperor ruled over city-states. Had strict caste

system with nobles and serfs● Physical Geography:

-landforms: Lake Texcoco, Valley of Mexico, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Popocateptl, Rio Grande

-climate: Wetland, hot, humid.- vegetation: swamps, forest, semi-arid grasslands, desert shrubs-animals:eagles, rabbits, armadillos, coyotes, turkeys, snakes

● Human-environment interaction: Cultivation of land. Irrigation systems. Adobe homes. Steam houses for health and peach with nature. Large cities

Mayans● Movement: Transferred ideas through written language and

verbally. Built road systems and sidewalks for walking.● Human Geography:

o religion- Temples depicting stories of gods, complex rituals, polytheistic (more than one god)

o customs- Had social classes, callender correctly predicting eclipses, advanced mathematicians and astronomers, developed hieroglyphic writing to record important events. Ate maize. beans, dogs, deer, bees, and turkey.

o economy- Trading, farmingo government- Kings and Priests had utmost authority. People

who were claimed to be descendants of gods were in high social class.

Mayans Continued● Physical Geography

o landforms- Northern and Southern lowlands, Gulf of Mexico, highlands, Chichen Itza, Caribbean Sea, Pacific ocean

o climate- Humid, hot, wet.o vegetation- tropical rainforests, shrubs, cacti, grasslandso animals: jaguars, deer, anteaters, leopards, armadillos,

turkeys, toucans, fish● Human and environmental interaction: they had elaborate

irrigation and water storage systems, large urban centers (20,000 people), farmed the land, stone temples, domesticated cow, pigs, and goats