This page is designed to guide your research.  Here you will find suggestions on topics you may choose to research as well as links to websites with further information on those topics.  You may choose a topic that is not on the list, but you must OK it with me before you begin to research it.  No more than two (2) students may choose the same topic.

What if you...? What would your life be like?

• were in Mexico City when the huge earthquake hit in 1985?

• lived in Mexico during the reign of the PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional)?

• lived in Argentina when Juan Peron was president?

• were Eva Peron?

• lived in Chile when Augusto Pinochet was in power?

• were on the plane with the Uruguayan soccer team when it crashed in the Andes?

• lived in Cuba today?

• lived in Cuba during the Bay of Pigs invasion?

• were a Haitian refugee fleeing the troops of General Trujillo in the Dominican Republic?

• were a member of the FARC in Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias Colombianas)?

• grew coffee in Colombia?

• were a bullfighter in Spain participating in the running of the bulls? (Corrida de Toros)

• were a farmer in Spain? How does being a member of the European Union affect you?

• were the president of Costa Rica?

• were an ecologist in Costa Rica?

• lived in Tierra del Fuego?

• were Mexican immigrant living in the United States?

• were Puerto Rican and wanted Puerto Rico to become an independent country?

• were Puerto Rican and wanted Puerto Rico to become a full-fledged state?

• were an indigenous person in Guatemala during the civil war?

• lived in the shadow of an active volcano in El Salvador?

Mexico City Earthquake
MSN Encarta - http://encarta.msn.com/media_461543526_0_-1_1_56k/media.html
   A video clip of the earthquake's devastation

Seismo-Watch - http://www.seismo-watch.com/EQSERVICES/NotableEQ/Sep/0919.Mexico.html
   General info about the earthquake; a good basic resource

The World Bank Group - http://wbln0018.worldbank.org/oed/oeddoclib.nsf/fbcf8f354f66a8e685256885007dc765/9c4ea21bb9273c74852567f5005d8566?OpenDocument
     Financial aspects of the earthquake.

SpiNet - http://www.scieds.com/spinet/historical/mexico.html
   The geological logistics of the quake; click on the link in this page called "earthquake basics" for more general info.
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Partido Revolucionario Institucional
Encyclopedia.com - http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/I/InsR1P1M1ex.asp
    The bare bones of the PRI

Country Studies - http://countrystudies.us/mexico/84.htm
    A little bit of PRI history

Historical Text Archive - http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=155
    More PRI history
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Argentina and Juan Peron
The Effects of Peronism on Argentina - http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/Americas/05/neale/
 

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peronism
    Good general overview of Peronism

Peronism - http://languages.londonmet.ac.uk/pwr/peronism.htm
    More detailed information on Peronism
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Eva Peron
Eva Peron - http://www.evaperon.itgo.com/frames.html
    Excellent source for biography, pictures, fact/fiction, etc.

Las Mujeres - http://www.lasmujeres.com/evaperon/
    Eva: woman and myth; an interesting article about remembering Madonna or Eva

Eva Peron Foundation - http://www.evitaperon.org/Principal.htm
    Detailed history and mission of la Fundacion Eva Peron.
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Augusto Pinochet
Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_Pinochet
    General biograph of Pinochet

Crimes of Augusto Pinochet - http://www.trentu.ca/~mneumann/pinochet.html
    Many links to information on the various crimes Pinochet is accused of; includes papers from Amnesty International

The Pinochet Page - http://www.publica.com/pinochet.html
    Excellent source for info on human rights issues, case against Pinochet, analysis, British connection, etc.
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Plane Crash in the Andes
Alive: The Andes Survivors - http://members.aol.com/porkinsr6/alive.html
    Extremely comprehensive site for information on the story of the plane crash and aftermath, including present info.

Alive: The Andes Plane Crash Story - http://www.krezarian.com/cannibalism/alive.html
    Good, easy to read general story.

Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism
    Good definition and overview of cannibalism
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Cuba
CIA World Factbook - http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cu.html
    Very reputable and accurate source for general country information

Cuba-net - http://www.cubanet.org/cubanews.html
    Up to date news from Cuba, available in English or Spanish

The Website of the Government of the Republic of Cuba - http://www.cubagob.cu/ingles/default.htm
    Official site of Cuba's government; information on domestic and foreign affairs as well as economic and social development

Castro's Effects on Life in Cuba - http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/History/Americas/05/livingston/
    Short essay written about the effect of Castro's policies on Cuban life over the last 50 years
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Bay of Pigs
History of Cuba - http://www.historyofcuba.com/history/baypigs/pigs.htm
    Excellent history of the Bay of Pigs invasion

Global Security - http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/ops/bay-of-pigs.htm
    Gives a little more information on the logistics of the operation

Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution - http://staff.esuhsd.org/~balochie/studentprojects/cubanrevastro/
    General overview of Castro's life and the Cuban Revolution
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General Rafael Trujillo
The Dominican Dictator: Rafael Trujillo - http://www.jlhs.nhusd.k12.ca.us/classes/social_science/latin_america/dominican_Republic.html
     Brief description of the rise to power and reign of Trujillo.

The River Massacre - http://haitiforever.com/windowsonhaiti/wucker1.shtml
     Describes one of many massacres that occurred at the Haitian border at the order of Trujillo

Human Rights Watch - http://www.hrw.org/reports/2002/domrep/domrep0402-02.htm
     Reputable sight with a detailed account of life under Trujillo
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FARC
Offical Page of the FARC - http://www.farcep.org/pagina_ingles/
     Good links to history and mission of the group; be careful with this page- it is biased because the group maintains the site

Terrorist Group Profiles - http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp/farc.htm
     Profile of the FARC from an official US Navy website

FARC - http://www.ict.org.il/inter_ter/orgdet/cfm?orgid=37
    Site is good for a chronology of attacks and documents related to the FARC.
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Coffee Plantations in Colombia
Impacts of Coffee - http://www.cafeunidos.org/English/impacts.htm
     Discusses environmental and social impacts of coffee

Juan Valdez - http://www.juanvaldez.com
     Excellent resource for the history of Colombian coffee

Coffee Research - http://www.coffeeresearch.org
     Click on "coffee tour" to get a narrative on how coffee is grown and produced
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Bullfighting in Spain
Andalucia - http://www.andalucia.com/
     Excellent site about everything you want to know about bullfighting in Spain, especially Andalucia.

Ideal Spain - http://www.idealspain.com/Pages/Information/Bullfighting.htm
     Good overview of bullfighting; includes list of Spanish words related to bullfighting.

Running of the Bulls in Pamplona - http://www.sanfermin.com/guia/in_encierro1.shtml
     Excellent site discussing the actual run, how to run, how to watch it, history,etc.
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Farming in Spain
The Tellus Mission - http://www.ceja.educagri.fr/en/pays/espa.htm
     Nice overview of agriculture in Spain.

Organic Europe - http://www.organic-europe.net/country_reports/spain/default.asp
     Article written about organic farming in Spain; discusses modernizing farming in Spain (published by the EU)

Common Agricultural Policy of the EU - http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/capreform/index_en.htm
     EU's description of the common agricultural policy that Spain must now follow.

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Costa Rican Government
CIA World Factbook  - http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cs.html
     Excellent source for an accurate, general overview of the Republic of Costa Rica.

US Department of State - http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2019.htm
     Another good source for a country overview as well as US/Costa Rica relations.

Inside Costa Rica - http://www.insidecostarica.com/
     Daily news in English from Costa Rica.
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Ecology in Costa Rica
National Parks of Costa Rica - http://centralamerica.com/cr/parks/
     Listing of all national parks in Costa Rica, including descriptions of them.

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve - http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/monteverde.htm
     Maps, description, and information about the Cloud Forest and nearby Santa Elena Reserve.
     Excellent place to see tropical birds, especially the famous quetzal.

Caribbean Conservation Corporation - http://www.cccturtle.org/tortnp.htm
     History and information about Tortuguero National Park - site for viewing nesting sea turtles.
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Tierra del Fuego
Official Site of Tierra del Fuego - http://www.tierradelfuego.org.ar/
     Excellent source for info; click on English to get the page in English.  Check out the webcam page.

TravelSur - http://www.travelsur.net/tfuego.htm
     Nice pictures, good travel and tourism info.

Tierra del Fuego - http://www2.brevard.edu/reynoljh/patagonia/tdf.htm
     Lots of pictures, short narratives to accompany them.
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Mexican Immigrants
Mexican Immigration - http://memory.loc.gov/learn/features/immig/mexican.html
     Excellent source for history of Mexican immigration, perceptions, misconceptions, becoming part of the US, etc.

Mexican Immigrants in the US Labor Force - http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=206
     Provides general info and statistics of Mexicans in the US workforce.

US Immigration Policy - http://www.closeup.org/immigrat.htm
     Overview of immigration policy and immigration law.
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Puerto Rico - Independent Country?
Puerto Rico: we can stand on our own feet - http://www.independencia.net/ingles/ai_economy.html
     Discusses economic aspects of becoming an independent nation.

What should be done with Puerto Rico? - http://www.lib.utah.edu/epubs/hinckley/v2/fotheringham.htm
     Interesting article that discusses the issues facing Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rican Independence Party - http://www.puertoricousa.com/english/pip.htm
     The Independence Party presents their point of view.
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Puerto Rico - 51st State?
Puerto Rico, USA: the Case for Statehood - http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19800901faessay8150/carlos-romero-barcelo/puerto-rico-u-s-a-the-case-for-statehood.html
     Article from Foreign Affairs argues the case for statehood.

What is the difference between commonwealth and state? - http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20001117.html
   A question answered through Yahoo!

Puerto Rico, USA - http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/vol2n06/Ferre-Rosario-PuertoRicoUSA.shtml
    An opinion article from the New York Times.
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Guatemalan Human Rights Abuses
Human Rights Watch - http://www.hrw.org/wr2k3/americas6.html
     Detailed overview of human rights issues in Guatemala.

The Massacres of Rabinal - http://garnet.acns.fsu.edu/~sss4407/Book.htm
     Account of human rights abuses in Rabinal.

Global Security - http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/guatemala.htm
     Excellent history and account of the Guatemalan Civil War.
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Volcanoes in El Salvador
How Volcanoes Work - http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Home.html
     Lots of links addressing all aspects of how volcanoes work.

USGS El Salvador Volcanoes - http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/ElSalvador/description_el_salvador_volcanoes.html
    Descriptions of all the volcanoes in El Salvador.

Advantages of Volcanoes - http://library.thinkquest.org/17457/volcanoes/advantages.php
    Why volcanoes are good things.
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