Transcript Central America and the Caribbean

Central America and the Caribbean
Page 245 - 251
Physical Features
• Central America connects North and South
America.
• Isthmus- a strip of land with water on both
sides connects two large bodies of land.
• Panama Canal- human made train route
between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
• Steady shift of plates makes this region
physically unsteady.
Trade is important because of the
Panama Canal, which cuts through the
land bridge and connects the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans.
ENVIRONMENTAL INTERACTIONS
• Earthquakes• Hurricanesintense storms
cause great
destruction
• Honduras –
averages 8
hurricanes
each year
The climate and vegetation of the region
include forested highlands, tropical forests, and
humid lowlands.
Islands
and
Coastal
Plains
Inland
Mountains
• Humid tropical and tropical savanna climates
• Pacific coast savannas cleared for plantations
and ranches
• Caribbean coast rain forest
• Cool, humid climates
• Cloud forest, or a moist, high-elevation
tropical forest where low clouds are common
Climate
• Wet and warm- close to large bodies of water
and equator.
• Trade winds bring rain to the region.
• Year round rain- provides rain for coffee and
bananas.
• Highlands are densely populated because of
the dry, cool climate that allows for variety of
crops.
Natural Resources
• Rural areas use farming
• Urban areas use commerce and
manufacturing
• Jamaica- bauxite is mined for aluminum
• Some Petroleum but most import it.
Central America’s mines and forests also
provide resources for export.
Other export crops are bananas, citrus
fruits, coffee, and spices.
Many people work on the plantations that
grow crops for export. But the pay is poor, and
as a result, average per-capita income in the
Caribbean is very low.
Farming and Tourism
Farming
• Large agricultural area
lowlands of Central America
• Plantations- large
commercial farms
• Cash crops – sugar and
coffee
Tourism
• Business for food, places of
stay, other services for
visitors
• Scuba diving
• Hiking
• Cruise ships
• resorts
Sugar cane plantations in the Caribbean
provide the region’s largest export crop.
Tourism is an increasingly important industry.
Local residents of the islands are able to find
jobs working in the hotels, resorts, and
restaurants there.
Ecosystems
Most people live in urban areas, where they
hope to find jobs in tourism. The cities attract
people who are seeking a better way of life.
Bahamas
Environment Dangers
• Pollution- water and crops
• Chemicals and pesticides
• Deforestation- clearing of large amount of
trees
• Loss of Habitats
Section 1 review
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Words to know:
IsthmusHurricaneBiodiversityTourismDeforestation-
Section 1 Review
• How does tourism affect the countries in
Central America and the Caribbean?
• Describe the effects of a hurricane on a
country’s land, structure, and people.
History
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Around 1000 B.C.
Mayan Civilization
Developed a calendar
Writing system using symbols
Grew maize(corn) using irrigation
Organized with city-states
Large pyramid temples
The Mayan people built a great civilization in the
area that spread throughout the region. The
homeland of the Maya stretched from southern
Mexico into northern Central America.
The Maya built many cities with temples and palaces in
present-day Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and
Honduras. Each city was an independent state ruled by
a god king and served as a center for religious
ceremony and trade.
The pyramids at Tikal were among the
tallest structures in the Americas until the
20th century.
Caribbean People
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Arawaks and Caribs
Grew variety of plants for food
Gathered fruits
Harvested shellfish
Used canoes for traveling
Divided into villages run by chiefs
Colonization and Slavery
• 1492 Columbus sailed to the Bahamas
• Early Spanish explorers in search for gold or
other riches
• Convert native people to Christianity
• Colony-group of people who live in a territory
with ties to distant state.
• Encomienda- legal system to control Native
Americans (tax them and force them to work)
Colonization and Slavery
• Haciendas-huge farms and ranches
• Import slaves to do work
• Triangular system of trade- Caribbean, Africa, and
Europe
• Rebellion in Haiti-Toussaint L’Ouverture led the
rebellion
• 1804 – Haiti people declared Independence
• 1821- Guatemala people declared Independence
Government
• Dictatorship-governments controlled by a
single leader
• Cuba- Fulgencio Batista limited political
freedom
• 1959-Fidel Castro led communist revolution
• US ended relations with Cuba
• Guatemala-deadly civil war lasted 40 years
• Caribbean gained independence 1990’s
Section 2 Review
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Words to Know:
MayaColony
Encomienda
Hacienda
Independence
Dictatorship
Section 2 Review
• What makes a government a dictatorship?
• Why did newly independent nations look for
foreign investors?
Central America and the Caribbeans
Today
A greater variety of influences was at work in the
Caribbean. The Spanish, French, British, Danish, and
Dutch existed side by side with the African and Native
American. Residents of the islands are of European,
African, or mixed ancestry.
Main Idea 2:
The culture of the Caribbean islands shows signs of past colonialism
and slavery.
People
Language
• Most islanders are descended from Europeans,
Africans, or both.
• Some Asians, who came to work on plantations
after slavery ended, live on the island.
• People speak Spanish, English, French, and
mixtures of African and European languages.
• Haitians speak French Creole, which is a dialect,
or a regional variety of a language.
• Former colonies are mostly Roman Catholic.
Religion
• People also blend Catholicism and traditional
African religions.
Caribbean Culture
• Islanders celebrate a variety of holidays.
Festivals
• The most widespread is Carnival, before Lent,
when people celebrate with big parades, fancy
costumes, and music.
• Caribbean food reflects past.
• Yams and okra from Africa
Foods
• In Barbados, souse is made of pigs’ tails, ears,
and snouts because slaveholders gave slaves the
leftover parts of the pig.
• People from India brought curry to the region.
The religions of the Caribbean include Catholic
and Protestant, as well as Santeria, which
combines certain African practices and rituals
with Catholic elements.
Voodoo is practiced on the island of Haiti.
Rastafarianism is a religious and political
movement based in Jamaica.
Spanish is spoken on the most populous islands in
the Caribbean: Cuba, with a population of about 11
million, and the Dominican Republic, with a
population of about 8.5 million.
There are also many French speakers (Haiti
alone has a population of more than 6 million).
Unfortunately, many end up living in slums. The region is
working to find a way to channel more of the profits from
tourism and farming to benefit local communities.
Jamaica
Music, heavily influenced and shaped by the
African heritage in the region, is an important
part of the popular culture of Central America
and the Caribbean.
Calypso music began in Trinidad. Calypso combines
musical elements from Africa, Spain, and the Caribbean.
Calypso songs are accompanied by steel drums and
guitars, and they have improvised lyrics.
Reggae developed in Jamaica in the
1960s. Many reggae songs deal with social
problems and religion.
Government
• Caribbean government – democracy using
parliamentary system
• Parliamentary system- prime minister as
leader
• Democratic election- citizens legal to vote
• Dictatorship- Cuba- socialist republic
• Elections – for representatives only
• College and health care free in Cuba
Economy
• Goal – increase capital investments
• Encourage foreign companies to build
industry
• Free Trade-goods and services are traded
through countries without restrictions such as
tariffs
• Benefits –
• Low taxes encourage foreign business to build
factories- creates jobs
Reform Farms
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Free trade affects farming
Large amounts of produce for free market
More pesticides
Don’t own farms so international trade cannot
profit
• Microcredit- gives poor farmers a start to own
land ( Co-ops)
ECOTOURISM
• Tourism that focuses on environment and
seeks to minimize environmental impact
• Exploring nature by foot or horseback.
• Keep Native cultures.
Section 3 Review
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Words to Know:
Carnival
Ecotourism
Santeria
Diaspora
microcredit