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Chapter 8Central America & the Caribbean
Section 1Physical Geography
Physical FeaturesSandy beaches, volcanic mts., rain forests, &
clear blue water
Central AmericaActually the southern part of North America7 countries
Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, & Panama
Is an isthmusNarrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas
Not more than 125 miles from Pacific Ocean to Caribbean Sea
Chain of mts. & volcanoes separate Pacific & Caribbean coastal plains
Has a few short riversRugged land & lack of water routes makes travel difficult
Caribbean IslandsComprised of hundreds of islands
Make up an archipelago or large group of islands
Divide Caribbean Sea from Atlantic OceanTwo main island groups
Greater Antilles (4 large islands): Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, & Puerto Rico
Lesser Antilles: other smaller islands; stretch from Virgin Islands to Trinidad and Tobago
Bahamas: 3rd group of islands; includes 700 islands & thousands of reefs
Many islands are the tops of underwater mts. & volcanoes
Some began as coral reefs that gradually pushed up
Tectonic plates have also created some of the islandsEarthquakes & volcanic eruptions occur
frequently
Climate & VegetationBoth areas are generally sunny & warmHumid tropical & tropical savanna climates are commonAlong Pacific coast original savanna vegetation has been
cleared & replaced w/ plantations & ranchesCaribbean coast has areas of tropical rain forestInland mt. areas contain cool, humid climates
Cloud forests: a moist, high elevation tropical forest where low clouds are common
Temps generally do not change much from day to night or from summer to winterChange is marked by rainfall
winters = dry summers = rains daily summer to fall = hurricane season
ResourcesLand & climate are best resources
TourismAgriculture
Profitable where volcanic ash has enriched the soil Coffee, bananas, sugarcane, & cotton Timber exported form rain forests
Few mineral resourcesEnergy resources also limited
Rely on energy imports Limits devlopment
Section 2Central America
Early HistoryA.D. 250
Maya were building large cities w/ pyramids & temples Abandoned cities around A.D. 900, but ruins remain
today People of Maya descent still live in Guatemala &
Belize & customs still influence modern life
1500sEuropeans control
Claimed mostly by Spain Est. plantations & grew tobacco & sugarcane Made Indians work on plantations & gold mines
Enslaved Africans also brought to region Britain claimed Belize & part of Nicaragua
Central America Since Independence1821Colonies declared independenceRegion remained together as United Provinces
of Central AmericaSeparated in 1838-1839
Panama remained part of Colombia until 1903 Belize remained part of Britain 1981
Independence brought little changeWealthy landowners continued to run the
countries & the economiesBananas & coffee supported economy
Mid-1900sU.S. based United Fruit Company developed
railroads & port facilities to help its business in Central America This helped w/ transportation & communication in
region
Many people resented foreign companies for owning so much while others struggled to make a livingLed to armed struggles in many countries
CultureInfluenced by colonial history
Reflect Spanish and native practicesPeople and Languages
Most people are mestizos (of mixed European and Indian ancestry) Mostly live in places like the Guatemalan Highlands
African ancestry Live mostly along Caribbean coast
In some countries native Indian languages are still spoken
English & Spanish are main languages spoken
Religion, Festivals, & FoodMany practice a religion brought by
EuropeansRoman Catholic & Protestant Christians
Religion has influenced celebrations in townsCelebrate special saints’ feast days; Easter
During festivals people eat traditional foods Corn, tomatoes, hot peppers, and cacao
Central America TodayHave similar histories and culturesHave own economic & political challenges2005 Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, el
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, & Nicaragua signed Central American Free Trade Agreement with U.S.Goal is to increase trade among countries
GuatemalaMost populous (12 million people)Although most are mestizos, half are Central
American Indians & speak Maya languagesMost live in small villages in the highlands1960-1996
Fighting between rebels and gov’t forces (200,000 people were killed) Still recovering from conflict
Coffee grown in highlandsMajor producer of cardamom (spice used in
Asian foods)
BelizeSmallest populationNot much land for agricultureEcotourism has become popular
Practice of using an area’s natural environment to attract tourists Come to see coral reefs, Maya ruins, & coastal
resorts
HondurasMountainous country
Most people live in mt. valleys & along northern coast
Rugged land makes transportation difficultLittle land to grow cropsBananas & citrus fruits are important exports
El SalvadorA few rich families own much of the best land
while most people live in poverty1980s
Civil war resulted from land disputes Many people were killed & economy suffered
People are working to rebuild their country since end of civil war in 1992
Country has fertile soilGrow & export coffee and sugarcane
NicaraguaRebuilding after civil war1979
A group called the Sandinistas overthrew a dictator Many supported this group, but rebel forces (aided
by U.S.) fought Sandinistas for power
1990Civil war ended w/ electionsNow a democracy
Costa RicaHas a history of peaceHas stable, democratic gov’tDoes not have an armyProgress made in reducing povertyCoffee & bananas are important to economyTourism also important
PanamaMost people live near Panama CanalCanal fees & local industries make area most
prosperous in country1914
Panama Canal was built by U.S. as a link from Pacific Ocean to Caribbean Sea U.S. controlled canal until 1999
Section 3The Caribbean Islands
Early History1492Columbus sailed for Spain & was 1st to sail into
Caribbean SeaThought he had reached the Indies
Called islands the West Indies & people Indians
Spain had little interest in smaller islandsEnglish, French, Dutch, & Danish did
Est. colonies & built huge sugarcane plantations Most Caribbean Indians had died from disease so
African slaves were brought in to work plantations Soon Africans & people of African descent
outnumbered Europeans on many islands
IndependenceToussaint-L’Ouverture
Led a slave revoltHelped Haiti win independence from France in 1804
Idea of independence spread
Mid-1800sDominican Republic gained independenceU.S. won Cuba from Spain
Cuba gained independence in 1902
Other countries had to wait about 40 years for independenceAfter WWII; Europeans transferred political power peacefully
Some are still not independentSome are provinces or territories of other countries
CultureSigns of past colonialism & slaveryPeople, Languages, & Religion
Most people are descended from Europeans or from African slaves Or a mixture
Spanish, French, English, or European and African languages Creole: spoken by Haitians; a dialect or a regional
variety of a languageCatholic, blend of Catholicism and traditional
African religions
Festivals and FoodVariety of holidays celebrated
Carnival: time of feasts & celebration before Lent Often include great music
Food & cooking also reflects pastFood from Africa like yams & okraCurry
The Caribbean Islands TodayHave similar history & cultureEconomies differ as well as gov’t & cultural
landscapes
Puerto RicoWas a Spanish colonyToday U.S. commonwealth
self-governing territory associated w/ another country
Are U.S. citizens, but no voting representation in CongressDebate to remain commonwealth or U.S. state or
independent countryU.S. aid & investment have helped develop
economyWages are lower & unemployment is higher than in
U.S.
HaitiMountainous western third of island of HispaniolaHas limited industryAgricultural products like coffee and sugarcane
are main exportsMost farm small plots of landIs the poorest country in the AmericasHas had corrupt gov’t
Violence, political unrest, & poverty have created many political refugees Someone who flees to another country, usually for
political or economic resasons
Dominican RepublicOccupies eastern half of HispaniolaCapital of Santo Domingo was the 1st
permanent European settlement in the Western Hemisphere
Not a rich countryEconomy, health care, & housing are more
developed than HaitiAgriculture is basis of economyTourism is growing
CubaLargest & most populous in Caribbean92 miles from FloridaRun by Communist since 1959 when Fidel Castro came to
powerTook over banks, plantations, & other businesses (many owned
by U.S. companies)U.S. banned trade with Cuba & restricted travel there by U.S.
citizensToday
Gov’t still controls economyFarms are organizes as cooperatives or gov’t owned plantations
Cooperative: an organization owned by its members and operated for their mutual benefit
Gov’t also controls all newspapers, television, and radio stations Some support gov’t policies & other have become refugees in the U.S.
Other IslandsJamaica
Largest remaining Caribbean countrySaint Kitts and Nevis
Smallest countryMany are not countries but territories
U.S. & British Virgin IslandsNetherlands and France also have territories
Some islands have enough land to grow coffee, sugarcane, or spices
Most economies are based on tourismGood for economy, but sometimes harms environment