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Central America

Central America. Central America is an isthmus . a narrow strip of land connecting two larger area 1914 Panama Canal opened Seven small countries make up Central America Three major landforms: m ountains, the Caribbean lowlands, and the Pacific coastal plain e ach has it’s own climate

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Central America

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  1. Central America • Central America is an isthmus. • a narrow strip of land connecting two larger area • 1914 Panama Canal opened • Seven small countries make up Central America • Three major landforms: • mountains, the Caribbean lowlands, and the Pacific coastal plain • each has it’s own climate • Population includes: • Indians, Europeans (Spanish), mestizos, & people of African decent • most central Americans are poor farmers • the wealthiest are Europeans and mestizo, and are mainly plantation owners

  2. Central America • armed conflicts • shortage of farmland is cause of unrest • government serves the interest of the wealthy • guerilla movements • Armed forces outside of the regular army • Fight in small bands against the government controlled army

  3. Caribbean Islands • Caribbean Islands divided into three groups and lie in the tropics: • the Greater Antilles • the Lesser Antilles • the Bahamas • the Bahamas form an archipelago and the Lesser Antilles form another archipelago • group of islands • The Greater Antilles include the four larger Islands • Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico

  4. Caribbean Islands • mountainous islands • tops of volcanoes • coral islands • Flatter islands created by the remains of tiny sea animals( coral polyps) • sea and wind effect climate • windward islands face the wind & get a lot of rain • leeward islands face away from wind & get little rain

  5. Caribbean Islands • Caribbean people are descendants of Africans that were enslaved by European colonists and brought to work on plantations • many Caribbean people depend on farming(sugar, bananas, coconuts, cocoa, rice, cotton) and industries related to farming such as packaging rice products • Caribbean attracts tourism, but few islanders benefit • most islanders to find work or escape political unrest

  6. Brazil • nearly half of South America’s people and land • two main land forms • plains • plateaus • Coast of Northeast Brazil • 1500’s Portuguese started sugar plantations (slavery) • poverty still today due to poor soil and uncertain rain

  7. Brazil • Southeast Brazil • smallest region • Economic heartland • Coffee • Fertile soil • 40% of Brazilians live here • Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo • Cities attract the poor who end up living in favelas • slum communities w/ houses made of mud, tin,&wood boards

  8. Brazil • Brazilian Highlands • Brasilia, capitol built here to attract people to the area • central plateau • Amazon River Basin • Home to 1000’s of plants and animals • 10% of Brazilians live here including 200,000 indians

  9. Brazil • country of extremes • Rich in resources • Much poverty • attack poverty • increased industry • encourage settlement in the interior • Gave away land and mining permits • built roads

  10. Brazil • manufacturing now make sup 1/3 of Brazil’s GNP • Grows own fuel, gasohol • A new fuel that mixes gasoline with ehtonol (comes from sugar cane) • ½ the population works in the service industry (hotels restaurants, stores, government)

  11. Brazil • economic change has been good except for… • favelas have grown larger (more moving to large cities) • settlers in Amazon River Basin cut down rain forest to plant crops • deforestation • permanent removal of woodland • threatens thousands of species of plants and animals

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