Chapter 11

1. Chapter 11 CENTRAL AMERICA and The Caribbean

2. A. Central America • Guatemala • Belize • Honduras • El Salvador • Nicaragua • Costa Rica • Panama

3. B. Isthmus • Narrow strip of landwith water on both sides. • Central America is a land bridge between North & South America

4. C. Landforms & Climates • Mountainous Core • Runs the length of Central America • Some are over 13,000’ above sea level

5. C. Landforms & Climates • Between 3,000’ and 6,000’ the climate is spring-like all year. • Corn, Coffee & wheat are grown • Above 6,000’, it is too cold for many crops • Potatoes and barley are grown

6. 6. Caribbean Lowlands • On the eastern side • Edge of the Caribbean • Hot • Humid • Heavy rainfall • Soil is NOT fertile, limiting crops

7. Landforms & ClimatesCaribbean Lowlands Nicaragua

8. Landforms & Climates Pacific Coastal Plain

9. 7. Pacific Coastal Plain • Tropical wet/dry climate • Rain in the summer • Dry in the winter • Local volcanoes have produced fertile soils

10. D. The People • Several ethnic groups • Isolated due to mountains • Mountains make it hard for people to “mix”

11. 2. INDIANS • Largest number live in Guatemala 3. EUROPEANS a. Spain conquered and colonized in the 1500s b. MESTIZOS: Found throughout Central America

12. 4. AFRICANS • SOME are descendents of slaves • Most are descendents of Africans who immigrated to the region in the early 1900s. • Many came to build the Panama Canal

13. E. WEALTH & POVERTY • Most people are very poor • At least 2/3 of the population • The wealthy are mostly Europeans or Mestizo • The wealthy dominate thegovernment • There is a small, but growingmiddle class

14. F. FARMING ECONOMY • Most farming is subsistence farming • In Guatemala and Honduras, 50% of the population are in farming • Some people work on huge plantations for very low wages

15. F. FARMING ECONOMY • Greatest export crops in Central America: • Cotton, Bananas & Coffee • Hurricane Mitch in 1998: • Destroyed much

16. G. Political Unrest • Continuing struggle between the richlandowners and the poor. • Death Squads: Killers hired by wealthy to kill any one who disagrees with the government. • Many people in El Salvador and Guatemala were killed. • Some ended in revolutions and counter-revolutions.

17. H. GUATEMALA • Largest population in Central America • Agricultural Economy • Coffee, Sugar & Bananas • Descendents of the Mayans • Mayans are the majority • But, Ladinos Rule • Ladinos: Mestizos who follow European Ways

19. I. BELIZE • English colony (main language is English) • Present population: • 50% Mestizo • African • European • Asian

20. J. PANAMA CANAL • In 1881, France contracted with Colombia to build a canal • Problems: • Mud slides • Mountains • Malaria • After a few years, the digging stopped. • 40 years later, the U.S. built the canal.

21. K. WHY BUILD A CANAL? • New York To San Francisco (S. Am.) 13,000 miles • New York To San Francisco (Canal) 5,200 miles

22. L. CARIBBEAN ISLANDS • The three island groups: • Greater Antilles • South of Florida • JamaicaHispaniola • Puerto Rico Cuba • Lesser Antilles (Southeast of Florida) • Bahamas (Eastof Florida) • Archipelago (ar kih PEHL ih goh) • A group of islands

23. M. Island Formation • Greater Antilles & some Lesser Antilles are the tops of volcanoes. • Some are still erupting • Volcanic ash creates very good soil • Others, usually the smaller ones, are coral islands. • All of the Bahamas are Coral islands.

24. N. MARINE CLIMATE • Winds blow over the cooler, ocean waters, and “air-conditions” the islands • Average year-round high is 800 • Windward side receives rainfall • Leeward side is dry

25. O. ETHNIC ROOTS • Earliest peoples were the Cibonay & Caribs (Caribbean) • After the Europeans had conquered Latin America, many natives died from the diseases that the Europeans brought. • Others died from enslavement and cruel treatment.

26. P. AFRICAN DESCENT • Millions of Africans were brought as slaves to work the sugarcane plantations. • Some emigrated to find work • Invented calypso music • Steel drums • Satirical Lyrics

27. Q. ASIANS • Descendents of Asianswho came to the Caribbean in the 1800s to work. • After slavery was abolished, plantation owners sought for cheap labor

28. R. The Caribbean Today • Most Caribbean peoples live in independent countries • Some islands are still linked to U.S. and Europe • British Virgin Islands • U.S. Virgin Islands • Martinique (France)

29. S. Commercial/Subsistence 1. Huge plantations producing: • Bananas, Rice and Cotton • Locals are hired at low wages to work the plantations and vacation resorts. 2. Many other people grow food for their own family.

30. T. MIGRATION • Movement of people • Usually for employment • Sometimes Temporary • Sometimes Permanent • Hundreds of thousands came to build the Panama Canal

31. U. POLITICAL UNREST • Communism in Cuba • Fidel Castro took power in 1959; we’re still waiting for him to go. • Military dictatorships in Haiti • Papa Doc & Baby Doc were two of the worst • Many Cubans and Haitians immigrated to the U.S. • Send $$$$ home to help the family

32. Reach For A Star Production John P. Lukewww.mrluke.net