Central America Chapter 8

1. Central America Chapter 8

2. Central AmericaPhysical geography • - • Rugged landscape • and lack of water • routes make travel • difficult in this region • Vegetation: • Most of the regions • Savanna ecosystem, • comprised of grasslands • and large trees, has • been cleared and • replaced with • plantations and ranches. • Physical Features: • Central America is • an isthmus, or a narrow • strip of land that • connects two larger • land areas. • -A chain of mountains separates the Pacific and the Caribbean Coastal • Plains. • -A few short rivers flow • through Central America.

4. Central AmericaNatural resources • *Best resources are its land and climate* • -Great fortourism(regions biggest industry) • Agricultural resources: • Coffee • Bananas • Sugarcane • Cotton • Timber • -Few mineral and energy resources

5. Central Americaclimate • Climate: • -Humid tropical/tropical • -Savanna year round • Summer: • Rainy • Hurricanes • Winter: • Dry • -Mountainous parts of central • America are covered with dense • cloud forests • Cloud forest: moist, high elevation tropical forest where low clouds are common

6. Climate Maps of Central America

7. Atlas Practice • With a PARTNER, complete the Middle America atlas activity. If you do not finish it in class, it will be for homework. 

8. Central AmericaHistory • Early History: • Mayans • -AD 250 built large cities with pyramids and temples. • The Spanish: • -15oo’s Central America came under European control (Spain and Britain) Spain claimed most of the region. • What is a colony? • A colony is a territory inhabited and controlled by people from a foreign land. • -Established large plantations and crops to grow tobacco and sugarcane. • -Central American Indians worked on plantations as well as enslaved Africans brought in by the Europeans.

9. Central AmericaHistory: Central America Since Independence • 1800’s: • -In 1812 Spanish colonies of Central America declared independence from Spain. • -For most countries in Central America, independence brought little change; the Spanish helped to establish an economy that continued to profit from the plantation crops that were already established.

10. Central America Today • Today: • -In the mid 1990’s, the U.S.-based fruit company came in and took control over the banana industry. This industry became the largest exporter in that region for bananas as well as the largest employer. • -However, foreign company involvement in Central America was resented by many since they came in and took control over their resources. In the late 1990’s, demands for reform led to struggles in Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Only in recent years have these countries reached peace.

11. What is central America like today? • With your table, you are going to read your assigned section. You will summarize your section by writing down the key points about your country. You have 10 minutes to work. You will share this with the class. • Pg.196-197 in Text • Guatemala- NA • Belize- SA • Honduras- Asia • El Salvador- EU • Nicaragua- ANT • Costa Rica- AFR • Panama- AUS

12. Central AmericaCulture • *Central America’s colonial industry has influenced its culture; the region’s people, languages, religion and festivals reflect both Spanish and native practices. • The People: • -Most of the people in Central America are • Mestizos: People of mixed European and Indian ancestry • The language: • - Many people still speak their native Indian languages; however, in places that were colonized they may speak the language of that nation not their native language. • Ex: In Belize the official language is English because it was colonized by England • -In most countries, however, the official language is Spanish due to the Spanish colonization of Central America.

13. Central AmericaCulture • The Religion: • -Roman Catholicism, the religion most practiced in this region, was brought to the region by Europeans; Spanish Missionaries taught the Indians about Catholicism. • -Religion has influence celebrations in towns throughout the region • Examples: To celebrate special saints days, they have feasts. • During Easter some towns decorate whole streets with flowers. • Festivals: • -Festivals include; music, dancing in the streets (parade), colorful costumes that represent their culture. • -Eat traditional foods such as corn, tomatoes, hot peppers and cacao (or chocolate). • -Many festivals celebrate religious holidays and days of importance

14. What and where is the Panama Canal? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uPCQy32tGg • Experience Panama- Seven Wonders Of The World- episode 5: The Panama Canal by BBC

15. The Caribbean Islands Chapter 8

16. The Caribbean Physical Geography • Climate: • -Tropical Climate • Rivers: • - The larger islands of the Caribbean have rivers. • Hispaniola has four major rivers; Yaque del Norte/Yuna River/ Yaque del Sur/ Aribontie River • Cuba has three major rivers; Rio cauto/RiocAlmendares/Rio Yurimi • Mountains: • -Many of the Caribbean islands have mountainous areas • Puerto Rico and Jamaica are known to be the most mountainous islands

17. The CaribbeanPhysical Geography • Beaches: • -Warm tropical weather as well as access to beaches to sun and surf on every island has helped the Caribbean islands to thrive as tourist destinations. • Salt Flats: • - Salt flats occur when salt water evaporates, leaving behind mass amounts of salt. • *Puerto Rico is known for having huge salt flats along it’s coasts

18. The CaribbeanEarly History • Christopher Columbus: • -Sailed from Spain in 1942; Discovered the Caribbean Islands (not America) • -He thought he reached the Indies, or Islands near India. For that reason, he called the Caribbean Islands the West Indies and the people that lived their Indians. • Colonies: • - In the 1600’s and 1700’s the English, French, Dutch and the Danish established colonies on the islands. • -Built huge sugar cane plantations, this required many workers, so Europeans brought Africans from Africa to work as slaves. • -Soon the number of Africans outnumbered the Europeans on the islands.

19. The CaribbeanEarly History • Independence: • Toussaint-L’Ouverture(Too-Sahn Loo-Ver-Toor) • -Led a slave revolt that helped to Haiti win independence from France in1804. Along with • independence came freedom for slaves in Haiti. From this, ideas of independence spread • throughout the Caribbean. • 1800’s -1900’s: • Dominican Republic gained independence • United States con Cuba from Spain, but then Spain gained independence in 1902 • Other Caribbean countries did not gain independence for 40 more years , after WWII. • Some countries are still not fully independent countries. Ex: Guadeloupe is a French possession.

20. The Caribbean Culture • People: • -Most islanders are descended from Europeans or from Africans who came to the region as slaves, or a mix of the two. • Languages: • - Languages spoken reflect the colonial heritage; Spanish English or French as well as a mix of many European and African languages are spoken on many islands. • Dialect= regional variety of a language • Ex: Haitians speak French Creole, Creole is a dialect

21. The Caribbean Culture • Religion: • -Regions past also reflects the religions people practice. Former French and Spanish territories have large numbers of Catholics. • - Blend of Catholicism and traditional African religions. • Festivals and Food: • -Celebrate a variety of holidays • -Biggest and most wide spread festival is Carnival. • *Carnival is a time of feasts and celebration before the Christian season of Lent. • * Big parades with fancy costumes and live music and dancing. • -Food and cooking also reflect the regions past. • Ex: Foods carried from Africa on slave ships such as Okra and yams are popular throughout the islands. Curry was brought to the region by people from India who came as plantation workers after slavery ended.

22. Exit Slip • Fill out the Central America and • Caribbean Island exit slip, and turn it in to • the bin. If you do not finish it in class, it is • homework. 