Chapter 8

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