5. Central America
Actually the southern part of North America
7 countries
Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa
Rica, & Panama
Is an isthmus
Narrow 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 rivers
Rugged land & lack of water routes makes travel difficult
6. Caribbean Islands
Comprised of hundreds of islands
Make up an archipelago or large group of islands
Divide Caribbean Sea from Atlantic Ocean
Two 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
7. 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 islands
Earthquakes & volcanic eruptions occur frequently
8. Climate & Vegetation
Both areas are generally sunny & warm
Humid tropical & tropical savanna climates are common
Along Pacific coast original savanna vegetation has been cleared
& replaced w/ plantations & ranches
Caribbean coast has areas of tropical rain forest
Inland 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 winter
Change is marked by rainfall
winters = dry
summers = rains daily
summer to fall = hurricane season
9. Resources
Land & climate are best resources
Tourism
Agriculture
Profitable where volcanic ash has enriched the soil
Coffee, bananas, sugarcane, & cotton
Timber exported form rain forests
Few mineral resources
Energy resources also limited
Rely on energy imports
Limits devlopment
11. Early250
A.D.
History
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
1500s
Europeans 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
12. Central America Since
Independence
1821
Colonies declared independence
Region remained together as United Provinces of
Central America
Separated in 1838-1839
Panama remained part of Colombia until 1903
Belize remained part of Britain 1981
Independence brought little change
Wealthy landowners continued to run the countries &
the economies
Bananas & coffee supported economy
13. Mid-1900s
U.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 living
Led to armed struggles in many countries
14. Culture
Influenced by colonial history
Reflect Spanish and native practices
People 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
15. Religion, Festivals, & Food
Many practice a religion brought by Europeans
Roman Catholic & Protestant Christians
Religion has influenced celebrations in towns
Celebrate special saints’ feast days; Easter
During festivals people eat traditional foods
Corn, tomatoes, hot peppers, and cacao
16. Central America Today
Have similar histories and cultures
Have own economic & political challenges
2005 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
17. Guatemala
Most populous (12 million people)
Although most are mestizos, half are Central American
Indians & speak Maya languages
Most live in small villages in the highlands
1960-1996
Fighting between rebels and gov’t forces (200,000 people were
killed)
Still recovering from conflict
Coffee grown in highlands
Major producer of cardamom (spice used in Asian foods)
18. Belize
Smallest population
Not much land for agriculture
Ecotourism has become popular
Practice of using an area’s natural environment to attract
tourists
Come to see coral reefs, Maya ruins, & coastal resorts
19. Honduras
Mountainous country
Most people live in mt. valleys & along northern coast
Rugged land makes transportation difficult
Little land to grow crops
Bananas & citrus fruits are important exports
20. El Salvador
A few rich families own much of the best land while
most people live in poverty
1980s
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 soil
Grow & export coffee and sugarcane
21. Nicaragua
Rebuilding after civil war
1979
A group called the Sandinistas overthrew a dictator
Many supported this group, but rebel forces (aided by U.S.)
fought Sandinistas for power
1990
Civil war ended w/ elections
Now a democracy
22. Costa Rica
Has a history of peace
Has stable, democratic gov’t
Does not have an army
Progress made in reducing poverty
Coffee & bananas are important to economy
Tourism also important
23. Panama
Most people live near Panama Canal
Canal fees & local industries make area most
prosperous in country
1914
Panama Canal was built by U.S. as a link from Pacific
Ocean to Caribbean Sea
U.S. controlled canal until 1999
25. Early History
1492
Columbus sailed for Spain & was 1st to sail into
Caribbean Sea
Thought he had reached the Indies
Called islands the West Indies & people Indians
Spain had little interest in smaller islands
English, 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
26. Independence
Toussaint-L’Ouverture
Led a slave revolt
Helped Haiti win independence from France in 1804
Idea of independence spread
Mid-1800s
Dominican Republic gained independence
U.S. won Cuba from Spain
Cuba gained independence in 1902
Other countries had to wait about 40 years for
independence
After WWII; Europeans transferred political power peacefully
Some are still not independent
Some are provinces or territories of other countries
27. Culture
Signs of past colonialism & slavery
People, 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
language
Catholic, blend of Catholicism and traditional African
religions
28. Festivals and Food
Variety of holidays celebrated
Carnival: time of feasts & celebration before Lent
Often include great music
Food & cooking also reflects past
Food from Africa like yams & okra
Curry
29. The Caribbean Islands Today
Have similar history & culture
Economies differ as well as gov’t & cultural landscapes
30. Puerto Rico
Was a Spanish colony
Today U.S. commonwealth
self-governing territory associated w/ another country
Are U.S. citizens, but no voting representation in
Congress
Debate to remain commonwealth or U.S. state or
independent country
U.S. aid & investment have helped develop economy
Wages are lower & unemployment is higher than in U.S.
31. Haiti
Mountainous western third of island of Hispaniola
Has limited industry
Agricultural products like coffee and sugarcane are main
exports
Most farm small plots of land
Is the poorest country in the Americas
Has 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
32. Dominican Republic
Occupies eastern half of Hispaniola
Capital of Santo Domingo was the 1st permanent
European settlement in the Western Hemisphere
Not a rich country
Economy, health care, & housing are more developed
than Haiti
Agriculture is basis of economy
Tourism is growing
33. Cuba & most populous in Caribbean
Largest
92 miles from Florida
Run by Communist since 1959 when Fidel Castro came to power
Took over banks, plantations, & other businesses (many owned by
U.S. companies)
U.S. banned trade with Cuba & restricted travel there by U.S.
citizens
Today
Gov’t still controls economy
Farms 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.
34. Other Islands
Jamaica
Largest remaining Caribbean country
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Smallest country
Many are not countries but territories
U.S. & British Virgin Islands
Netherlands and France also have territories
Some islands have enough land to grow
coffee, sugarcane, or spices
Most economies are based on tourism
Good for economy, but sometimes harms environment
