CENTRAL AMERICA and the WEST INDIES

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CENTRAL AMERICA and the WEST INDIES
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Central America

• Content Geography
• Grade Level 7
• Creator R. Schultz
• Curriculum OBJ/MAP Standard/IBD See following
  slide

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Central American and the West Indies

• Students will
• Discuss and practice the major elements of
  geographic study and analysis and their
  relationship to changes in society and
  environment.
• Study the relationships of the individual and
  groups to institutions and cultural traditions.
• Use the tools of social science inquiry
• Compare different regions of the world and
  understand major world issues

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Central America

• Part of the land bridge between North America and
  South America with a total of seven countries
  total mostly mountainous within the inland area
  and having two coastlines.

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Where is Central America located in relationship
to the rest of the world? Be prepared to share
your paragraph with the rest of the class.
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A. Land

• 1,000 miles long and 300 miles at the widest
  point.

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Land - continued

• Landforms
• Volcanic eruption common
• Rugged landscape
• Volcanic material has made soil fertile

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Land - continued

• Climate
• Mostly tropical (except in high altitudes)
• Highland areas are dry and cool year round
• Lowland area has hot, tropical rain forest
  climate year round (100 inches per year)
• Hurricanes (storms with winds of more than 74
  miles per hour) area a problem

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B. Economy

• Fertile soil and rain forests are the most
  important resources.

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Economy - continued

• Farming
• plantations large farms that grow produce for
  sale and export
• Subsistence farming

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Economy - continued

• Rain forests
• Valuable woods, chicle, plants used in medical
  research
• Unusual animals not found elsewhere
• Many acres cleared in recent years to try and
  raise crops
• Heavy rains erodes the soil which then loses many
  of its nutrients
• Farmers now trying to raise animals
• Once cleared, the rain forest may be gone forever

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Economy - continued

• Industry
• Not much manufacturing
• Most countries poor in minerals
• Exceptions are Guatemala and Costa Rica

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C. People

• Influences of the past
• Maya settled here about 250-400BC
• Developed advanced civilization
• Mysteriously left their cities and scattered
  after 800AD
• 1400 Spanish settled here began claiming
  territory in the 1500s.
• Spanish culture had huge impact
• Their language and religion was adopted

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People - continued

• 1600s British arrived in Belize and their
  culture impacted that country

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People - continued

• Independence
• Most of these countries gained independence by
  1821
• Last to gain independence was Belize in 1981
• Revolutions have been a problem in many of these
  countries.

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People - continued

• Population today
• 35 million people total
• Guatemala largest with 11.6 million
• Belize smallest with 200,000
• Spanish official language in all but Belize
• Rural living is normal (50)
• Celebrations called festivals of fiestas (4)

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D. National Profiles

• Guatemala
• Culture mix of native american and spanish
• Most live in south central area
• 40 live in rural areas
• Ladinos those who follow european customs
• Had civil war from 1960 - 1996

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National Profiles - continued

• Costa Rica
• One of highest standards of living in the world
• One of highest literacy rates
• Most are of Spanish ancestry
• Major export is coffee
• Few wars
• Democratic government

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National Profiles - continued

• Panama
• lies on an isthmus
• Panama Canal connects the Pacific Ocean to the
  Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
• United States helped build canal and held
  ownership until recently
• People are of native american and spanish
  ancestry
• Spanish is official language although English is
  widely spoken

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Choose two of Central Americas countries and
compare and contrast them. Be prepared to share
your paragraph with the rest of the class.
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II. West Indies

• Archipelago
• group of islands in the Caribbean Sea

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• Describe where the West Indies is in relationship
  to the rest of the world.
• Be prepared to share with the class.

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A. Land

• Many of the islands are merely the tops of an
  underwater mountain chain. Some are volcanoes.

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Land - continued

• Landforms
• Most islands have a central highland that slopes
  down to the sea
• Strips of fertile coastal plain lie along the
  coasts
• Cuba is the largest (size of Ohio)
• Anguilla is the smallest (34 square miles)

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Land - Continued

• Climate
• Tropical climate
• hurricanes

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B. Economy

• Trying to develop new areas to boost economy

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Economy - continued

• Farming
• One of two major economic activities currently in
  the area
• Large plantations grow crops for export
• Subsistence farmers

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Economy - continued

• Tourism
• Climate and beaches make for hot spot for tourism

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Economy - continued

• Mining, Manufacturing and Trade
• Small role thus far in economy
• Some minerals but not large amounts on most
  islands

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C. People

• Mix of African and Native American

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People - continued

• Influences of the past
• Columbus landed in Hispaniola in 1492
• First permanent European settlement in 1498 in
  present day Dominican Republic

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People - continued

• Forced labor
• Europeans forced the people of the islands to
  work the land and mines
• Most Native Americans died from European diseases
  or poor treatment
• Europeans then turned to Africa for workers
• Most of the Caribbean population today can trace
  its ancestry to Africa
• Mid 1800s laws passed forbidding the bringing in
  of slaves
• Turned to Asia for indentured servants

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People - continued

• Independence
• Most won independence from European countries
• Some now republic
• Others constitutional monarchies
• Cuba - communist

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People - continued

• Mix of People
• Population about 37 million
• Cuba has most with 11 million
• Five islands have only about 100,000 people each
• Most speak European languages and have Christian
  religions

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People - continued

• Culture
• Most have adopted European ways with a mix of
  African culture

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People - continued

• Daily life
• 60 live in urban areas and 40 in rural

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D. National Profiles

• Cuba
• 90 miles south of Florida
• Top sugar producer
• 50 of population is black, 25 mixed African and
  Spanish
• Most farmers work on cooperatives, or farms owned
  by the government
• Tourism growing since opening the doors to
  Americans
• Fidel Castro dictator since 1950s
• Many live in poverty

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National Profiles

• Haiti
• Shares island of Hispaniola with Dominican
  Republic
• 90 plus are of African ancestry
• Civil wars and power struggles have left economy
  in ruins
• Most people are poor
• Most live in rural areas
• Coffee main export
• Was the 2nd independent country in Western
  Hemisphere after the United States

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National Profiles

• Jamaica
• Speak English and many other dialects
• 90 plus are of African ancestry or African mixed
  with European.
• 10 Asian
• Once a British colony
• Independent since 1962
• Relies mainly on tourism

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National Profiles

• Puerto Rico
• Came under control of the United States since the
  Spanish American War
• Since 1952 has been a commonwealth
  (self-government under our protection)
• Has the same rights as other U.S. citizens
• Most of the people are of Spanish ancestry
• Most live in urban areas
• Has more industry than any other West Indies
  island
• Agriculture and tourism main part of economy

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• Choose two West Indies islands and compare and
  contrast them.
• Be prepared to share with the class.