Central America and the Caribbean Bridging Two Continents

Physical Geography Central America is an isthmus, a narrow strip of land bordered by two bodies of water—the Pacific Ocean to the West and the Atlantic Ocean to East.

Physical Geography Three major landforms in Central America 1.Mountainous Core Mountains run down the center of the area Two climate zones in the core 1.Spring like year round temperatures (3,000 to 6,000 feet of elevation) 2.Cold climates above that

Physical Geography Three major landforms in Central America 2.Caribbean lowlands Eastern side of Central America Tropical Wet climate 3.Pacific Coastal Plains West side of Central America Savanna Climate with grassland vegetation

Caribbean Islands = Tropical Climate The Caribbean islands are an archipelago, a large group of islands, which can be split up into three groups: 1.Lesser Antilles Volcanic Islands Smaller islands in the southeastern part of the Caribbean 2.Greater Antilles Also Volcanic Islands Larger Islands such as Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and Dominican Republic 3.Bahamas Coral Islands Made from the remains of dead sea animals

Lesser Antilles Greater Antilles

People of Central America Indians Mayan empire spread throughout this area Largest number live in Guatemala Europeans and Mestizos Largest European settlement today is in Costa Rica (mostly Spanish) Mestizos (mix of Spanish and Indian) mostly live in El Salvador and Nicaragua African Descent Came over to work on the banana plantations and build the Panama Canal

People of the Caribbean Mixture of races Natives Africans Europeans (French, British, Danish and Dutch) Mestizos More people of African ancestry then in Central America because the Caribbean islands were European sugar plantations that used thousands of African slaves.

Culture of Central America & the Caribbean Central American Culture Mostly Spanish speaking. Roman Catholic. Most cultural traits are a result of Spanish controlling Central America through 1820s. Most Central American people live in rural (country) areas and farm.

Culture of Central America & the Caribbean Caribbean Culture Culture is based on whichever European country ruled over them during the 1500s-1800s—usually Spanish, English, or Dutch. Large African influence as a result of the slave trade. Most Caribbean people live in towns/cities and depend upon tourism.

Economy of Central America & the Caribbean Tourism, especially ecotourism (touring nature and animals) Agriculture: Sugar, fruit, coffee, cacao (chocolate) Informal economy Street vendors, shoe shiners and many more Drug trafficking Levels of Society Small group of wealthy (mostly descendants of Europeans) Small middle class Large lower class

Environmental Problem: Deforestation Rainforests are cut down for valuable wood (mahogany) and to clear land for farming.

Economic and Political Problems Civil wars and political instability have made life difficult for many in the region—it’s kept industry from developing and made people poor AND fearful for their safety. In the last 75 years, there have been wars and political problems in: Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti Many countries in the region have been or are currently being ruled by military dictatorships, with one person having completely control of society and the military supporting him. Drug cartels (big drug gangs) are also common and cause many people to fear for their lives.