DOG pile Pg 206 answer both questions on the map at the bottom

Central America Central America is made up of 7 countries Belize Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Panama Nicaragua

Central America A major landform – The Central Highlands The central highlands are difficult to travel through and being isolated from trade is a problem here. Fertile soil is of great benefit for the many subsistence farmers in this region. The region is fertile because the volcanic soil.

Central America The economy of Central America depends on farming and the harvesting of wood from the rainforest of the Central highlands. Most farming is subsistence (just enough for their existence) The rain forest is used in 3 major ways- Wood, Scientific research and tourism There is little industry in C.Am. They say “smokestacks are missing from the sky” in the region

Central America The governments of C. America are democratic- six are republics and one is a parliamentary democracy like Canada (Belize) The major language of the region is Spanish except for Belize Most people are Catholic

The West Indies (Caribbean Sea) The West Indies is an Archipelago (group of islands) in the Caribbean Sea. The Bahamas east of Florida. From west to east are the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles are in the SE. Climate = Tropical Savannah. Major industry = Tourism Large plantations grow- Sugarcane, coffee and Bananas.

The West Indies The first permanent European settlement in the Western Hemisphere was founded by the Spanish on Hispaniola. The first islands to gain independence were Haiti/Dominican Republic (Hispanola) and Cuba Cuba is a communist state and still a top sugar producer. Farmers work on Communist farms called cooperatives. CUBA

The West Indies The Dominican Republic was settled by Spain. Sugar is a major crop here too. The area has been made a Free Trade Zone where people can buy goods from other countries without extra taxes. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth (1952) and protected by the US as though it were a state.