Central America

What are the two regions of Mexico? Focus Question What are the two regions of Mexico?

Central America Central America is an Isthmus Forms a land bridge that connects North and South America 1914 Panama Canal was built Connected the Atlantic and the Pacific ocean 7 countries Honduras Costa Rica Nicaragua El Salvador Guatemala Belize Panama Diverse Human and Physical landscape

Culture and Landscape Diverse Culture Divided into 3 main regions Multiple Religions Multiple Ethnicities Multiple Languages Divided into 3 main regions 1. Mountainous Core 2. Caribbean Lowlands 3. Pacific Coastal Plains

The Three Regions Mountainous Core Caribbean Lowlands Reaches 13,000 feet above sea level Active Volcanoes Two Climates 3,000-6,000 feet is spring like climate 6,000 feet plus is a very cold and dry climate Caribbean Lowlands Eastern side Tropical wet climate 80+ inches of rain a year Rainforests Pacific Coastal Plains Tropical wet and dry climate with a savanna Only receives summer rain Lots of lakes

People and Cultures 1. Natives/Indians 2. Europeans and Mestizos Different Indian group in each country, with their own unique ancestry Guatemala is the largest country with Native Population ½ the population is Indians 2. Europeans and Mestizos 1500’s Europeans arrived in the lands Central American contains a large majority of the European and Mestizo population 3. African Descent Slave trade Mullatos Live throughout the region Still looked down upon.

Wealth and poverty Central America is a very poor region Small percentage of the wealthy dominate the government and the economy 2/3 population lives in poverty Have no political rights Have no assistance Middle and upper class make up 1/3 of the population Middle class families are mostly farmers Upper class families are doctors, bankers, lawyers, and business owners

Political Conflict Central America has a lot of violent conflicts over politics The poor fight the rich They fight over farmland The use guerrilla warfare Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala are the three countries that have experienced the most political conflicts in the region.

Section 2 The Caribbean

What are the three regions of Central America? Focus Question What are the three regions of Central America?

Physical Characteristics There are over 700 islands in the Caribbean Region contains 3 island groups 1.Greater Antilles 2. Lesser Antilles 3. Bahamas Islands form from either Volcanoes Coral

Climate Climate is affected by the ocean and the wind Most of the islands have a tropical climate A couple small islands have a moderate climate Rainfall is crucial to the islands Some islands receive 200+ inches of rain a year Some islands only receive 80 inches of rain a year Hazards Tropical Storms Hurricanes Volcanoes Earthquakes

Ethnic Roots Europeans Africans Asians Arrived in 1492 Wiped out the native population with diseases Established a large European population Africans Were brought over in the slave trade Worked the plantations Region has a lot of African cultural similarities Asians Came over after the slave trade ended looking for work Worked for very cheap

Economy Farming Tourism Shipping Fishing Region has very fertile soils on the volcanic islands Large plantations Sugar cane, bananas, coconuts, cocoa, rice, cotton Tourism Costa Rica Shipping Ship Building and Shipping Cruise ship docking Fishing Fish, clams (pearls), muscles, shark

Migration Two reasons people leave this region 1. Economic Benefits Migrant workers leave the region in search of work They leave to attend schools Usually remain in the U.S. working 2. Unhappiness in their home country Cubans migrated to the U.S. to escape communism Athletes move to the U.S. or other nations to be successful. Today 90% of the countries are free and independent. 10% however, are still dependent and under the control of the U.S. or Europe.

Quiz What are the three regions of Mexico? What are the three groups of islands the Caribbean is divided into? What are the three ways the Caribbean islands form? What type of economy does Mexico have? What are two natural hazards of the Caribbean? What are two resources of Mexico? What are two resources of the Caribbean?