F IVE T HEMES OF G EOGRAPHY Pd. 4 Group 1

L OCATION Exact: 30 degrees longitude and 75 degrees latitude Relative: Within Caribbean Ocean, South of the United States and Bahamas, North of Latin America

P LACE (P HYSICAL ) Islands Climate-generally wet, warm all year and plenty of rainfall (about 200 cm/80 in a year) which can support tropical rain forests natural grasslands in parts of Cuba, Hispaniola, and southern Guyana much of natural vegetation removed for agriculture and fuel, but small forest fragments remain tropical lowlands hurricanes create heavy rains and fierce winds (beginning of July going west coast of Africa) creates mud slides, floods. tropical forests found in rimland savannas which are important to the Caribbean fertile soil mangrove swamps which are wet environment not suited for human settlement arid zones- semiarid vegetation with thorn-scrub brush and cactus. these lands receive in of rain. limited agriculture thousands moved in cities as economic migrants going into the informal sector. There are squatter settlements in places like Santo Domingo that are bad with people living in horrible houses without working sewers and running water. Cuba has good housing like the apartments that resemble eastern Europe and Russia; modern day housings.

P LACE (H UMAN )  Maroons-communities of runaway slaves  Diverse cultures from European descendents from colonies, Africans, Amerindians, and people from India and China who came to work and communities of runaway slaves  African religions are an influence in Caribbean religions. ex- Voodoo in Haiti and Obeah in Jamaica  Dominant languages the residents speak: Spanish, French, English, and Dutch  the political integration of the Caribbean is hard because islands are separated and speak different languages; for example Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S and Cuba is a one-party socialist republic. water sports are very popular for example scuba diving  many lands are not paved but cars, jeep or trucks are used and some walk on foot  bicycles have been popular because of the scarcity of fuel  creolization is the blending of African, European, and some Amerindian cultures  some new languages are spoken in the ABC islands Papiamento(blend of Dutch, SPanish, Portugese, English, and African) also Patois in Haiti  music is popular like reggae, rumba, merengue- roots of these genres come from a combination of african rhythms w/ european forms of melody and verse  carnivals are filled with steel instrument like steel pans, skilled dancers and musicians.

M OVEMENT (P EOPLE ) Emigration- people move to different areas ex. Cubans Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans to United States. Immigrants Slave trade Barbadians most settle in London, England Cubans choose to live in Miami Haitians usually don't live in place of birth but move to their neighbor, Dominican Republic Most people from Puerto Rico move into the U.S. Circular Migration- man or woman leaves children behind with relatives to work hard for money, save, & return home Chain Migration- one family member is brought over at a time Caribbean diaspora-people from the Caribbean are moving around the world Asian immigration for labor to the Caribbean

M OVEMENT (G OODS /I DEAS )  Goods  Trade  Railroad  Ports-exports/imports  Ideas  languages-emerge and are spread to other places. Main languages spoken are Spanish, French, English, Dutch  Music  Singing  Dance  Creolization  Plantation America  Asian immigration

I NTERACTION B ETWEEN H UMANS AND THE E NVIRONMENT  Change  Deforestation-People are cutting down the trees to plant sugar cane and produce fuel  Cleared hillsides to farm  Coastal mangrove swamps cleared for beach space  Cleared the coasts for tourism  Adapt  Evacuating areas before hurricanes  Conserving forest in the rimlands-less cleared for farming  Put the buildings on stilts because major floods  Use charcoal and fire as a source of energy  Must move to other areas of the country because harsh weather

R EGION  Physical:  Islands  Deforestation on Haiti/Dominican Republic border  Caribbean sea  Arid Zones  Forests, savannas, and mangroves  Political:  Education  Status of women  Migration  Social development  Cultural:  Plantation America  Neo-Africa  Economic  Deforestation in Haiti  Monocrops, Free Trade Zones  Free trade zones  Tourism  CARICON