VOCABULARY Diaspora – Spread of people from one place to many others. Microcredit – Small loan.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Connects North and South America Separates the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans It is an isthmus – a strip of land with water on both side. It connects two larger pieces of land. Panama Canal cuts through the isthmus. The canal is a man-made trade route between the two oceans.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Mountains and lakes are the major landforms found in this region. The slow but steady movements of plates makes this region unstable. There are over 80 active volcanoes in this region.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Earthquakes are common Earthquakes can lead to mudslides – Dangerous and expensive! Mudslide in San Salvador, El Salvador

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Climate is primarily tropical. Warm temperatures and plenty of precipitation. Hurricanes are common. Cloud Forest and Coral Reefs are two unique ecosystems that can be found in Central America.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Even with hurricanes and earthquakes people still use the land; however, the countries are small so they don’t have a lot of natural resources. Common land uses – – Farming – Mining – Urban Areas – Manufacturing – Tourism

Section 1: Chapter Atlas Pages Some of these land uses cause environmental problems. People still use the land though because … this is how they make a living and they can’t afford not to do it!

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Ranching, Farming, and Timber have caused Deforestation. Deforestation has lead to loss of habitat for the wildlife in these tropical rainforests. Without homes or food sources the animals must adapt, move, or die.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Cattle ranching in this region has led to erosion. This happens because the cattle eat the plants and without plant roots the soil will blow away.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Large Scale Farming operations cause water pollution. This happens because the crops are sprayed with chemicals and runoff can occur.

Section 1:Chapter Atlas Pages Tourism is a big part of the economy in this region. It too causes environmental problems. This is a region that is already dry. When more people come to visit the area they put a strain on the resources. This will mean water shortages are likely.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages This region’s cultures are Native American, African, French, Danish, British, and Spanish. Many people speak Spanish but everything else about their culture is very diverse.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages % of the people are Roman Catholic. Celebrate many holidays that are a mix of African, Native American, and European traditions. – Carnival is an example. It is held in the late winter and mainly celebrated by Roman Catholics. They have large parades, with costumes, and dance to represent the West African culture.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Economy of Central America and The Caribbean – Poverty is prevalent throughout the region – Many people have moved to North America to look for work. The spread of people from one place to many other places is called diaspora. – These people send back money, or remittances to their families. – Cultural diffusion or the idea that culture is spread to other regions, takes place as a result of diaspora. Music like salsa, meringue, and reggae have spread from this region to the rest of the world. Food, like the burrito are also poplar now outside of this region.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages This region is an area of great change. – People move around a lot looking for work – Hurricanes can destroy homes and crops – Governments can also quickly change

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Governments – In Central America the governments are mostly democracies with a President – In the poorer countries the government will frequently change because the people are unhappy that the government isn’t doing things to improve their lives. – Sometimes the people in these countries turn to violence. Military takeovers and political violence is common. – The United States and United Nations have been important in helping to keep peace within some Central American countries.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Government – Many Caribbean countries have a parliamentary system. – In this system the Prime Minister is selected from Parliament. He/she then leads the government.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Government – Cuba has a dictatorship. This means that one person controls the government. – Cubans do not get to pick their leader. The communist party is the only party in government in Cuba. Elections for representatives is unfair. – They may not have political or economic freedom but they do get more services than some other countries in the region. Their healthcare and college are practically free.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Government – There is a movement for change in the region. – Some places are electing officials that will be tough on crime and encourage foreign investment. They believe this will help bring them out of poverty. – Other places are electing people that will control the economy because they feel that will improve the situation. – Overall there is a call to improve healthcare and education. CountryLiteracyLife Expectancy Costa Rica 95%77 years Dom. Republic 87%73 years Haiti53%61 years

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Economy – Trying to increase investment in factories and technology. This is called capital investment. – They are also trying to improve human investment. That means they are trying to better educate and train the future workers of the countries.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Economy – Free trade is one way they are trying to improve the economies of the region. – Two free trade organizations are Caricom – Caribbean Community CAFTA-DR – Central American-Domical Republic- United States Free Trade Association Benefit to free trade is that they trade without extra taxes Drawback is that foreign companies come in and set up factories. This is good because it provides jobs but all the profit is going back to the foreign countries.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Economy – In some countries the land has been taken from the rich and given to the poor. – Poor farmers need money to get their farms started. The amount of money that they need to get started is often very small. – They can get microcredit to help them get started. These loans can come from outside sources.

Section 2: Central America and The Caribbean Today Pages Economy – Tourism is a large part of the economy for this region. – As discussed earlier, tourism can cause environmental problems, so some people believe ecotourism is the answer. In this style of tourism the visitors use horses for travel, stay in simple huts and eat the local food. – Tourism makes countries dependent on others because it is something they cannot control. If visitors decide to quite coming to the region it could be very bad for the economy. – Workers in the tourist industry are usually paid very little and the large resorts are usually run by foreign companies.