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Culture, Government & Economics

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Presentation on theme: "Culture, Government & Economics"— Presentation transcript:

1 Culture, Government & Economics
Central America & the Caribbean

2 Culture

3 How is Central America and the Caribbean culturally diverse?
There are 40 million people in Central America. Primary groups of people: Spanish, Native Americans, English and some Africans Caribbean There are 36 million people in the Caribbean 1/3 live in Cuba. Primary groups of people: Native Americans, Spanish, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and other Europeans

4 Language Central America Caribbean Spanish Spanish English French
Belize only Native dialects Caribbean Spanish French English Creole Mixture of French and African dialects

5 Religion Central America Caribbean Most are Roman Catholic
Most practice Christianity Including Catholicism Small groups of Muslims, Hindus and Jews

6 Types of Foods Depends on the culture of each individual country.
Most food is a blending of 3 or more cultures. In the Caribbean the main dishes include seafood and tropical fruits. Flying fish, sea urchin eggs Spicy curries from India Sausage from England Chinese dishes

7 Popular forms of Music Central American music is very similar to that of Mexico. The Caribbean Calypso Brought by slaves as a means of communication Has humor in the lyrics Reggae Jamaican Lyrics deal with social issues. Steel Drums “Tuned” to create specific sounds by hitting the drum with a rubberized drum stick.

8 Athletics Baseball Soccer Track and Field Cricket
Includes running, throwing, and jumping Cricket Similar to baseball.

9 Diversity of the Arts Diversity exists in all areas of Latin American culture. Food, music, style of clothing, language, literature and art demonstrate a blending of Native America, African and European cultural elements. At the same time, Catholicism gives the region a unifying set of beliefs and customs.

10 Government

11 Cuba Unitary Socialist Republic Dictatorship Fidel Castro = Dictator
What is a unitary government? Dictatorship Fidel Castro = Dictator Castro’s brother, Raul, assumed duties when Castro fell ill in 2006 Voters only have 1 political party to choose from Cubans MUST vote in elections beginning at age 16. National Assembly – 1 house legislature of 600 members Meets two times a year and is lead by the president (Castro) Appoints the Council of State which has 31 members Controls the economy with the Communist Party Voters in the 14 Cuban provinces elect members of the municipal assemblies - who choose members for the provincial assemblies Members of both assemblies server for 2 1/2 years - unpaid

12 Jamaica Constitutional Monarchy
Parliament is their legislature = 2 houses Senate, House of Representatives Vote for 60 members of House of Representatives Do NOT vote for members of the Senate Citizens of Jamaica vote when they turn 18 years old Choose between 2 parties In the House of Representatives, the party with the most votes (leading party) chooses the Prime Minister. Prime Minister asks the English monarch to choose a Governor-General for the island (from the leading party). Governor-General selects 13 of 21 of the Senate members from the leading party The opposition party asks the Governor-General to select the remaining members of the Senate from their party.

13 Economics

14 Economics Most countries in Central America and the Caribbean have a mixed economy. However . . . Cuba has a communist economy. Government controls the production and prices of goods. Many countries often choose to adopt another countries currency Like the USA dollar. This provides a stable currency for that country and allows consumers to trade easily. Examples: El Salvador and Panama This is especially helpful considering the major source of income in the Caribbean is tourism.


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