Middle America

Middle America Middle America includes 3 distinct areas - Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. Geographically it is still part of North America, but culturally it is called Latin America. The heritage of Middle America is mainly Spanish because Spain once controlled most of Middle America.

Political Map of Middle America

The Physical Environment Middle America is far smaller than either the US or Canada. Most of its land is mountainous or thick rain forest. Only in the valleys and on sea coast plains people grow a number of crops in the fertile soil. In the mountain plateaus or along the coast are large cities. Deposits of gold, silver, copper, and petroleum have been found here.

Landforms Middle America is made up of a funnel shaped piece of land and an arc of islands. The strip of land appears to join North and South America, but from Panama north is North America, from Panama south is South America. The isthmus is only 64 km wide near Panama City, Panama.

Coastal plains extend along both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of the mainland. The remainder is mountainous, and the mountains form a Y. In the north (Mexico) the Western Sierra Madre and Eastern Sierra Madre form the upper part of the Y.

South of where the Eastern and Western Sierra Madre join, volcanoes rise more than 17,000 ft. above the Valley of Mexico. This single mountain range (bottom part of the Y) runs through Central America and joins the Andes in South America.

Plate movement along Mexico’s west coast caused a huge earthquake in 1985. In Mexico City, thousands lost their lives, and many buildings were destroyed.

The Caribbean islands are found on the Caribbean Sea and cover an area of 3200 km. The northern most islands are just off the coast of Florida and they stretch south just off the coast of South America. The islands are part of a chain of mountains, the tops of which rise above sea level in a number of places.

Climate and Ecosystems Most of Middle America lies south of the Tropic of Cancer. Most of the region has a tropical climate (hot and wet). There are 2 exceptions to this climate: Northern Mexico is desert like The mountain areas become cool and dry as the land rises.

Most of the area gets a lot of rain (except northern Mexico). A southwest wind blows off the Atlantic Ocean onto the Caribbean Islands and the east coast of mainland Middle America. It brings heavy rain with it. Dense rainforest grow on this coast because of the rain.

The high mountains on the mainland cut the west coast off from these heavy rains and there it rains less and more steady. Because of this type of rainfall the main forest type is savanna.

Questions: What are the 3 distinct regions of Middle America? What is the main language spoken here? Why? Describe the mountains of the mainland of Middle America. How were the island areas of Middle America formed? What is the climate of most of Middle America? What are 2 exceptions? What body of water lies west of Central America? What body of water lies just east of Mexico? What body of water lies east of the Bahamas?

The Human Imprint Middle America used to be colonies of European countries, but now nearly all countries here are independent. The Spanish came first to the Caribbean in the 1400’s and then to the mainland in the 1500’s. Most people on the mainland have Native or Spanish ancestry. Most on the islands are of African or European ancestry.

Early People of Middle America Natives lived here for thousands of years before Europeans came. The Maya people (300 to 900 A.D. or C.E.) were farmers and grew maize, beans, cacao, sweet potatoes, and other crops.

The Maya They lived in farming villages, but also built large cities. Their priests created an advanced system of math and an accurate calendar. Mayan Pyramids of Chichen Itza

The Aztec In the 1400’s, the warlike Aztec conquered much of Mexico. The established their capital on island in a lake. They grew crops by building islands from the mud at the bottom of the lake. They ruled other native groups throughout Mexico from the capital.

The Colonial Period Early in the 1500’s, with help from the other native tribes, the Spanish defeated the Aztec empire. They built Mexico City near the old Aztec capital. Eventually the Spanish controlled all the mainland, except for Belize.

The Spanish spread their culture throughout Central America in several ways: Built well planned towns Placed Catholic church at the center of each town Catholic priests converted natives to Christianity. Some Spanish men married native women

In the Caribbean, European countries other than Spain colonized the islands. Dutch French Portuguese English The language and customs of each island is the same as the country that colonized it.

On the islands, Europeans built plantations On the islands, Europeans built plantations. At first, they used natives to work there. Some were forced. Later the Europeans began bringing slaves from Africa to work the plantations.

One consequence of colonization was the destruction of the native population. Natives lacked immunity to smallpox, measles, the flue and other diseases carried by the Europeans. Millions died because of this, dropping the native population by 90% in the first 100 years of contact. Smallpox

Modern Settlement Patterns Middle America has population problems. Over 135 million people Not a large land area High birth rates Rapidly growing birthrate Many Middle Americans used to live in rural areas, but now most have moved to major cities and struggle to find work. Many end up living in slums.

Political Patterns Spain’s colonies won their independence in the early 1800’s. The other European colonies did not gain independence until the middle to late 1900’s. After gaining independence, most Middle American countries found it hard to create stable governments.

The rich controlled the government and the people with very little, had little say. The result was a number of rebellions and uprisings, but most failed. In Cuba in 1959 a rebel uprising led by Fidel Castro overthrew the government, but Castro soon turned into a communist dictator.

Economic Patterns Tourism is important to the economy, but agriculture, the production of oil, and mining are the key activities in the region. Middle American countries usually sell their natural resources to industrial countries to earn money to pay for finished goods. Gold and silver brought the Spanish colonists to Middle America, but mining is limited today.

Middle America is an important region for agriculture. American companies own large sugar, cacao, bananas, and coffee plantations here. Most people in the region earn a living on small farms, selling their crops to feed their family. There are some cattle ranches along the west coast of the mainland.

In the past, natural barriers like mountains, deep valleys, tropical forests, and wide rivers made trade difficult. Most of the regions trade was done by sea and with the US, that is still true today. Only recently have good north-south trade links been built. The Pan-American highway connects all of mainland Middle American countries with both North and South America.

Middle America in the World Over the years the United States and United Nations have had a special interest in Middle America. Both have invested millions in financial and military assistance to many Middle American countries.

Questions: Which European country had the greatest influence on the mainland of Middle America? What cultures have influenced life in the Caribbean? What happened to the Native populations after the first 100 years of contact with Europeans? What kinds of governments are there in the region? What are the main economic activities in Middle American countries? What is the name of the highway linking North and South America? What country shares the island with Haiti? What Island country is south of Cuba? What country shares the northern border of Costa Rica?