WELCOME TO THE CARIBBEAN

Read it and Listen! Music and pop culture are often the vehicles through which a peoples’ history is expressed Listen to Bob Marley’s song “Slave Driver” and follow along with the lyrics As you listen, identify lyrics that reflect the history of the region

Slave Driver Lyrics

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Region consists of THREE major island groups: The Bahamas, The Greater Antilles and The Lesser Antilles Situated in Caribbean Sea. Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east Ideal for tourism. Sun and Sea!

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Tropical climate December – April = sunny, dry, warm May – November = hot, humid, wet Trade winds blow from the east across Atlantic Subject to violent storms and hurricanes

CULTURE Unique blending of Amerindian, African and European cultures Approx. ¾ of population is of African descent East Indian and Chinese workers came in 19th Century

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Trans-Atlantic Slave trade (c. 16th C) brought people from all over Africa to the Caribbean to work on plantations (sugar, coffee, tea etc.) Slaves developed common language to communicate known as Creole (mix of African syntax and colonial languages) Blend of cultures given rise to new phenomena such as calypso music (first developed in Trinidad) and soca music

CULTURE Each island has distinct culture Festivals, music, art, customs and food reflect cultural mosaic Eg. “Sun Splash” annual reggae music festival held in Montego Bay, Jamaica

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Caribbean region is part of the developing world (countries with low GDPs, low standards of living compared to developed countries) Commercial agriculture is important to economy Bananas, citrus fruits, coffee, sugar cane grown for export

ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Sugar cane is main agricultural export of Jamaica, Cuba and Dominican Republic Subsistence Farming (farming to feed your family) is still practiced Caribbean is dependent on agricultural exports, and now TOURISM! Tourism offers the most potential for economic growth and security In 2011, T&T provided direct 614,000 jobs