Warm Up What is the rain shadow effect? What day is your test over North America?

Central America and the Caribbean

Geography

Central America and the Caribbean Islands are located between the continents of North America and South America. Central America is an isthmus- a narrow strip connecting two large land areas There are coastal plains- lowlands next to the seacoast There are tropical rainforests- heavily wooded forests that may receive more than 100 inches of rain per year There is also a range of volcanic mountains

Caribbean Islands curve in an archipelago- a chain of islands Between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea Sugarcane is the leading crop grown In terms of geography, how are Central America and the Caribbean similar and different?

Tectonic Plate Movement Tectonic Plate- a part of Earth’s crust that when moved against other plates causes land to rise and mountains and volcanoes to form The region sits on the Caribbean Plate Plates slowly continue to move, crashing into or sliding over or under each other This causes earthquakes A volcanic eruption in Montserrat in 1996 caused two-thirds of the population to flee their homes

Impact of Earthquakes 2010- Haiti experienced its most destructive earthquake in more than 200 years The earthquake caused extensive damage to many of Haiti’s cities, including its capital, Port-au-Prince More than 200,000 people were killed and roughly a million left homeless What causes earthquakes and volcanoes in this region, and what are some of the effects?

Rainforests A rainforest is an individual ecosystem Ecosystem- a place where plants and animals rely on the environment to survive Rainforests thrived in this region until about the 1900s From 1900 to 2005, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador lost 14 to 30 percent of its rainforests Deforestation- cutting down forests for crops or urban use The forests are being cleared faster than they can grow How do Central America’s rainforests contribute to the economy of the region?

Think, Pair, Share In what ways does water effect the economic activities of the region? What effect do you think the 2010 earthquake had on Haiti’s economic activity? Why?

Warm Up If you lived in Central America, what kind of business do you think you could start? How might the weather effect the way people live in this region?

History

The Columbian Exchange Shortly after Columbus landed in the Caribbean in 1492, the Spanish began to make use of the region’s rich resources Spanish settlers grew cash crops- crops for profit Sugarcane grew well in the Caribbean, and was in short supply in Europe Scarcity- shortage Spanish settlers exploited the labor of the native people for the heavy work on their farms Exploited- took advantage of

The Columbian Exchange The native people of the Caribbean became overworked and weak from diseases from the Europeans such as smallpox and malaria As large numbers of natives died, settlers had to look elsewhere for workers Minerals and raw materials were sent to Spain from the Caribbean. After the materials and minerals arrived in Spain, manufactured goods went to Africa to pay for slaves, which began the 300 years of slavery in the Americas This began global trade

The Columbian Exchange Triangular trade- began in the 1500s Trade among 3 continents: Americas, Europe, Africa Spain began gaining great wealth from its colonies in the Americas, causing other European countries to join the race for profit

The Columbian Exchange Sequence of Events Spanish explorers look for new trade routes (Columbus) Spanish explorers settle in the Caribbean They exploit native people to farm the land The native workers die due to diseases and being overworked The colonists now want slaves Colonists send raw materials to Spain Spain sends manufactured goods to Africa Africa sends slaves to the Americas

Create a T-Chart Pick either Europe, Central America and the Caribbean, or Africa List the costs and benefits of the Triangular Trade for the continent you chose We will share with the class Costs Benefits

The Columbian Exchange led to increased competition for global trade among European countries By the 1780’s, Europe had colonized nearly all of Central America and the Caribbean Forced labor and other harsh practices used by European settlers stirred thoughts of independence among native groups The native groups wanted to regain control of their lands

Haiti Leads the Way 1791- Haiti had become the leading producer of sugarcane in the Caribbean A small number of wealthy French colonists used about a half million slaves By 1791 slaves far outnumbered white planters Haitian slaves began a rebellion In 1794, the French government abolished slavery, but it kept control of the island Toussaint L’Ouverture- a former slave who began a movement for independence

Haiti L’ouverture’s army struggled with the French for power until 1803, when he died in prison Soon after his death, his army won victory over the French military Haiti declared itself independent on January 1, 1804 Haiti became the first free country in the Caribbean What was going on around the world during the Haitian revolution?

Calls for Freedom Spread Spanish colonies in the Americas were ruled by viceroys- governors who represented the Spanish king and queen Viceroys controlled all of the land’s resources In 1821, Mexico seized control of much of present-day Central America In 1823, it broke from Mexican control and became the United Provinces of Central America Over the next 20 years, each province- Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica- would declare independence

Caribbean Independence Haiti was the first Caribbean island to become independent The United States and Europe wanted to keep control of the islands’ many resources As a result, most of the islands would not be independent until the 1900s Do you think there are any Caribbean countries that are still territories of larger countries today?

Cuba Spain ruled Cuba as a colony from 1511 to 1898 Native Cubans wanted to control their own resources and political destiny During the 1800s, they staged several failed rebellions In 1898, Cuba finally gained its independence from Spain Over the next 50 years, the U.S. military occupied Cuba and controlled much of the country’s economy Cuba’s government was controlled by a series of leaders, as dictators Dictator- ruler with complete control

Cuba In 1959, a revolutionary leader named Fidel Castro overthrew Cuba’s dictator Castro’s military took over the government, seized U.S. businesses, established communism in Cuba, and built ties with the USSR Eventually, the U.S. cut all economic and political ties with Cuba Cuba’s economy suffered and in 1993, Cuba allowed citizens to open their own businesses

Puerto Rico Spanish colony from the 1500s until 1898 During the Spanish-American War, the U.S. sent troops to Puerto Rico After Spain surrendered to the U.S. in 1898, Puerto Rico became a territory of the U.S. In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship In 1952, Puerto Rico became a U.S. commonwealth- a nation that governs itself but is part of a larger country

Which events show each country’s connection to the United States? Cuba The Treaty of Paris grants Cuban independence; U.S. continues to occupy- 1898 Castro seizes power; Cuba becomes a Communist country - 1959 U.S. sets up naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - 1901 Communist Party of Cuba is formed - 1925 Puerto Ricans are made U.S. citizens - 1917 Nationalist Party in Puerto Rico argues for Independence from United States – 1920s Puerto Rico becomes U.S. commonwealth - 1952 The Treaty of Paris grants control of Puerto Rico from Spain to U.S. - 1898 Puerto Rico elects its first woman governor, Sila Calderon - 2000 Puerto Rico

Warm Up What is the event that shows Cuba’s and Puerto Rico’s connection to the United States? What is the difference between the history of Cuba and the history of Puerto Rico?

Culture

Tourism Tourism- the business of travel For centuries, this region has been an intersection of cultures- the meeting point for traders and settlers from many countries Rich resources brought European groups The slave trade brought African culture What negative effects can tourism have on the environment?

Effects of Tourism Overnight tourists use a great deal of electricity and consume vast amounts of water and food This causes shortages for the local people Large resorts and cruise ships release pollution into the air Harms the ecosystem and threatens marine life Many travelers and businesses are making efforts to offset the damage caused by tourism Cruise lines are beginning to use recyclable materials and conserve fuel Some travelers contribute to programs that plant trees in the region Why do cruise ships and resorts look for ways to cause less damage?

Caribbean Food Since the Columbian Exchange, new influences continued to add to the region’s diet Africa and Asia have fused (blended) into a rich cooking tradition Rice, beans, yams, peppers, plantains, avocadoes, poultry, fish Jamaican Jerk- distinct blend of strong spices used for grilling meat Distinct- easily recognized Islanders traditionally have diets based on fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish Now with fast food opened up to the region, the people have more modern foods What effects of meeting people from other nations have on a culture?

Caribbean Music Island cultures blended European and African instruments to the islands Calypso began on the island of Trinidad as a type of folk music. It uses simple rhythms and local language to tell stories Salsa, merengue, ska, reggae What foods and music have blended together to become part of culture in the Caribbean islands?

The Panama Canal Spanish explorers wanted to create a canal to make it easier to get from Europe to the Pacific Ocean Canal- artificial water route Panama declared independence from Colombia in 1903 After declaring independence, the government of Panama gave the United States control of the Panama Canal Zone This is where the canal would be built

The Panama Canal Many obstacles needed to be overcome in order to build the canal Doctors worked to eliminate mosquitoes that caused serious diseases Eliminate- get rid of The terrain of Panama was also a challenge Terrain- physical land Brush, swamps, rocks

The Panama Canal The canal took 10 years to build (1904- 1914) More than 20,000 workers died in the process The canal connected the world as a whole With the creation of larger ships that we have today, Panama is expanding the Canal Will be completed this year, 2015 What made building a water route connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific important?

Costa Rica vs. Nicaragua Costa Rica and Nicaragua have very different histories, leading to a very stable Costa Rica and very poor Nicaragua Costa Rica No army since 1949 Capital city, San Jose, is home to many human rights organizations Costa Rica has created a stable economy Tourism is country’s greatest source of income Tourism provides jobs to more than 50% of the working population Economy has grown over the last 20 years Poverty rate has remained between 15 and 20% In 2009, Costa Rica joined other joined other Central American countries in a free trade agreement with the United States

Costa Rica vs. Nicaragua Nicaragua is very different from Costa Rica Unstable government since its independence from Spain in 1821 Country was hit by a major hurricane in 1998 Needed to develop social programs to help poor people, one fourth of the population Nicaragua also joined the free trade agreement with the United States In 2012, the Nicaraguan economy grew just 4% Rural businesses have used marketing to promote their products Many Nicaraguans migrate to Costa Rica for seasonal work, such as coffee and banana harvests

Challenges in Haiti Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of its people living in poverty Standard of Living- the level of goods, services, and material comforts of people in a country Politics have been marked with instability and corruption As Haiti tried to recover from a massive earthquake, many nations sent food and people to help the recovery process Many of these nations did not require Haiti to pay them back What will Haiti need in order to fully recover from the earthquake?

Migration to the Caribbean Migrate- Move from one place to another Migration within the Caribbean There has been a switch from rural populations to urban populations 2/3 of the population now lives in cities Many cities have become overcrowded The demand for workers in the tourism industry has many people to islands with large or growing tourist industries (Aruba, Bahamas, Virgin Islands) Migration out of the Caribbean Political and economic turmoil has cause many people to move out of the Caribbean to countries such as U.S. and Canada