Geography of Central America Teacher’s pageBegin learningTest your knowledgeEnd program

Teacher’s Page Geography of Central America 6 th grade unit This Unit meets Wisconsin’s Geography Standards: Content Standard: Students in Wisconsin will learn about the behavioral sciences by exploring concepts from the discipline of sociology, the study of the interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions; the discipline of psychology, the study of factors that influence individual identity and learning; and the discipline of anthropology, the study of cultures in various times and settings. Rationale: “…By examining cultures, students are able to compare our ways of life and those of other groups of people…Knowledge of the factors that contribute to an individual's uniqueness is essential to understanding the influences on self and on others.” Return to main pageEnd program

Teacher’s Page Wisconsin Geography Standards A.8.7 Describe the movement of people, ideas, diseases, and products throughout the world A.8.8 Describe and analyze the ways in which people in different regions of the world interact with their physical environments through vocational and recreational activities E.8.10 Explain how language, art, music, beliefs, and other components of culture can further global understanding or cause misunderstanding E.8.3 Describe the ways in which local, regional, and ethnic cultures may influence the everyday lives of people Return to main pageEnd program

Teacher’s Page Geography of Central America 6 th grade unit 1.This unit provides students with the basic knowledge of the countries of Central America. The information provided includes the location of each country, the name of each capital, population information and one interesting fact about each country. 2. Belize has been dealt with in a more in depth manner. This includes information about the history, government, religion, art, etc. The object is to create a project that some students could use as an example for in depth independent research. Return to main pageEnd program

Click on a country to begin. Return to beginningEnd programTest your knowledge

Belize Go back to pick another country.End programTest your knowledge Click on a picture to learn more about Belize. Each picture leads to different information.

Government Constitutional Monarchy – They are members of the British Commonwealth. Queen Elizabeth II is the ceremonial head of state. They have 3 branches of government. Executive, Legislative and Judicial All Belizean citizens 18 and over can vote. Capital City – Belmopan Back to Belize Home Page

History Back to Belize Home Page Altun haAltun ha and Caracol Belize was a center for the Mayan people a long time before Europeans landed in the Western Hemisphere. Evidence of this are the many Mayan ruins that can still be seen in modern Belize. Among these are Belize was formerly the British colony of British Honduras. It became an independent country on September 21, 1981.

Climate The temperature in Belize is pretty constant. Average temperature in Belize City- 74˚ in December and 84˚ in July Belize has a dry season and a wet season. February to May – Dry Season June to November – Wet Season Hurricanes are a threat from July-November. Hurrican Iris hits Belize Back to Belize Home Page

Art and Culture The culture of Belize is a mixture of the Creole, Mestizo, Garifuna and Mayan ethnic groups. Punta is a traditional dance accompanied by drums and rattles. Punta Rock is a musical form that blends the traditional with modern electric guitars, keyboards and drum machines. Traditional storytelling includes the Anansi stories that originally came from Africa.Anansi stories Back to Belize Home Page punta rock video

Education Education is required for students ages Most schools are run by religious groups. Only ½ of the primary school students continue on to secondary school. A very small number of students will receive a university education. Back to Belize Home Page

Economy Back to Belize Home Page With many Mayan historical sites and amazing natural resources, tourism has become a mainstay of the Belizean economy. The crops grown for export include sugarcane, citrus fruits and bananas. Recently marijuana has also become a widely grown, but illegal, crop. The Belizean currency is the Belize dollar. A Belize dollar is worth 50¢ in American money.

People and Ethnic Groups Back to Belize Home Page Belize has a very diverse population. The 4 main groups are Mestizo - those of Spainsh and Mayan descent. Creole – the descendents of African slaves Garifuna - those of Caribbean and African descent Maya – descendents of the original Mayan population Population – around 300,000 Average age – 20 years Life expectancy – 68 years

Physical Geography Back to Belize Home Page Belize is a land of mountains, swamps and tropical jungles. The northern half of Belize consists of lowlands and river valleys. The southern half is more mountainous. The Belize Barrier Reef is off the coast. It is the second largest barrier reef in the world. To view amazing pictures of Belize visit. Belize Barrier Reef

Nicaragua Go back to pick another countryEnd programTest your knowledge The capital is Managua. The population of Nicaragua is 5,465,100 people. It is the largest and least densely populated country in Central America. The eastern coastline of Nicaragua is known as the “Mosquito Coast”.

El Salvador Go back to pick another countryEnd programTest your knowledge The capital is San Salvador. El Salvador has a population of 6,704,932 people. It is the smallest and most densely populated country in Central America. El Salvador is the only Central American Country with no Caribbean Coast.

Panama Go back to pick another countryEnd programTest your knowledge The capital is Panama City. Panama has a population of 3.19 million people. Panama is famous for the Panama Canal which was opened in 1914.

Costa Rica Go back to pick another countryEnd programTest your knowledge The capital is San José. The population of Costa Rica is 4,389,000 people. Costa Rica is known for having one of the most stable governments in Central America. The first democratic elections were held there in 1890.

Honduras Go back to pick another countryEnd program Test your knowledge The capital is Tegucigalpa. Honduras has a population of 7.3 million people. The main exports are bananas, coffee and sugar.

Guatemala Go back to pick another countryEnd programTest your knowledge The capital is Guatemala City. Guatemala has a population of 13.1 million people. Guatemala is known for its Mayan ruins.

Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Belize. B. Honduras. C. El Salvador. D. Nicaragua. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Belize. B. Honduras. C. Costa Rica. D. Panama. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of Panama is a. Panama City b. Managua c. San Salvador d. Tegucigalpa Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of Guatemala is a. San José b. Managua c. San Salvador d. Guatemala City. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of Honduras is a. Belmopan. b. Tegucigalpa. c. Panama City. d. San Salvador Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of Belize is a. Belmopan b. Managua c. San Salvador d. Guatemala City Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Guatemala. B. Nicaragua. C. Costa Rica. D. Honduras. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of El Salvador is a. Tegucigalpa b. Managua c. San Salvador d. San José Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Belize. B. Honduras. C. Costa Rica. D. Panama. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of Nicaragua is a. Panama City b. Managua c. San Salvador d. Belmopan Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Belize. B. Panama. C. Costa Rica. D. El Salvador. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Capital of Costa Rica is a. Panama City b. Managua c. San Salvador d. San José Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The currency of Belize is a. worth $2 in American money b. worth 75¢ in American money c. the same as a British pound. d. Called a Belize dollar. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Nicaragua. B. Honduras. C. Guatemala. D. Costa Rica. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program Belize’s form of government is a. a democracy. b. a constitutional monarchy. c. a dictatorship. d. a republic. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program February to May is Belize is known as the a. wet season. b. dry season. c. high season for tourism. d. peak season for hurricanes. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The highlighted country is A. Belize. B. Honduras. C. Guatemala. D. Nicaragua. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program Which of the following is NOT one of Belize’s four main ethnic groups? a. Garifuna b. Creole c. Mestizo d. Inca Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program Belize was formerly a colony of a. France. b. America. c. Britain. d.Spain. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Head of State for Belize is a. Queen Elizabeth II. b. the Prime Minister. c. the President. d. the Governor General. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The mainstay of the Belizean economy is a. agriculture. b. manufacturing. c. tourism. d. drug sales. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program Belize was a major center for the a. Incas. b. Mayas. c. Aztecs. d.Cherokee. Return to the learning section.

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Test Your Knowledge End program Punta rock is d. a unique blend of traditional and modern music. b. traditional music accomapnied by drums and rattles.. c. the highest point in Belize. Return to the learning section. a. the name of the most famous Maya ruins.

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Test Your Knowledge End program The Belize Barrier Reef is a. one of the smallest reefs in the world. b. a dead reef that supports no wildlife. c. part of the border between Belize and Guatemala. d. the second largest reef in the world. Return to the learning section.

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Bibliography Belize. (2009). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved November 01, 2009, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: Duran, V.M. (August 2008). Cultural Connections in Belize. Americas, 60 (4) Retrieved from EBSCOhost.com ( ) (2008). CIA – The World Factbook –Belize. CIA World Factbook. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.com. ( ) (September 2009). Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs. Drake, S. (2009). A Nature Lover’s Adventure. Black Enterprise. Vol. 39. Issue 8, pg New York. Retrieved from proquest.com Belize. (2008). World Almanac & Book of Facts. P Retrieved from ebscohost.com The official website of the Belize tourism board. Belize Quick Takes.

Bibliography