Central America and Caribbean Today

The Impact of Tourism

1.1 - Impact of Tourism Positive effects Global jobs: airlines, cruise ships, advertising, travel agencies, hotels and resorts, and street vendors Negative effects Loss of resources for the local population( electricity, water and food) Pollution( both air and water ) Loss of habitat for animals Loss of culture( fast food, traditional jobs and many other aspects)

Efforts to off set damage Use of recyclable materials Conservation of energy( both fuel and electricity) Water conservation Donations by tourists to plant trees, stop pollution and improve overall conservation

1.2- Caribbean Food and Music Food – Fusion of native Taino foods with European, African and Asian cuisine. – Basic foods: rice, beans, yams, peppers, plantains and avocadoes. Meat is primarily chicken and fish – Jamaica Use jerk seasoning to preserve meats – Most natives had a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables – 1990s open trade introduced fast food restaurants

Music Mix of native wind instruments and European string instruments – Calypso- folk music with simple rhythms and local language which tells a story – Soca- mixture of calypso and East Indian music – Salsa- Afro-Cuban mixed with jazz – Merengue- fast rhythmic beats – Ska- 1950s, mix of calypso, jazz and blues – Reggae-1960s, mix of Ska and rock steady

1.3 Panama Canal 1500s – Spanish wanted to create an artificial water route or canal to reduce shipping time from Europe to the Pacific Ocean U.S. completes railroad across Panama French company tries to build a canal, but plan collapses U.S. helps Panama liberate itself from Columbia, in exchange U.S. receives canal rights

1.3 Panama Canal U.S. builds the canal – Problems: Mosquitoes- carry many diseases Panama’s physical features: swamps, mountains and jungles 20,000 men die during construction – Benefit 51 miles long instead of 1000s of miles around South America – 2006 – Panama voted to expand the canal to accommodate larger ships and reduce traffic problems