Pre-AP Geography Chapter 7&8 Mexico, Central America, & The Caribbean Week of September 22 nd – 26 th

Mexico – Physical Geography Mexico’s physical features include plateaus, mountains, and coastal lowlands.  Mexico shares a long border with the southern United States.  The Río Bravo, called the Rio Grande in the U.S., runs along part of this border.  The Río Bravo is one of Mexico’s few major rivers. Mexico

Mexico’s Physical Features  Bodies of Water  Bordered by the Pacific Ocean in the West and the Gulf of Mexico in the east  Stretching south from northern Mexico is a peninsula, or piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, called Baja California.  The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea.  Plateaus And Mountains  Much of interior is a region called the Mexican Plateau.  Two mountain ranges, the Sierra Madre Oriental in the east and the Sierra Madre Occidental in the west, are part of the Sierra Madre, or “mother range.”  The Valley of Mexico, where Mexico City is located, lies between these two ranges in the south.  The mountains south of Mexico City include volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are a threat to that region. Mexico – Physical Geography

 Coastal Lowlands  The land slopes down to the coast from highlands in central Mexico.  The Gulf coastal plain is wide and flat.  This region has good soils and climate for farming.  The Yucatán Peninsula is mostly flat.  Erosion of limestone created caves and sinkholes that are often filled with water Mexico – Physical Geography

Mexico’s climate and vegetation include deserts, tropical forests, and cool highlands  The great variety of climates produces different vegetation.  Changes in elevation cause climates to vary within short distances.  The Mexican Plateau can have cool temperatures.  The southern coastal areas have warm temperatures and summer rainy seasons that support tropical forests that cover 25 percent of Mexico.  The climate in the Yucatán Peninsula is hot and dry, supporting scrub forest.  Most of northern Mexico is dry and made up of deserts and grasslands. Mexico – Physical Geography

Key natural resources in Mexico include oil, silver, gold, and scenic landscapes.  Mexico has rich natural resources.  The southern and coastal plains and the Gulf of Mexico have oil.  Mexico’s mines yield gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc.  Mexico produces more silver than any other country in the world. Mexico's Natural Resources Mexico – Physical Geography

Three Early Mexican Cultures  Olmec  Lived in small villages by about 1500 BC. Settled in the southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Built temples and giant statues.  Maya  Built big cities in Mexico and Central America between AD 250 and 900. Built stone temples & Developed a calendar. Kept written records that do not reveal the reason for their collapse  Aztec  Moved in from the north and built a great capital on an island in Established an empire - a land with different territories and peoples under one ruler. Obtained new lands, taxes, and captives to sacrifice through war Mexico – History and Culture

Colonial Mexico  Despite great size and power, the Aztec empire did not last long after Hernán Cortés arrived with 600 Spanish soldiers. Cortés conquered the empire by  After the conquest, the separate peoples and cultures mixed. The Roman Catholic Church had great influence and ruled over large areas of northern Mexico. The church established missions - or church outposts. Mexico – History and Culture

Independence  Spain ruled Mexico for 300 years. Miguel Hidalgo - a Catholic priest, led the revolt against Spain. Hidalgo was killed in 1811, but Mexico won independence in Later Struggles  Texas broke away from Mexico fifteen years after independence.  During the resulting Mexican-American War, Mexico lost nearly half of its territory.  In the mid-1800s, Benito Juárez helped Mexico survive a French invasion and reduced the privileges of the church and army.  The Mexican Revolution, , resulted in land reform. Mexico – History and Culture

Culture  Most Mexicans speak Spanish.  About 90 percent of Mexicans are Roman Catholic.  Many people speak an American Indian language that ties them to their ethnic group.  Mexicans have unique practices that result from the mixing of cultures.  For example, Mexicans celebrate the Day of the Dead to remember dead ancestors.  This holiday is held on All Souls’ Day, but reflects native customs and beliefs. Day of the Dead Mexico – History and Culture

Mexico’s Government and Economy  Government  Mexico is a democracy, but the same party ruled for 71 years.  A different political party came to power in 2000 when Vicente Fox was elected president.  Mexico’s economy has been growing since 1994 when the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) made trade with the U.S. and Canada easier.  Agriculture  Farms have long been a part of Mexican economy.  Only 12 percent of the land can be farmed.  Farmers practice slash-and-burn agriculture, burning forests to clear land for planting.  Farmers grow cash crops, crops that farmers can sell for a profit. Mexico Today

 Industry  Major industries include oil, mining, and manufacturing.  Many foreign companies have built factories along the U.S. border because labor is cheaper.  Some Mexican workers come to the U.S. to look for jobs.  Tourism  Tourists visit old colonial cities and Maya and Aztec monuments.  Coastal cities are popular with tourists. Mexico's Economy - Fastest Growing in Latin America Mexico Today

Mexico has four distinct culture regions.  Greater Mexico City  Includes the capital and 50 smaller cities. Has a population of more than 19 million. Second largest city in world  Huge, dense population causes problems. Smog, a mixture of smoke, chemicals, and fog, created by factories and cars. City has wide spread diversity. Mexico City  Central Mexico  North of Mexico City - Many cities established for ranching or mining during the colonial period. Colonial heritage: church near main central square, or plaza  Small family farms that grow vegetables, corn and wheat. Regions has mining centers with new industries leading to rapid growth of cities Central Mexico Mexico Today

 Northern Mexico  One of the country’s wealthiest and most modern regions due to trade U.S. that helps the growth of the economy. Has many maquiladoras - U.S. and foreign-owned factories  Influenced by American television, music, and culture. Residents crossing into the U.S. to shop, work, or live. United States tries to prevent illegal crossing Northern Mexico  Southern Mexico  Least populated and industrialized region. Many Indian language speakers  Subsistence farming and slash-and-burn agriculture. Two major export crops: sugarcane and coffee. Increased oil production along the Gulf coast  Yucatán Peninsula: tourism to Maya ruins and beaches where tiny fishing towns transformed to booming tourist centers Mexico Today

 Central America  Southern part of North America. Includes Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama  An isthmus - narrow strip of land that connects two larger land areas  No wider than 125 miles between Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Chain of mountains and volcanoes divides Caribbean and Pacific coastal plains. No good water route, so difficult to travel  The Caribbean Islands  Across from Central America in the Caribbean Sea.  An archipelago - a large group of islands. Greater Antilles: Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. Lesser Antilles: Small islands from Virgin Islands to Trinidad to Tobago. Bahamas: 700 islands  Formed from tops of underwater mountains or volcanoes and coral reefs pushed up by colliding tectonic plates Central America & The Caribbean Physical Geography

The climate and vegetation of the region include forested highlands, tropical forests, and humid lowlands.  Islands and Coastal Plains  Humid tropical and tropical savanna climates. Pacific coast savannas cleared for plantations and ranches. Caribbean coast rain forest  Inland Mountains  Cool, humid climates. Cloud forest - a moist, high-elevation tropical forest where low clouds are common  Temperatures  Little change from day to night or summer to winter. Change in season marked by change in rainfall - Winters dry & Summers wet  Hurricanes  Threaten from summer to fall they bring violent winds, heavy rains, and high seas. Occur mostly from June to November and cause destruction and loss of life Central America & The Caribbean Physical Geography

Key natural resources in the region include rich soils for agriculture, a few minerals, and beautiful beaches.  Land and climate attract tourists. Volcanic ash enriched soil. Crops include coffee, bananas, sugarcane, and cotton.  Export timber from rain forests. Very few mineral and energy resources Central America & The Caribbean Physical Geography

 Early History  AD 250–900: Maya built large cities with pyramids and temples. Maya descendants live in Guatemala and Belize.  Early 1500s: Europeans controlled most of Central America.  Britain: Belize and Nicaragua’s coast  Spain: Large plantations of tobacco and sugarcane. Forced Indians and enslaved Africans to work in mines and plantations  Independence  1821: Independence from Spain. Remained joined as the United Provinces of Central America  : Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala separated.  1903: Panama and Columbia separated.  1981: Belize independence Central America

 Since Independence  Wealthy landowners continued to run countries. Economy remained based on bananas and coffee.  Early to mid-1900s: U.S.-based United Fruit Company controlled most of banana production. The company developed railroads and port facilities. This development improved transportation and communication.  People resented role of foreign companies.  Mid- to late 1900s: Demands for reform led to armed struggles in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Peace achieved only in recent years Central America

The culture of Central America is a mixture of Native American and European traditions.  People & Language  Most people are mestizos - people of mixed European and Indian ancestry.  Descendants of ancient Maya live in Guatemalan Highlands and other places.  People of African ancestry live mostly along the Caribbean coast.  People speak mostly Spanish, but also native Indian languages and English.  Religion, Festivals, and Food  Most people are Roman Catholic.  Indian traditions influenced Catholicism.  Celebrations are tied to religion: special saints’ feast days and Easter.  Traditional foods are corn, tomatoes, hot peppers, and cacao. Central America

The countries of Central America today have challenges and opportunities.  Guatemala  More than 14 million people. Most mestizos; almost half Indian and live mostly in small villages in highlands  : Fighting killed 200,000 people. Crops: coffee and cardamom  Belize  Smallest population in Central America. Not much land for agriculture  Ecotourism, the practice of using an area’s natural environment to attract tourists  Honduras  Mountainous country. Transportation difficult because of rugged land and very little land for farming  Exports: citrus fruits and bananas  El Salvador  Land owned by a few rich people. 1980s-1992: Civil war, a conflict between two or more groups within a country  Fertile soil to grow coffee and sugarcane Central America

 Costa Rica  History of peace and stable, democratic government. Progress toward reducing poverty  Crops: coffee and bananas. Tourism to rain forests  Nicaragua  1979: Dictator overthrown by Sandinistas : Civil war  Rebels aided by the U.S. 1990: Democratic elections pushed Sandinistas out of power.  Panama  Narrow, southernmost country. Canal links Caribbean Sea and Pacific and Atlantic Oceans  Panama Canal fees and industry make this region prosperous :Canal controlled by U.S. Central America

The history of the Caribbean islands includes European colonization followed by independence.  1492: Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean islands, believing them to be the Indies.  The islands are now 13 independent countries.  These countries show the influence of the first European colonizers.  Early History  Columbus thought he had reached the Indies, and so he called the Caribbean the West Indies.  1600s-1700s: The English, French, Dutch, and Danish established colonies on the islands.  They built sugarcane plantations that required many workers.  Most Caribbean Indians died from disease, so Europeans brought enslaved Africans.  Africans and their descendants outnumbered Europeans. Caribbean Islands

 Independence  1804: Toussaint-L’Ouverture helped Haiti win independence from France and freedom for slaves.  Mid-1800s: Dominican Republic  1902: Cuba from U.S.  After World War II, other Caribbean countries gained independence.  Some islands, such as Martinique and Guadeloupe, are still not independent.  People  Most islanders are descended from Europeans, Africans, or both.  Some Asians, who came to work on plantations after slavery ended, live on the island.  Language  People speak Spanish, English, French, and mixtures of African and European languages.  Haitians speak French Creole, which is a dialect, or a regional variety of a language.  Religion  Former colonies are mostly Roman Catholic.  People also blend Catholicism and traditional African religions. Caribbean Islands

 Caribbean Culture  Islanders celebrate a variety of holidays.  The most widespread is Carnival, before Lent, when people celebrate with big parades, fancy costumes, and music.  Foods  Caribbean food reflects past.  Yams and okra from Africa  In Barbados, souse is made of pigs’ tails, ears, and snouts because slaveholders gave slaves the leftover parts of the pig.  People from India brought curry to the region. Caribbean Islands

Major Caribbean Islands  Puerto Rico  U.S. commonwealth, or a self-governing territory associated with another country. People are U.S. citizens with no voting rights. More developed than other Caribbean countries due to U.S. aid and investment  Haiti  Mountainous western third of Hispaniola. Small farms, but exports coffee and sugarcane  Poorest country due to corruption. Many become refugees, or people fleeing to another country for political or economic reasons.  Dominican Republic  Eastern part of Hispaniola. More developed than Haiti but not rich  Capital Santo Domingo is the first permanent European settlement in Western Hemisphere. Economy: agriculture and growing tourism Caribbean Islands

 Cuba  Largest and most populous island with Havana as capital. Since 1959: Run by a Communist government headed by Fidel Castro. Communists took over U.S. owned businesses, so U.S. banned trade.  Farms are cooperatives, or organizations owned by its members and operated for mutual benefit. Government controls the media.  Jamaica  The largest of these other islands. Several resorts on the island.  Saint Kitts and Nevis  The smallest of the other islands. High-end resort area.  A number of islands are territories of the U.S., Britain, France, and the Netherlands.  Some islands have land to grow coffee, sugarcane, and spices.  Others attract tourists.  New construction for tourists can harm natural environment. Caribbean Islands