1. Central America
and the Caribbean

2. Regions of Central America
Mountainous Core: Climate depends on elevation
: spring like conditions all year
6000 and above: very cold, few agricultural products
Caribbean Lowlands: tropical wet climate, rainforest vegetation
Pacific Coastal Plain: tropical wet and dry, savannas and grasslands, fertile soils due to volcanic ash, lakes

4. Islands of the Caribbean
Greater Antilles: tops of volcanic mountains
Flatter Islands: coral islands
Marine Climate

5. People and Cultures Central America
Natives: Largest # live in Guatemala
Europeans: Costa Rica: 90% Spanish
Mestizos: El Salvador and Nicaragua
Africans: Slaves & Migration from Caribbean

6. People and Cultures Caribbean
African Descent: African Slaves brought by Europeans for sugar cane production
Asian Immigrants: Came voluntarily after abolition of slavery

7. Economic Activities
Agriculture: coffee, bananas, cotton, sugar, coconuts
Subsistence and plantations
Tourism: Most owned by foreign corporations

8. Spatial Inequality Uneven distribution of wealth
Small percentage of population wealthy: mostly Europeans and Mestizos
Most of the population is very poor
Very small percentage is in the middle class
Lead to political unrest and migrations

9. Political Unrest in El Salvador
Landlessness among poor increase
Wealthy landowners hired “death squads” to eliminate ideas of reform
Civil War ensues between 1979 and 1992

10. Migrations
Migrant workers: people move during the off season to find additional work
Migrations to escape oppressive governments
Money sent from emigrants have reduced the burden of poverty throughout Latin America