3.  Central America is on the continent of North America.  The Caribbean Islands are an archipelago in the Caribbean Sea.

4. Archipelago- A group of islands.

6.  The mainland is a continent or part of a continent that is not an island.  The rimland is the islands and coastal plains of Central America.

8. Mainland- A continent or part of a continent that is not an island. Rimland- Land, often islands and coastal plains, around the edge of an area.

9. Mainland

10.  Mainland divided into large farms, or haciendas, by Spanish conquerors.  Island land divided into large plantations where only one crop was grown.

11. Haciendas- Large farms, owned by Spanish landlords. Located on the mainland. Self- sufficient. Self-Sufficient- Able to take care of yourself. Plantations – Large farms, owned by Spanish landlords. Located on the islands. Grew cash crops. Cash Crops- Crops grown and sold for money.

12.  Central America and the Caribbean Video 1.

13. Rimland

15.  High mountains (Volcanoes) and coastal lowlands.  Eastern side has thick rain forests; Pacific side has rich soil.

16.  Most islands are tops of dormant volcanoes.  Geothermal Power from active volcanoes is used to make electricity.  Some islands are atolls, made from the buildup of dead coral.

17. Dormant- Not likely to erupt. Geothermal- Heat from volcanoes. Atolls- Non-volcanic islands made from dead coral building up. Corals- Tiny sea animals.

18.  Most people in Central America live in a Highland climate.  Caribbean lowlands have a tropical climate.  Hurricanes bring strong winds, heavy rainfall, and huge waves.

19. Highland Climate- Not too hot, not too cold. Tropical Climate- Hot and humid. Navigable- Ships can travel up and down. Hurricane- Tropical storms that bring heavy rain, strong winds, and huge waves.

20.  Central America and the Caribbean Video 2.

22.  Central American culture is affected most by Spain.  Great Britain also set up colonies in the area.  Mulattos are descendents of Africans and Europeans.  Africans were brought to Caribbean islands to work on plantations.

23. Slaves- People forced to work against their will.

24.  Most people in the region are Christians.  Voodoo is the belief that good and evil spirits affect daily life.

25. Voodoo- A religion, originally from Africa in which people believe that good and evil students affect daily life. Frequent in Haiti.

26.  Central America and the Caribbean Video 3.

27.  Spanish is spoken most often in Central America.  People also speak English, French, and Creole- a mix of French and African languages.  http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/american_la nguages.htm http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/american_la nguages.htm

28. Creole- A language that is a mixture of French and African languages. Spoken in Haiti.

29.  Most people live in rural areas.  El Salvador is the only country with a high population density.

31. Rural- Areas away from the cities. Population Density- The average number of people living in each square mile of area.

32.  Great differences between the poor and the rich.  Need to develop new industries.  Population growth has reduced natural resources.

33. Civil War- A war fought by people in the same country against each other. Communism- A type of government where the government owns everything. Birthrate- The number of people born over a period of time.

35.  Major resources of islands are good weather and much sunshine.  Great resource of Central America is forests.  Neither has great mineral resources.

36.  Most economies dependant on farming.  Subsistence farming provides only enough for a family.

37. Subsistence Farming- Farmers own only enough land to grow crops for themselves.

38.  Most people work in agriculture.  Sugarcane, cacao, coconuts, and bananas are grown on plantations.

39.  Native trees and plants cut down because of overdevelopment.  Too many people living in areas causing water pollution.  Destruction of the rainforests.

40. Overdevelopment- Building an area up too quickly without thinking about the environment. Extinct- when something no longer exists anywhere.

41.  Central America and the Caribbean Video 4.