1. Latin America:
Central America
and the
Caribbean

2. Central America & Caribbean:
Landscape is Mountainous with some coastal regions.
Volcanic islands, mountainous with reef formation around them.
Climate is tropical, varies with elevation, and dependent upon windward/leeward sides.
Economic activity is dependent upon agriculture, although tourism is profitable.
Culture is Diverse: a mix of European, African and Indigenous populations.

3. Agriculture: Plantation v. Hacienda
Production for Export
Single Cash Crop
Seasonal Employment
Profit Motive $$$
Market Vulnerability
Mainly on Caribbean Islands
Domestic Market
Diversified Crops
Year Round Jobs
Small Plots of Land
Self-Sufficient
Mainly in Central America 3

4. CENTRAL AMERICA THE CARIBBEAN BASIN
Guatemala
Belize
Honduras
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
THE CARIBBEAN BASIN
The Greater Antilles
Cuba
Hispaniola (consists of Haiti/Dominican Republic)
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
The Lesser Antilles

5. ECONOMIC TRENDS (Central America & the Caribbean)
Agriculture- varies with elevation
Industry
Services
Tourism
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Tropical Deforestation
Hurricane Damage

6. CAUSES OF TROPICAL DEFORESTATION
Clearing of rural lands for livestock & meat production and export
Logging to meet global demands for new housing, paper, and furniture
Population explosion: forests are cut to provide crop-raising space and firewood
3 million acres of woodland in Central America disappear each year!

7. DEPENDENCE on AGRICULTURE
El Salvador
Agriculture accounts for 24% of GDP and 40% of the labor force and contributes to 60% of exports.
Honduras
Agriculture makes up over 25% of GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports.
Dominican Republic (49% Agriculture)
Sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco
Jamaica (22.5% Agriculture)
Sugar, bananas, and rum
Cuba (20% Agriculture)
Sugar, tobacco, citrus, and coffee

8. THE TOURISM OPTION Antigua and Barbuda
Direct contribution of 13% to GDP and affects growth in other sectors
The Bahamas
Tourism alone provides 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs 40% of the population.

9. TOURISM: GOOD and BAD Advantages Disadvantages
State and regional economic options
A clean industry
Educational
Disadvantages
Disconnected development
Degrades fragile environmental resources
Inauthentic representations of native cultures