1. CHAPTER 8: CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
One of the most biologically diverse places in the world

2. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
How do physical systems and human systems shape a place?

3. LANDFORMS 3 distinct “belts”:
1) Pacific Lowlands: narrow plains from Guatemala to Panama
2) Caribbean Lowlands
3) Central Highlands: mountains

4. LANDFORMS CONTINUED Isthmus of Panama
ISTHMUS: narrow strip of land connecting 2 larger land areas
ARCHIPELAGO: a group or chain of islands
>7000 islands in Caribbean
Greater and Lesser Antilles

5. WATER SYSTEMS Lake Nicaragua: C. Am’s largest freshwater lake
Lake Managua
Panama Canal: one of the world’s most important man-made waterway

6. CLIMATE Tropical rainforest climate in most of C. Am
Biome---Displays great BIODIVERSITY: biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals

7. CLIMATE CONTINUED Tropical wet/dry in Caribbean islands
Leeward (not exposed to wind) islands remain dry
Windward receive heavy moisture
Lots of rain

8. CLIMATE CONTINUED Vertical climate zones of C. Am:
1) Tierra caliente: below 2500 ft—bananas and sugarcane
2) Tierra templada: btwn 2500 and 6000 ft
3) Tierra fria: 6000 to ft
4) Tierra helada: above treeline

9. SECTION 2: HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
How did colonialism influence the history and government of Central America and the Caribbean?

10. HISTORY European colonization began in 1492
Spain’s 1st permanent settlement started in 1493 on island of Hispaniola
1501: Rodrigo de Bastidas makes 1st claim in C. Am
Vasco Nuñez de Balboa is 1st to cross isthmus

11. HISTORY CONTINUED 1519: Pedro Arias Dávila est. Panama City
1524: Nicaragua is conquered (Francisco Hernández de Córdoba)
Gold discovered in Honduras
By 1600s, most of C. Am. was under Spanish control

12. HISTORY CONT
Physical geography allowed Great Britain to colonize Belize
By mid-1600s: most indigenous ppl were killed off by forced labor, starvation, and disease
Suggestion of African “workers” was made

13. HISTORY CONT
Late 1700s: François Toussaint Louverture leads Haitian revolution---wins 1804
Cuba gains self-rule in 1898 (Spanish-American War)

14. HISTORY 1823: United Provinces of Central America formed
Broke into 5 separate countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
1903: Panama declares independence from Colombia
1914: Panama Canal opens

15. AND…MORE HISTORY
1900s: C. Am and Caribbean countries experience social, economic, and political problems
1959: Cuban Revolution puts Fidel Castro in charge (communism)
Castro retires in 2008—brother Raúl takes over

16. POPULATION PATTERNS C. Am.: 60% mestizo, 20% indigenous
79% live in highland towns/cities
El Salvador is most densely populated country in C. Am.
C. Am. pop. growth rate is one of the highest in the world

17. POPULATION PATTERNS Caribbean pop. grows fast
Experiencing POPULATION PRESSURE: the sum of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population, resulting in migration or pop. decline

18. CARIBBEAN CULTURE
Caribbean: many languages; each country has its own dialect
Some speak PATOIS: blending of several languages (ex: Haitian Creole)
All major religions found
Some mix: santería (Cuba) and voodoo (Haiti)
Family is MATRIARCHAL: family ruled by a woman

19. CARIBBEAN ECONOMICS Primarily service industry (tourism)
Also textiles, electronics, oil refining, and offshore banking
Difficult to diversify

20. CENTRAL AMERICAN CULTURE
Spanish is primary language
80% Roman Catholic
Family is PATRIARCHAL: family ruled by a man

21. CENTRAL AMERICA ECONOMICS
Primarily agriculture
Use the “Hacienda” system
LATIFUNDIA: large ag estates owned by wealthy families or corporations
High yield and low cost creates deep divide btwn rich and poor

22. CENT. AM. ECONOMICS CONT.
Industrial employment is mostly COTTAGE INDUSTRY: business that employs workers in their homes