Caribbean Central South America Introduction to Caribbean Central

Caribbean - Central - South America Introduction to Caribbean - Central - South America PPT / Notes

• Central America Physical Geography 7 Countries between Mexico (in North) and Colombia (in South) • Tropical Climate Landforms • Hills and mountains • Panama Canal Ring of Fire • Earthquakes, Volcanoes

Caribbean Physical Geography What physical process created this archipelago? • Volcanoes What is the climate? • Tropical = Hot and Wet What Natural Hazards threaten the islands? • Hurricanes • Earthquakes • Floods • Mudslides

South America Physical Geography • • Amazon River Andes Mountains Guiana Highlands Brazilian Highlands

Central America Culture and History • Colonized by Spain in 1500’s, many indigenous people (Maya, for example). • Demography – Population = 42, 000 • Largely Mestizo – Native + Spanish • Mulatto - Spanish mixed with African – Slave trade

Caribbean Culture and History • Region colonized by Spain, France, Great Britain, Netherlands during 1500’s Why? • Plantation Agriculture / Columbian Exchange • Brought African Slaves for Sugar Trade What crops did the Europeans want? • Sugar Cane, Tobacco, Coffee, Bananas Demography – What are the people like? Population = 38 Million People are mixed – European, Indigenous, and African – Different cultural mixes on different islands – Results • Varied languages, religions, food

South America Culture and History? • Spanish conquered Inca in 1500’s • Spanish and Native influences – Languages • Quechua – Inca language • Spanish Treaty of Tordesillas (1494) • Spain and Portugal with help from the Pope split up South America – Portugal gets Brazil

Central America Economy • Most of the people are poor • Ecotourism – a form of tourism that involves visiting protected areas. • Commercial farming – Coffee – Bananas

Caribbean Economy What is the economy like? • Varies by island • Mostly Primary Employment Sectors – Agriculture – Mining – Fishing • Tourism is very important, especially for small islands • Informal Economy – jobs that take place outside of official channels, no taxes. Protection for workers

South America Economy • Most are based upon Agriculture • Oil and Mineral resources – US gets more oil from South America than Middle East • Mercosur – trade agreement between South American countries

Central America Daily Life, Art, and Music • Natives and Spanish Influence – Spanish Language – Catholic Religion

Caribbean Daily Life, Art, and Music • Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Natives and African influences • Religions – Catholic, Voodoo, Santeria • Languages – Spanish, French, English, Dutch • Music and Dance – – – Calypso – combines African and Spanish elements (Steel drums) Reggae – from Jamaica, deals with social problems and religion Bomba in Puerto Rico Merengue in Domincan Rep. Mambo in Cuba

South America Daily Life, Art, and Music • Literature – Gabriel Garcia Marquez • Nobel Prize for Literature 1982 • Gabriel García Márquez was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. • Born: March 6, 1927, Aracataca, Colombia • Died: April 17, 2014, Mexico City, Mexico • Music and Dance (Mix of native, African, and European influences) – Pop and Folk Music popular Dance – Tango in Argentina – Samba in Brazil