Chapter 6Lesson 1 - Vocabulary

MIDDLE AMERICA

Middle America is a region of America made up of three regions: Mexico Central America The Caribbean

CENTRAL AMERICA Central America is made up of 7 countries:

Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama

Central America is smaller than the state of Texas. The main geographic features of Central America are two areas

of lowlands with rugged mountains in between.

archipelago

A chain of islands.

Ring of Fire

The circle of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean.

coniferous

A kind of cone-bearing tree

THE GREATER ANTILLES

There are 4 islands that make up the Greater Antilles: Cuba Hispaniola Jamaica Puerto Rico

THE LESSER ANTILLES

These islands are divided into two groups: The Leeward Islands The Windward Islands

The trade winds put these islands in the path of hurricanes in the summer months.

Trade wind Wind blowing almost constantly from the

northeast toward the equator

THE BAHAMAS

The Bahamas are made up of about 700 islands and 2,400 cays.

People live on only about 20 of these islands.

cay

A tiny, low-lying island or coral reef

coral A hard, stony substance that is made up of

skeletal remains of tiny sea animals