CentralAmerica and the CaribbeanIslands

CentralAmerica and the CaribbeanIslands

Chapter

77

To learn more about the people andplaces of Central America and theCaribbean, view The World and ItsPeople Chapter 7 video.

210

Chapter Overview Visit The World andIts People Web site at twip.glencoe.comand click on Chapter 7ChapterOverviews to preview information aboutCentral America and the Caribbean islands.

Social StudiesSocial StudiesSocial StudiesSocial Studies

210-218 U3 CH07 S1 TWIP-860976 3/25/04 12:16 AM Page 210

http://twip.glencoe.com

Guadeloupe, an island inthe Lesser Antilles

Guadeloupe, an island inthe Lesser Antilles

Building Trust In 1823 the Monroe Doctrine

warned European nations againstinterfering with the affairs ofcountries in the Americas. Eversince, U.S. presidents have worked to develop a special relationshipwith our near neighbors.

Step 1 Fold one sheet of paper in halffrom top to bottom.

Step 2 Fold it in half again, from side toside.

CentralAmerica CaribbeanIslands

Step 3 Unfold the paper once. Sketchan outline of Central America and theCaribbean islands across both tabs andlabel them as shown. CentralAmerica CaribbeanIslands

This cut willmake two tabs.

Step 4 Cut along the fold of the topflap only.

Compare-Contrast Make this foldable to help you determine howCentral America and the Caribbean islands are similar and different.

Reading and Writing As you read the chapter, write facts under theappropriate tabs of your foldable. Use what you write to compare and contrastthe people and places of Central America and the Caribbean islands.

210-218 U3 CH07 S1 TWIP-860976 3/25/04 12:17 AM Page 211

212 CHAPTER 7

11

Unusual animals found nowhere else

on the earth roam the floor and

canopy of Central Americas

rain forests. The small frog

here seems as if it would

be a snack for other,

larger animals. Do not

be fooled by the

enlargement of the

photo, however. Many

frogs like this one

hold a deadly poison in

their skin, which would

quickly kill anything that

tried to eat them.Country Key Facts

Central America is an isthmus, or a narrow piece of land that linkstwo larger areas of landNorth America and South America. Most ofthe countries on the isthmus have two coastlinesone on the PacificOcean and one on the Caribbean Sea.This narrow region is actuallypart of North America. Seven countries make up Central America:Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, CostaRica, and Panama.

A Rugged LandLike Mexico, Central America sits where plates in the earths crust

meet.The collision of these plates produces volcanoes and earthquakesin the region. The Central Highlands, which curve like a backbonethrough inland Central America, are actually a chain of volcanic moun-tains.Because of their ruggedness, the Central Highlands are difficult tocross.This causes serious problems for transportation and communica-tion and has also kept many of the regions people isolated from oneanother. The volcanoes of the Central Highlands do bring some benefitsto farmers, though.Volcanic material has made the soil very fertile.

Guide to Reading

Main Idea

Central America ismade up of sevennations that are hometo a variety of peoples,exotic animals, anddiverse landforms.

Terms to Know

isthmus canopy ecotourist literacy rate republic parliamentary

democracy

Reading Strategy

Create a chart like this one. List severalcountries in CentralAmerica, and writetwo key facts abouteach country.

210-218 U3 CH07 S1 TWIP-860976 3/25/04 12:17 AM Page 212

90W

25N

20N

15N

10N

5N

85W 80W 75W 70W 65W 60W

TROPIC OF CANCER

Gulf of MexicoATLANTIC OCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN

C a r i b b e a n S e aTegucigalpa

GuatemalaCity

San Salvador

San Jose

Managua

Panama City

Belmopan

Havana

Nassau

Port-au-PrinceSan

JuanSantoDomingo

Roseau

St. John'sBasseterre

Bridgetown

Castries

Kingstown

St. George's

Port-of-Spain

KingstonBELIZE

DOMINICA

ANTIGUA ANDBARBUDA

ST. KITTS ANDNEVIS

BARBADOS

ST. VINCENT ANDTHE GRENADINES

ST. LUCIA

GRENADA

TRINIDADANDTOBAGO

JAMAICA

HAITIDOMINICANREPUBLIC

C U B A

COSTA RICA

ELSALVADOR

P A N A M A

GUATEMALAH O N D U R A S

NICARAGUA

M E X I C O

BA

H

AM

AS

CAYMAN ISLANDSU.K.

TURKS AND CAICOSISLANDS U.K.

PUERTORICOU.S.

GUADELOUPEFr.

MARTINIQUEFr.

ANGUILLA U.K.

ARUBA Neth.

NETHERLANDSANTILLES

Neth.

MONTSERRATU.K.

VIRGIN ISLANDSU.S. & U.K.

Coco R.

St. Croix U.S.

St. ThomasU.S.

Hispaniola

G r e a t e rA n t i l l e s

Lesser

Antilles

Azimuthal Equidistant projection500

5000 mi.

0 km

N

S

EW

National capitalTerritorial capital

Applying Map Skills

Central America and the Caribbean Islands: Political

Central America is mostly tropical, although the mountains remaincool. Lowlands along the Caribbean side receive about 100 inches(254 cm) of rain year-round. Lowlands along the Pacific, however,are drier from December through April. Cooling breezes from theCaribbean Sea can become deadly hurricanes during the summer andfall. Remember that hurricanes are fierce storms with heavy rains andhigh winds of more than 74 miles (119 km) per hour.

How have the volcanoes in Central America been helpful?

Central American EconomiesThe economies of the Central American countries depend on farm-

ing and harvesting wood from their rain forests. Central America hastwo kinds of farms. Wealthy people and companies own plantations,which, as you learned in Chapter 6, are commercial farms that growcrops for sale. Major crops include coffee, bananas, cotton, and sugar-cane. Plantations export their harvest to the United States and otherparts of the world. Farmers in Guatemala and Costa Rica also growflowers and ornamental plants for export.

1. Which countries in Central Americaborder only one body of water?

2. What two countries occupy theisland of Hispaniola?

Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

210-218 U3 CH07 S1 TWIP-860976 3/25/04 12:18 AM Page 213

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

90W25N

20N

15N

10N

5N

85W 80W 75W 70W 65W 60W

TROPIC OF CANCER

Gulf ofMexico

ATLANTIC OCEAN

PACIFICOCEAN

C a r i b b e a n S e a

PanamaCity

Havana

San JuanCAYMAN ISLANDS

TURKS ANDCAICOS

ISLANDS

PUERTORICO

GUADELOUPE

MARTINIQUE

ANGUILLA

ARUBA

NETHERLANDSANTILLES

MONTSERRAT

VIRGIN ISLANDS

BELIZE

DOMINICA

ANTIGUA ANDBARBUDA

ST. KITTSAND NEVIS

BARBADOS

ST. VINCENT ANDTHE GRENADINES

ST. LUCIA

GRENADATRINIDADANDTOBAGO

JAMAICA

HAITIDOMINICANREPUBLIC

CUBA

COSTARICA

EL SALVADOR

PANAMA

GUATEMALA

HONDURAS

NICARAGUA

M E X I C O

BA

HA

MA

S

SOUTHAMERICA

G r e a t e rA n t i l l e s

Lesser

Antilles

Sugarcane

Sugarcane

Sugarcane

SugarcaneBananas

Bananas

Coffee

Sugarcane

Rice

CornCoffee

Corn

Sugarcane

Coffee

Sugarcane

Coffee

SugarcaneBananas

Sugarcane

Bananas

Bananas

Bananas

Tourism

Tourism

Tourism

Tobacco

Bananas

Tourism

Tourism

N

N

Azimuthal Equidistant projection500

5000 mi.

0 km

N

S

EW

Applying Map Skills

Many farms in Central America are not plantations but subsistencefarms. These are small plots of land where poor farmers grow onlyenough food to feed their families. Subsistence farmers typically raiselivestock and grow corn, beans, and rice.

Rain Forests Beneath Central Americas green canopy, or topmostlayer of the rain forest that shades the forest floor, lie many treasures.Ancient ruins of past empires can be found as well as valuableresources. The dense forests offer expensive woodsmahogany androsewood, for example. Unusual animal and plant species also thrivehere. Scientists research the plants to develop new medicines.

Both local and foreign-owned companies have set up large-scaleoperations in the rain forests.Lumber companies cut down and exportthe valuable trees. Other companies and local farmers also cut or burnthe trees to clear land for farming. Without trees to hold the soil inplace, rains wash the soil and its nutrients away. As a result, the landsoon becomes poor.The businesses and farmers then move on, clear-ing trees from another piece of land.

Many Central Americans worry about the rapid destruction of therain forests. Some countries are responding to this crisis by helpingworkers replant cleared areas.Costa Rica has set aside one-fourth of its

Central America and the Caribbean Islands: Economic Activity

Bauxite

Fishing

Forest

Gold

Lead

Nickel

Petroleum

Silver

Resources

N

Commercial farmingSubsistence farmingManufacturing area

Land Use1. Which countries haveforest industries?

2. How do most people inHaiti earn a living?

Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

210-218 U3 CH07 S1 TWIP-860976 3/25/04 7:34 AM Page 214

http://www.nationalgeographic.c