Five Characteristics Of Five Characteristics Of Geography:Geography: The Caribbean

Group 5, p.8

LocationLocationWhere is it?

• The Caribbean is often explained as the Isolated Proximity– Explains the unusual position between North

and South America

• Exact Location: 5° N - 27° N and 98°W - 60°W

PROSPROS• Able to sustain cultural

diversity• Being close to N. America

provides international relationships

• Fosters a strong sense of place and inward orientation by the people

Isolation both helps and hinders its successes

CONSCONS• Limits economic

opportunity• Being close to N. America

creates economic dependence (ex. Dominican workers in the U.S. send more than $1 billion to family in the Dominican Republic who rely on the money)

Place:Place:What is it like there?

Physical FeaturesPhysical Features

• Warm all year long• Lots of rain

– Rainy season from July- October• Hurricanes begin in July and pick up speed

from the coast of West Africa, and typically enter through the Lesser Antilles

Physical Features

• Much of the Antillean Islands support tropical rainforests

• Palm Savannas are important biomes– Mostly found in tropical savannas– Palms provide the best soil– Sugarcane and citrus are planted here

• Semiarid vegetation in some areas– Limited agricultural potential– Goats graze here

Physical FeaturesPhysical Features

• Much is urban (60%)• Cities laid out in a grid with a central plaza• House yards are common as a result of lack of

space and poverty

Human FeaturesHuman Features

• African religions were transferred with salve trade from 1451-1870– Umbanda– Macuba– Candomble– Catholictism– Voodoo, Santeria, Obeah

Human FeaturesHuman Features

• European languages are most dominant– Spanish: 24 million (Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto

Rico)– French: 8 million (Haiti; people who speak French are

usually higher class, education, or government position)– English: 6 million– Dutch: 500 thousand (numbers are declining)– Papiamento: a blending of African, English, Spanish,

Portuguese, and Dutch into one language (ABC Islands)

Human FeaturesHuman Features

• Music– Reggae– Calypaso– Merengue– Rumba– Zouk

Human FeaturesHuman Features

• Common Ethnicities in the Caribbean– Chinese, Indian, & Indonesian (came as

industrialized laborers)– Europeans– Africans (brought as slaves)

• Became neo-africans• Farmers• Formed maroon societies (made up of run-away slaves)

Human FeaturesHuman Features

• Most popular industries are agriculture and tourism• Most states have excellent education

– High literacy– High secondary graduation rates

• People tend to walk, ride bikes, and use public transportation rather than drive cars

• Women are typically the ones who run street markets

Human Features

• Caribbean English– Reflects a blend of influences of African, Spanish,

French, Hindi, Amerindian– Expressions are unique to regions and are often

politically changed (charley-price is very large rat based off of Sir Charles Price who was said to have introduced the first rat)

– Patterns of speech distinguish it (repeating certain words adds intensity)

Human/ Environment Human/ Environment Interaction: Interaction:

How do people interact with the environment?

ChangeChange

• Deforestation- people clear land for farming and building housing

• Mangrove swamps are cleared for beach creation• Several dams were built on islands to help supply

water to the people• Built national parks to increase wildlife awareness and

create a balance between human and animal fight for land

• People move into areas were water isn’t abundant creating an even greater shortage and drought

AdaptAdapt• Farming

– Rainfall provides water for crops– Savannas have fertile soil

• Limestone base in Cuba results in fertile red clay soil• Arid zones near mountains are mainly used for grazing• Residents of Montserrat had to evacuate at certain times due

to volcanic activity

Adapt• Because the soil easily eroded and did not

provide good harvests, they developed two strategies:– Clear new land and abandon old land– Conserve soil and maintain fertility

• Abundant rainfall– dams

Regions:Regions:What makes it like other areas?

Physical RegionsPhysical Regions• Antillean Islands

– Greater Antilles• Cuba

• Jamacia• Hispanolia

• Puerto Rico– Less Antilles

• Islands from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad

• El Yunque Rainforest– In Puerto Rico

– Protected by the Spanish

Physical RegionsPhysical Regions• Rimland States

– Belize– Guianas– Much timber comes from this area

Mangroves– Not well suited for humans; better suited for fish and crustaceans – Usually cleared to create beaches

• Increases the risk of erosion

Political RegionsPolitical Regions

• Caribbean Community and Common Market (CAMICOM) – Created the Caribbean Development Bank to help poorer states

• Cuba– Communist– Socialist

Political Regions• Monroe Doctrine

– Claims that the U.S. would not tolerate European military involvement in the western hemisphere

– U.S. believed that the Caribbean was within this range

• Puerto Rico Commonwealth of U.S.– Part of the U.S. and the Caribbean– Depends on the U.S. welfare and

investment programs– U.S. food stamps give income to Puerto

Rican families

Cartoon picture describing the Monroe Doctrine policy.

Cultural Regions

• Crealization– African and European cultures were mixed– European language adapted to different dialects

(French Creole)

• Neo-Africa– African salves were forced out of houses and

moved to the Caribbean and North America

Economic RegionsEconomic Regions

• Free Trade of Americas (FTAA)– Cuba is not a part because it is communist

• Total GNI in Millions– Dominica to Dominican Republic (238-16 130)

• Caribbean Community and Common Market– Suggested the Caribbean Development Bank to help

poorer countries• Cuba

– Communist

Movement:Movement:How are people and places connected?

MovementRegional International Movement

Created for the economic competitiveness of the Caribbean.

The Goal:

Improve employment rates within the CaribbeanIncrease interregional tradeReduce external dependency

MovementMovement of foreign investments in the Caribbean

Free Trade Zones(FTZs)- Duty free and tax-exempt industrial parks for foreign corporations.•Legalizes the foreign ownership•Peruses for direct foreign investments•Offers cheap labors

•Many cities, specially Dominican Republic, offers Free Trade Zones(FTZs).

MovementTourism in the Caribbean

People goes to the Caribbean for:•Clear and sparkling turquoise water•Enjoy warmth during the cold winter season•Entrepreneurs are able to open resort business

The Caribbean countries earns a lot of money from tourists visiting them each year.

MovementFrom Agriculture To>>> Factories and Resorts

Agriculture had once dominated the Caribbean, now it is no longer the main source of income due to:

A decline in agreement with foreign importers. The soils are overworked. Now they have a much diversified economy.

Coffee Export 11%

MovementRural to Urban Migration

Causes:Agriculture became mechanizedOffshore industrializationRapid population growth

of the total Caribbean population is now considered urban.

Movement Rural to Urban Migration(Continued….)

Problems Created:Citied are overcrowdedInformal SectorElectricity lines are pirated from power lines

MovementCaribbean Emigration- People moving out of a region.

Moving from the

Caribbean

To the From the Caribbean Country/Countries

Belize, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Porto Rico.

Belize, Bahamas, Jamaica, and Guyana.

Suriname, Trinidad, and Tobago.

French Guyana.

MovementNeo-African Movements in the Americas

The Caribbean is comprised of millions of ethnically distinct individuals.In the 16th century African Diaspora forced Africans to move from their native land.

Creolization- Process in which African and European cultures are blended into the Caribbean.

Movement Neo-African Movements in the Americas(Continued…)

African Religions were diffused in the Caribbean. •Voodoo most widely practiced in the Caribbean.Language: Many languages were brought over by Europeans.

MovementMovement Neo-African Movements in the Americas(Continued…)

Music:Music:Many types of music were transferred from Africa with the slave tradeMusic of Bob Marley reflects Jamaica’s political situation.