D: 11/13/12A: Notes on Central AmericaS: How do countries of Central America make money?H: Aztec codex Due Fri. 11/16w.o.d: ecotourism

Warm-Up: Complete the Central America Reading

Word of the Day

WORD

Ecotourism

DEIFINTION

The practice of using a

places natural

resources to attract tourists.

SENTENCE

Ecotourism

is big in

Central

America

due to its

rainforests.

PICTURE

I. Land

a. Sits where plates meet causes many volcanoes & earthquakes

b. Volcanic eruptions in the Central Highlands make soil very fertile

c. The low lands on either side of the highlands create many lakes

d. Made up of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama

II. Climate

a. Mostly tropical

b. Mountains regions are cool year-round

c. In the Lowlands May to November is warm & rainy and December to April it is hot & dry

d. Hurricanes hit in fall and summer

III. Economy

a. Farming – 50% of the people are farmers

i. The wealthy own plantations of coffee, bananas, sugarcane & cotton

ii. Substance Farms for families grow beans, corn and rice and raise livestock

IV. Rainforests

a. Give expensive woods like mahogany & rosewood

b. New medicine is developed from plants

c. Lumbering is done by cutting down trees which is ruining the trees

d. Some forest are set aside for eco-tourism

V. Industry

a. Very few factories but they do make clothes, computer chips & medicines, People who do not farm work here

b. Tourism is a growing market to Central America

IV. Panama Canal

a. Stretches across Panama to allow ships to travel from the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

b. Ships have to pay a fee to use it.

VII. History

a. Settled by the Mayans until the Spanish took over

b. Today all countries are democratic some have presidents but Belize has a parliamentary-democracy

VIII. Daily Life

– Most people live in Guatemala speak Native American languages and are Roman-Catholic

– Salsa is the number one music and dance.

– Baseball & futbol (soccer) are the number one sports