Central America and The
Caribbean Chapter 11 sec. 1and 2 Central America Belize Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua
Costa Rica Panama Central America Central America is an isthmus-narrow strip of land surrounded by water, connecting two larger bodies of land Three physical regions Mountainous core (like Mexico) Caribbean Lowlands (eastern coast) dense rainfall Pacific Coastal Plain grasslands like a savanna Climate Hazards Tropical storms and Hurricanes- during Summer and early Fall Hurricane Mitch Central America-Econ Activity
50% of people of C.A. employed in agriculture Most subsistence farming Plantations- grow coffee, bananas, sugar or cotton Large separation of rich and poor Rich-own plantations Poor-work on plantations Banana plantation Central America- Politics
Political instability p.240 Nicaragua-1990s El Salvador free elections Guatemala- 1980s- Harsh military governments-regimes Organized guerrilla movements- armed forces outside of regular army. 1990s Earthquakes The Caribbean Islands Caribbean- Island Groups
Lesser Antilles Greater Antilles Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Haiti and Dom.Rep (Hispaniola) Aurba, Trinidad,US Virgin Islands, Barbados etc. 3rd Island Group The Bahamas The Bahamas Caribbean Nations Today
Many Caribbean islands still politically linked to European countries or the U.S. Great Britain British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Montserrat Independent under GB Jamaica Bahamas United States U.S. Virgin Islands Puerto Rico Political Unrest Cuba 1959 Fidel Castro led revolutiontoppled dictatorial government Castro set up a Communist dictatorship supported by USSR Many Cubans emigrated to the United States, primarily Florida U.S. President Kennedy limits travel and imposes strict embargo 1991 USSR fellCuba lost financial support Country plunged deep into poverty, causing more immigrants to flee. Resigned from presidential position February 2009succeeded by brother Raul Castro. Cuba Fidel Castro Cuban Missile Crisis Tension between US and USSR at all time high 1962
USSR Missiles cannot reach USUS missiles can reach USSR. USSR secretly sets up missiles on island of Cuba80 miles off Florida 14 Days in OctoberThe closest weve come to Nuclear War. Kennedy and Khrushchev come to agreement USSR removes missiles. Haiti 1957-1986 Haiti ruled by a military dictatorship
Thousands fled to the U.S. to escape cruelty Military gained control in 1986 1994 U.S. backed Jean-Bertrand Aristide, in democratic elections Few reforms have taken place since 1994 Questioned elections in 2000-Aristide wins Widespread poverty and crime in capital city Port-au-Prince