The Caribbean
Basics about this General Area
Physical Geography
• Most of the area known as Caribe is located within the tropics.Can Anyone tell me the Degrees latitude that the tropics cover?23.5*N through 23.5*S
• All land in the Caribe is made up of islands.
4 Major Island Groups
• Greater Antilles:-include Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico.
• The Bahamas, Turks, and Caicos:-Include over 700 islands.
• Lesser Antilles:-From Greater Antilles down to South America.-They separate the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean Sea.
• South America Coastal Islands: Trinidad, Tobago, Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao.
• Island Formations-Different physical forces shaped the islands.-Volcanic Islands:
-Formed from volcanoes pushing up from under
the sea.-Some of
these volcanoes are still active.
-These volcanic islands have rich soil so they are good for farming.-All of the Greater Antilles and some of the Lesser Antilles are volcanic islands.
• Coral Islands:-All are mostly flat land.-Mostly sandy, so there is poor agriculture.-All of the Bahamas are coral.-These islands are created by the remains of tiny sea plants and animals.
Climate in the Caribbean
• The climate on these islands is affected by the sea and wind.-Breezes blow cool water temperatures onto land.-The coastal area is more mild than the inland areas.-Even though this area is in the tropics, the temperature rarely reaches the 90’s.
The Ethnic Roots
• The original inhabitants were of 2 main groups.-Caribs: Warlike Cannibals
-Arawaks: Peaceful Indians that came from South America.
• Both of these groups were wiped out by disease, slavery, and warfare.
The Other People
• Africans:-Brought over by Europeans to work the plantations.-This group greatly influenced Caribbean culture.
• Asians:-Brought over as laborers after the abolition of slavery.-Many were indentured servants.Do you know what an indentured servant is?Someone that agrees to work off the cost of transport after arrival in a new place.
-These people came from China, India, and the Middle East.
• Europeans:-Spanish- Large Group
-Conquistadors were Spanish Conquerers.
-They settled in Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.-They greatly influenced culture.
-British: Controlled most of the Caribbean.
-Bahamas, Jamaica, and much of the Lesser Antilles.-French: Controlled Haiti, Lesser Antilles Islands.-Dutch: Controlled Aruba, Curacao.
• The United States: We controlled land that we won from Spain in wartimes such as Cuba and Puerto Rico.-We also have possessions in the Lesser Antilles such as the U.S. Virgin Islands.