2. CENTRAL AMERICA IS AN ISTHMUS
A NARROW BODY OF LAND WITH WATER ON BOTH SIDES THAT CONNECTS 2
LARGER BODIES OF LAND.
3. PHYSICAL MAP - NOTICE THE TOPOGRAPHY
REMEMBER THIS IS A TROPICAL CLIMATE.
THE MOUNTAINS AND PROXIMITY TO THE OCEANS MAKE FOR 3 DISTINCT REGIONS:
1) THE MOUNTAINOUS CORE; 2) THE CARIBBEAN LOWLANDS; 3) THE PACIFIC COASTAL PLAIN.
4. MOUNTAINOUS CORE
MOUNTAINS RUN THE LENGTH OF
CENTRAL AMERICA, SOME OVER
13,000 FEET, AND MANY ARE
VOLCANOES.
THEY ARE DIFFICULT TO CROSS
AND PROVIDE A SERIOUS
CHALLENGE TO TRANSPORTATION
IN THE REGION.
BECAUSE THE MOUNTAINS ARE TALL, THERE ARE 2
CLIMATE ZONES:
3000’-6000’
YEAR-ROUND, SPRINGLIKE CONDITIONS, FROST FREE,
CORN AND COFFEE GROW HERE;
ABOVE 6000’
COLD, FREQUENT FROST, ONLY POTATOES AND BARLEY CAN
GROW HERE.
5. CARIBBEAN LOWLANDS
TROPICAL WET CLIMATE
(OVER 80” OF RAIN/
YEAR) BECAUSE OF
NE TRADE WINDS OFF
OF THE CARIBBEAN
CREATE DENSE RAIN
FOREST VEGETATION
AND POOR SOIL
CONDITIONS
6. PACIFIC COASTAL PLAIN
WHAT WOULD
NORTHEAST TRADE
WINDS FROM THE
CARIBBEAN, AND A
CENTRAL CHAIN OF
MOUNTAINS
CREATE,
CLIMATICALLY?...
A RAIN SHADOW EFFECT THAT PRODUCES BOTH A WET AND DRY
TROPICAL CLIMATE WITH GRASSLAND VEGETATION.
NORTHEAST TRADE WINDS BLOW VOLCANIC ASH WESTWARD
WHERE IT SETTLES, CREATING FERTILE SOILS.
7. WEATHER
HAZARDS
HURRICANES AND STRONG STORMS FROM THE ATLANTIC AND THE
PACIFIC (LIKE HURRICANE MITCH THAT HIT HONDURAS IN 1998)
PRESENT A REAL HAZARD TO CENTRAL AMERICANS.
BECAUSE OF POVERTY, WEAK INFRASTRUCTURE, AND STEEP
MOUNTAINSIDES, FLOODING AND MUDSLIDES CAN BE
DEVASTATING.
8. HUMAN CULTURE IN CENTRAL AMERICA
EUROPEANS AND MESTIZOS - FROM SPANISH
CONQUEST IN 1500S.
MESTIZOS ARE PEOPLE OF MIXED
ANCESTRY (EUROPEAN AND NATIVE).
COSTA RICA HAS LARGEST POPULATION
OF EUROPEANS WHILE EL SALVADOR AND
NICARAGUA HAVE THE LARGEST MESTIZO
POPULATIONS
PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT LIVE
INDIANS - PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED IN CENTRAL AMERICA ALONG CARIBBEAN COAST. THE CAME
THE LONGEST. FROM CARIBBEAN ISLANDS TO WORK
GUATEMALA HAS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF INDIANS. ON BANANA PLANTATIONS OR PANAMA CANAL
IN EARLY 1900S.
9. WEALTH AND POVERTY
MOST CENTRAL AMERICANS ARE VERY
POOR. THE WEALTHY, MOST OF THEM
EUROPEAN OR MESTIZO, ARE LARGE
PLANTATION OWNERS AND DOMINATE
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS.
66% OF CENTRAL AMERICANS ARE POOR
WITH LITTLE OR NO POLITICAL POWER. MOST
ARE OF INDIAN OR AFRICAN DESCENT ARE
ARE LABORERS ON FARMS AND IN
FACTORIES.
THE MIDDLE CLASS IS SMALL BUT GROWING.
THESE PEOPLE OWN SMALL SUBSISTENCE
FARMS OR WORK IN URBAN INDUSTRY OR
SERVICES.
ECONOMICS
FARMING IS THE LARGEST INDUSTRY IN
CENTRAL AMERICA. CASH CROPS ARE
COFFEE, BANANAS AND COTTON, AND MOST
OF THESE CROPS ARE EXPORTED TO THE US
OR EUROPE.
10. POLITICAL
CONFLICT
CONFLICT IN CENTRAL AMERICA ARISES FROM 2
REALITIES:
1) A LACK OF LAND TO GROW SUFFICIENT FOOD FOR THE POPULATION
2) A LARGE GAP BETWEEN WEALTHY LANDOWNERS/POLITICIANS, AND
WORKERS.
GUERILLA WARFARE IS AN UGLY BY-PRODUCT
ESPECIALLY IN EL SALVADOR, NICARAGUA, AND GUATEMALA (CENTRAL
AMERICA’S MOST POPULOUS COUNTRY
