5 Themes of Geography
for the Caribbean

LOCATION
Relative: The Caribbean is directly south of the USA,
east of Mexico, and directly north of central
America. The Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and
Atlantic Ocean all surround the region.
Exact: 11° N to 26°N and from 58°W to 88°W
PLACE
(8) Physical:

- most of the forests are gone due to
deforestation

-has mammals, birds, plants, reptiles like jaguars
and toucans,

-has deciduous and tropical rain forests

-grows sugar cane, oranges to make orange
concentration
PLACE (physical continued)
 -bad living conditions, poor water and sewage lines
 -Caribbean Sea connects all the states
 -the temperature of the sea ranges from 73-84
degrees
 -most of the region has a tropical, wet climate
 -there are arid zones in the rain shadow of the
Antillean Mountains
PLACE (continued)
Human:
(11)

-has a decline in fertility rate due to educated women and birth control

-has socialism

-men are absent for a period of time and women run the markets

-many people are educated and have high literacy rates

-mortality rates are high due to inhuman treatment, disease, and malnutrition

-tourism helps bring in money to the islands
PLACE (human continued)

-some religious groups are Macuba, Candomble,
Voodoo, and Umbanda

-some dominant languages are Spanish, French,
English, and Dutch

-for transportation people may use jeeps, or walk
on foot

-have Africans, Asians, Indians, Amerindians, and
some people from European colonies in the
Caribbean

-there was a sudden surge of urbanization, which
filled ranks in the informal sector and created
squatter settlements
MOVEMENT
(11) People:
-
Asian immigration to Caribbean freed slaves that stayed-more
than 1/3 of population is of Asian decent
-
Communities of runaway slaves; maroons
-
Chain migration- a family member moves to another country
and sends for their family one at a time when he or she has
saved enough money
-
Circular Migration- a family member leaves their family to
work in another country then bring it home later
-
Tourism-many north Americans travel to the Caribbean during
the winter to escape the cold
MOVEMENT (people continued)

Volcanic Destruction is a factor that is moving people

Economic opportunities- emigration to other Caribbean islands
Carbonization

Most people still get around by foot, bicycle or public transportation

Hurricanes- people move to other parts of country if their old
location is in danger from hurricanes

Flow of Americans to the Caribbean due to African diasporas

The movement of US Marines into Haiti to settle political unrest in
1915
MOVEMENT (continued)
(7) Ideas
-
Creolization- Cultures blending and creating new languages such as
Papiamento and French Creole.
-
Music- the movement of African and European music to the
Caribbean resulted in the creation of modern Caribbean music
-
Language- the dominant languages in Caribbean are Spanish, French,
English, and Dutch
-
Neocolonialism- the U.S. asserts its control over the Caribbean both
directly and indirectly
-
African religion spread to thee Caribbean and are still practiced there
MOVEMENT (Ideas continued)

AIDS education programs and an effective screening and
reporting system for the disease have apparently kept the
infection rate of AIDS down in CUBA

House yards- in the Lesser Antilles typifies the blending of
rural subsistence, economic survival, and a matriarchal social
structure

Mono-crop production under a plantation system that
concentrated land in the hand of the elite families
MOVEMENT (continued)
Goods
-
Sugar: it made the meager and bland diets of ordinary people
tolerable, and boosted calorie intake
-
Bananas: connects Caribbean with the global market and
many countries have become dependent on bananas export
-
Rimland states: Belize and Guiana produce a great amount of
citrus
-
Free trade zones: goods are assembled in one country tax
free, then shipped overseas to be sold in another country
Interactions Between Humans
& the Environment
(4) Change
-Europeans cut down Caribbean forest to make room for sugar
cane growing & providing fuel necessary to turn cane juice
into sugar and provide lumber for housing, fences, and ships
-
Mangrove swamps were made to make beaches
-
Several dams were built on islands to help supply water to
people
-
They built national parks to provide people with wildlife
awareness
Interactions Between Humans
& the Environment
(6) Adapt
-
Because the soil easily eroded & didn’t produce good harvests, they
developed two strategies: 1. clear new land, abandon old land 2. conserve soil
and maintain fertility
-
Residents of Montserrat had to evacuate at certain times due to volcanic
activity
-
In Aruba, Bonaire, Curaao, Anguilla, Cayman Islands had low soils & sparse
vegetation (arid areas). The dry climate couldn’t support agriculture so people
produces salts & raised goats
-
Savannas have fertile soil which are good for farming
-
Lime stones based in Cuba provide people with fertile red clay soil
-
The citizens must be careful when drinking water because of the
contamination levels
REGION
(5) Physical
-Lesser Antilles- are a double arc of small islands stretching from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad
-Greater Antilles- are made up of the four large islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and
the Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico
~ the Lesser Antilles and the Greater Antilles make up the Antillean Islands
-Rimlands- are defined as the costal zone of the mainland; this includes Belize and extending
down the coast along Central and Northern South America
-The Caribbean Sea- is a body of water enclosed by the Antillean Islands
-Tropical Savannas and Mangroves- are both important biomes found throughout the
Caribbean, savannas are fertile and easily adapt to agriculture, and the mangroves are a
marine habitat and protect from the erosion of the coasts
REGION (continued)
(4) Political
Colonialism- some islands (mainly in the Lesser Antilles) have mother
nations that have political and economic power over the island
Neocolonialism- the United States had the indirect economic and
political power over the weaker Caribbean countries after the
Monroe Doctrine was issued
Independence- many colonies in the Caribbean gained independence
from their colonial power to establish their own democratic
principles
Dependency- territories are divided amongst their politics, for
example, Puerto Rico is half Caribbean, half Unites States
REGION (continued)
(2) Cultural
Creolization- is the blending of African, European and some
Amerindian cultural elements into a unique socio-cultural
system found in the Caribbean
Plantation America- extends midway up the coast of Brazil
through the Guianas and the Caribbean into Southeastern
United States. In the costal zone, European owned
plantations, worked by African laborers, produce agricultural
products for export
REGION (continued)
(5) Economic
Urbanization- 60% of the Caribbean is urban
Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM)- is a regional trade
organization that includes former English Colonies. The organizations has
regional industrial plans along with the formation of the Caribbean
Development Bank to assist poorer states
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTTA)- is a hemispheric trade association that
includes Latin America, North America, and the Caribbean (minus Cuba)
American Backyard- the United States maintains a proprietary attitude toward
the Caribbean, controlling the Caribbean through neocolonialism
Isolated Proximity- Caribbean States are positioned close to North America and is
economically dependent upon the region. The isolation of the Caribbean
fosters strong loyalties and locality and limited economic opportunity
THE END
Buffalo Soldier
Bob Marley
Thank You for Watching
Let’s take a field trip to the Caribbean Now !
Kavalow-Huie is the COOLEST teacher : )