Central America and the Caribbean

The Maya is a civilization , noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-
Columbian Americas, as well as for its art , architecture , and mathematical and astronomical systems.
The Mayan culture spread throughout a large
section of Central America. Mayan cities have been uncovered in the Yucatan Peninsula near
Cancun. Mayan villages still exist today near the mountains of northern Guatemala.

Dominated large parts of Mesoamerica from the
14th to 16th centuries. Often the term "Aztec" refers exclusively to the Mexica people of
Tenochtitlan (now the location of Mexico City .
In 1521 Conquistador Hernán Cortés conquered Tenochtitlan and defeated the
Aztec leader Hueyi Tlatoani Moctezuma II .

Culture – Basic Institutions
All cultures share common basic institutions. These institutions are
religion, language and traditions. It therefore stands to reason that when cultures come in contact with one and other (e.g. - through trade, conquest and colonization) cultural diffusion occurs.

Culture – Basic Institutions
Example -
Haiti still has many characteristics of
France, the country that conquered
it's people and colonized it years ago.
The people speak French, most are
Catholic, and they share many French traditions.

Culture – Era of
Exploration
Countries in Central America were part of the Era of
Exploration when the Spanish came to the New World to search for gold and riches. As a result of this exploration,
the following are still in effect today:
– Enslaving the native people by Spain impacted a change in language so that most people of Central America speak Spanish today.
– Enslaving the native people by Spain impacted a change in
religion, mostly to Catholicism, which is evident today.
– Colonizing of these areas by Spain brought many Europeans to the area who brought other ways of life, including architecture and
dress.

Cultural Region
Despite the many different groups that now reside in Central America, it is defined as a
“cultural region” because of this shared
colonial past.

Geography
Geographic Factors for Patterns of
Population – These are conditions which effect distribution of the
population in the region: mild climate proximity to water natural resources fertile soil

Geography
Geographic Factors for Patterns of
Population: Population Density – Since the landscape of Panama, mountains and dense jungles, provides little land for the population to inhabit, the low population density is accounted for by the few people who likely are centered around trade and commercial
areas with few other villages.
Discuss -

Geography
Due to it's unique geography, domestic policy has been shaped by geographic factors. Some of the policies brought about by geographic
factors are:
* Conservation policies
* Government regulation of trade
* Guidelines and laws related to global warming

Geography
Due to some geographic factors, governments may be unable to control their own territories.
The Panamanian government for example is unable to control its internal territories because the natural rivers are not navigable.
Most of these rivers do not support shipping but at least one generates enough water flow to support hydroelectric power.

Geography
Many Central Americans have modified their physical environment in order to improve
their lifestyles. One example of this is:
* Peasants burning down the rainforest in order to clear land for farming
Earthquakes – Earthquakes can also modify the environment through the other means:
* tsunamis
* landslides
* fire/floods

Geography - Caribbean
The Caribbean Islands are located in the Gulf of Mexico and the
Caribbean Sea. Both of these bodies of water are an extension of the Atlantic Ocean.
Look at the map...

Geography - Caribbean
Geographic factors – Because it is a small island compared to the size of its population, Jamaica
has a high population density of
628/sq. mile (628 people per square mile). Jamaica's total population is 2.7 million people.

Geography - Barriers
Caribbean Geographic Barriers –
Because it is far away from
Central America, location, and the high cost of shipping, prohibits trade between Haiti and Cuba.

Governments
The governments of the region range from those like the United States that have
“rule by Many,” e.g. -Mexico, to those with
“rule by few,” e.g. - Cuba. Over the years, there has been many civil wars and much instability.
When a government moves from limited to unlimited, a loss of human rights can be expected. Cuba under Castro is an
example of an unlimited government.

Governments, Economics, and Politics
In the 1960's, Cuba turned to communism and has since been accused of human rights abuses.
Because of this, the United States has used economic sanctions against Cuba sice the years of the Cold War through today.
Discuss -

Trade and the Panama Canal – With the opening of the
Panama Canal in the 20 th century, trade between countries on the Atlantic Ocean and those on the
pacific Ocean has increased greatly. Because of U.S.
Sanctions, Cuba has not benefited from this increase as much as other countries.
If Cuba changed to a free enterprise system, like that of the U.S., it would mean (1) more economic freedom for individuals, (2) voluntary exchange of goods and services by producers and consumers and (3) the ability to own property.

Economies – Interdependence
Nations have also increased their economic
interdependence by trading with each other.
In this way, they help to strengthen the economies of both countries by providing for increased production and employment.
Discuss -

Haiti – Haiti is the most underdeveloped nation in the
Caribbean. There are several conditions which explain why Haiti is the most underdeveloped nation. Perhaps the three most significant reasons are:
●
Lack of natural resources
●
Little foreign commerce or trade
●
Dependence on foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs)

In general, many Latin American countries are under developed. This lack of development can be attributed to many factors. One important factor is
the lack of an educated work force.
Which production factor does this relate to?
●
Hint: The more educated the labor force, the more technology can be implemented to operate the business. The more advanced the technology, the greater the production.
●
Why is education important to the economy?
●
Discuss -

While an educated labor force is an important factor of production, the most important reason for Haiti's underdeveloped economy is the lack of capital.
There is no money to start businesses and, given poor economic development, banks are not willing to assume the risk of providing capital.
Discuss -