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The Central America:
Pg 172-181:
Pg.172 & 173
Geography
Activity:
A
The isthmus of Central America includes all countries between Guatemala and Panama. It
covers an area of 196,000 square miles, or the size of a quarter of Mexico. In some
locations the isthmus has a width of only 50 miles. A ridge linking the Rockies to the
Andes runs from north to south. This mountain range dominates almost all countries
except Panama. Some peaks reach 14,000 feet.
Central America is a region of many volcanoes. Over twenty are active. Its eruptions are
dangerous and year after year have caused much damage. However, volcanic ash is what
makes the land fertile for agriculture.
▲ Volcan Baru, Chiriqui, Panama
As the isthmus is so long there is a great variety of terrain and climate. In the Mosquitia on the northeast
coast of Honduras and Darien on the eastern coast of Panama, there are rainforests, many parts of which
have not been explored. The Chocó, an indigenous group of Darien, even today still live as their ancestors
lived thousands of years ago. Its primitive society is based on one collection and hunting.
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harvest, gathering
A rain forest in Panama
Panama and many regions of the coast of Central America have a tropical climate. The
coasts are hot and humid. In the mountains is said that spring is eternal although nights
can be cold in the dry season. There are only two seasons-the dry season roughly from
November to April and the rainy and hot season from May to October.
It is given the name of "winter" and the rainy season "summer" in the dry season. The
Caribbean coast is much more rainy than the Pacific coast with its beaches of black
volcanic ash.
The Key Bonacca, Honduras ▼
Pg 174 - 175
Columbian Mayan CivilizationActivity:
B
The territory occupied by the Maya, which have been discovered over fifty major cities,
extended by areas of Mexico; and in Central America in Guatemala, Belize and much of Honduras
and El Salvador. The most likely theory is that their ancestors came from Asia, having crossed
the Bering Strait, about eighteen thousand years ago.
The Maya civilization developed during two periods. The most important is the Old Empire IV to
IX centuries AD During this period the Maya lived in Guatemala and Honduras and joined the
Quiche 2, from the heights of Guatemala.
The progress made ​
by the Maya between 300 and 900 AD are amazing. Their calendar was more
perfect than that of the Christians of the time and is said to be even more accurate than ours.
The Mayans had a very similar type of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. Their kings used to send
record in hieroglyphic stelae representing all the events that occurred during his reign.
2
joined merged with
▲ Mayan
Calendar
Mayan Ruins, Tikal, Guatemala ▼
The Mayans were experts in architecture. They built palaces and temples adorned with huge sculptures. They
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had knives, pots and pottery decorated with hieroglyphs. The Quiche had their sacred book, the Popol Vuh,
which recounts the origin of man.
Unfortunately this tremendous development inexplicably ended shortly before 900 AD New archaeological
discoveries indicate that there is a possibility that the Maya would achieve great territorial expansion and
military confrontations that accompanied this expansion were the major cause of the decline of Mayan Empire.
Currently in Guatemala, the country's largest indigenous population of Central America, twenty Mayan languages ​
are spoken. 60 percent of Guatemalans have a first language that is not Spanish. The extended language is
Quiche has 1,900,000 speakers.
PG. 176 & 177
Capitals
Central
Activity:
C
Some Central American capitals have not always been
the capital of their country. For a variety of reasons
the capital has been moved from one city to another.
Guatemala City
Guatemala City
Today, Guatemala City is the capital of the same name. It is a busy city, and all Central American
cities is that which has the largest population. Most of the city is modern because he suffered an
earthquake in 1917 that caused much destruction.
From 1543-1773 it was the capital of Antigua. When it was founded bore the name of "Very Noble
and Loyal City of Santiago de los Caballeros Goathemala '. Goathemala then comprised Chiapas in
Mexico and all the countries of Central America except Panama. The capital was moved to
Guatemala in 1773 when an earthquake destroyed Antigua.
Despite this destruction Antigua has retained its beauty. No doubt ruins of magnificent churches,
monasteries and other colonial buildings look. But it is a pleasant town with cobblestone streets
and colorful beautiful mansions which also date from the colonial era.
▲ Typical
street,
Antigua,
Guatemala
Tegucigalpa
The name of the capital of Honduras, Tegucigalpa, has its origin in two Indian-teguz words
meaning "hill" and galpa meaning 'silver'. For years he was a silver mining town. The present city
has not lost its quality of small colonial town with narrow streets and brightly colored houses.
Currently, 70 percent of the Honduran population lives in the metropolitan area of Tegucigalpa.
Before 1880 Comayagua was the capital. But it was destroyed in a civil war in 1873 and seven
years later it was decided to restore the capital Tegucigalpa.
Plaza Morazán,
Tegucigalpa,
Honduras ▼
Managua
San Jose
Managua, capital of Nicaragua, is another principal whose name derives from a native language 3 Nahuatl.
San
José,
capital
of Costa
its suburbs
occupy
a largename
part of
the central
section
of Lake
the country. Here
PG.
178
& where
179
& 180
It means'
there
is a Rica,
body and
of water.
" It's an
appropriate
because
here are
found
live
more
than
50
percent
of
the
Costa
Rican
population.
San
Jose
has
the
reputation
of
being
"manageable"
Managua, the Tiscapa lagoon and other volcanic lakes surrounding the urban area. Managua is aone
of the
Historical
Views
city.
There
are
some
skyscrapers
but
most
buildings
are
only
three
or
four
floors
(floors).
few cities that has large open spaces.
Activity:
The
old capital, Cartago, is just 25 miles from San Jose. In 1821 Costa Rica gained its independence from Spain
peacefully.
As the
city of San
Jose
and for
hadtheir
economic
leadership,
wasGranada.
decided For
in 1823
move years
the capital to
There are two
Nicaraguan
cities
known
beauty.
Son Leónitand
two to
hundred
A trip to Central
America
requires a
this
city
to
also
access
it
political
leadership.
At
that
time
the
total
population
of
Costa
Rica
was
fifty-seven
Leon was the capital of the country. But Leon and Granada kind of liberal, visit
conservative
nature,
always
to the famous
Mayan
cities of
thousand.
Today only
and its
surrounding
areas
have
a population
of eight
hundred thousand.
vying for leadership
of the
the city
country.
Thus
in 1851 the
head
of the
country went
to Guatemala
Managua,
an
Tikal
in
and Copan in
D
equidistant town or halfway of these two rival cities.
Honduras.
Tikal
Tikal in the Peten jungle area a warm,
fairly flat, in northern Guatemala. The
natural environment of Tikal is
fantastic, if not mystical. A solid four
pyramids emerge on the roof of the
impenetrable jungle vegetation. A
deafening noise 5 monkeys and
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cicadas six out of the trees.
La Gran Plaza of Tikal is one of the
most impressive Mayan sites around
the world. I also called the Temple
"Temple of the Great Jaguar 'access
to the Plaza. It is a pyramid that
reaches 45 meters high. Inside the
tomb of Ah Cacao, the ruler of Tikal is
principal. The temple consists of three
quarters, is at the top of the pyramid.
The Great Pyramid is the oldest large
buildings uncovered 7 in Tikal. It is
believed that the Great Pyramid was
used for astronomical observations
rather than ceremonial rites.
4 solid solid
5 deafening deafening
6 cicadas cicadas
7 uncovered uncovered
Tikal ▼
Copán
The history of Copan in Honduras does not seem to start until 435 AD but archaeologists believe it
was inhabited much earlier. It reached its peak between 650 and 750 AD
La Gran Plaza de Copán is impressive for its stelae and altars with human figures carved animals.
▲ Ball Court,
These were the Maya stelae deep meaning. Through them were worshiped trees that supported the
Copan,
sky. And served as the gateway to Xibalba or underground and mystical world.
Honduras
Not far from the Grand Place is the tennis ball.
Players had to bounce the ball on a big heavy
ball made ​
of rubber, making up the wall to touch
one of the goals set in stone at the top of the
wall. Players could not use their hands, arms or
feet. It was a tough game, a combination of
soccer, football and handball.
San Blas Islands, Panama
If you're in Panama and do not want to spend all your time in one of its beautiful beaches, you can visit the
The
women wear
A mole
is a blouse
made
of fabrics
​
of famous.
differentTheir
colors.
The mola
is also
San Kuna
Blas archipelago
of molas.
365 islands
formed.
This is
where
the Kuna
houses
are huts,
ie,geometric
straw
and
mythological
motifs.
Molas
of
the
Kuna
are
so
prized
that
are
considered
works
of
art.
and181
reed huts. Inside the hut hanging hammocks. Most Kuna live seafood harvesting and fishing. Some who
Pg
live
on land are farmers.
Food
Activity:
E
When you are hungry and decide to eat something you will not
believe you're in Mexico. There is no doubt that the Central
American cuisine has much relationship with Mexican cuisine,
especially the use of corn as tortillas with rice and refried black
beans. Like Mexicans, most of Central like chutneys.
In Guatemala the chile rellenos are popular. In Honduras you can ▲ A chile relleno with beans,
eat enchiladas or tamales.
rice and shrimp
▲ Gallopinto
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Want to try a favorite breakfast of Nicaraguan-Nicaraguans
and Costa Ricans, Ticos? It's called "gallopinto '. It is a
mixture of rice and beans accompanied eggs.
A Salvadoran like fish and seafood. They serve as ceviche
in Peru. The seafood, soup carrying clams, shrimp and crab,
is another favorite.
And the national dish of Panama is the stew. The stew
takes chicken, onion, corn and potatoes.
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As the Spanish like to eat small portions of food to Central also like to eat small portions, but are not called
"tapas." In Nicaragua and Costa Rica are 'mouths', and in Guatemala, "mouths". A Guatemalan mouth favorite is
the bread slices with garlic-fried bread rubbed with garlic 8. One of the great Nicaraguan mouths and slightly
exotic turtle eggs are 9.
August rubbed rubbed
9 turtle turtle
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