Central AmericaCentral America is an isthmus.

a narrow strip of land connecting two larger area1914 Panama Canal openedSeven small countries make up Central AmericaThree major landforms:

mountains, the Caribbean lowlands, and the Pacific coastal plaineach has it’s own climate

Population includes: Indians, Europeans (Spanish), mestizos, & people of African

decentmost central Americans are poor farmers the wealthiest are Europeans and mestizo, and are mainly

plantation owners

Central Americaarmed conflicts

shortage of farmland is cause of unrestgovernment serves the interest of the wealthyguerilla movements

Armed forces outside of the regular army Fight in small bands against the government

controlled army

Caribbean IslandsCaribbean Islands divided into three groups and

lie in the tropics:the Greater Antillesthe Lesser Antillesthe Bahamas

the Bahamas form an archipelago and the Lesser Antilles form another archipelagogroup of islands

The Greater Antilles include the four larger IslandsCuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti and the

Dominican Republic), and Puerto Rico

Caribbean Islandsmountainous islands

tops of volcanoescoral islands

Flatter islands created by the remains of tiny sea animals( coral polyps)

sea and wind effect climatewindward islands face the wind & get a lot of

rainleeward islands face away from wind & get

little rain

Caribbean IslandsCaribbean people are descendants of Africans

that were enslaved by European colonists and brought to work on plantations

many Caribbean people depend on farming(sugar, bananas, coconuts, cocoa, rice, cotton) and industries related to farming such as packaging rice products

Caribbean attracts tourism, but few islanders benefit

most islanders to find work or escape political unrest

Brazilnearly half of South America’s people and

land

two main land formsplainsplateaus

Coast of Northeast Brazil1500’s Portuguese started sugar plantations

(slavery)poverty still today due to poor soil and

uncertain rain

BrazilSoutheast Brazil

smallest regionEconomic heartlandCoffeeFertile soil40% of Brazilians live hereRio de Janeiro and Sao PauloCities attract the poor who end up living in

favelas slum communities w/ houses made of mud,

tin,&wood boards

BrazilBrazilian Highlands

Brasilia, capitol built here to attract people to the area

central plateau

Amazon River BasinHome to 1000’s of plants and animals10% of Brazilians live here including 200,000

indians

Brazilcountry of extremes

Rich in resourcesMuch poverty

attack povertyincreased industryencourage settlement in the interior

Gave away land and mining permits built roads

Brazilmanufacturing now make sup 1/3 of Brazil’s

GNP

Grows own fuel, gasoholA new fuel that mixes gasoline with ehtonol

(comes from sugar cane)

½ the population works in the service industry (hotels restaurants, stores, government)

Brazileconomic change has been good except for…

favelas have grown larger (more moving to large cities)

settlers in Amazon River Basin cut down rain forest to plant crops

deforestation permanent removal of woodland threatens thousands of species of plants and

animals