Name Class Date

Map ActivityCHAPTER 11

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Holt World Geography Today 21 Map Activities

Colonies and Independent States

Most of Central America gained independence during the 1800s, while many Caribbean

islands remained under colonial rule. Despite independence, most countries continued

to rely on the economic system established by the colonial powers: the production and

export of primary products, like coffee and sugar, to Europe and the United States. Look

at the map below, then answer the questions on the following page.

GR

E A T E RA N T I L L E S

St. Thomas (Br.)

Virgin Is.(Br.)

Anguilla

St. Martin(D.)

CUBA1898 1886

MEXICO1829

GUATEMALA1838

EL SALVADOR1838

HONDURAS1838

NICARAGUA1838

COSTARICA1838

PANAMA1903

BRITISHHONDURAS (Br.)

JAMAICA

HAITI1804

DOMINICANREPUBLIC

1844

BRITISHWEST INDIES

1834

CENTRALAMERICA

1824

BAHAMAS (Br.)

S O U T H A M E R I C A

UNITED STATES1865

PACIFIC OCEAN

C a r i b b e a n S e a

Canal opened1914

ATLANTIC OCEAN

Gulf of Mexico

Puerto Rico(U.S.) 1873

1848 St. John (Dn.)St. Croix(Dn.)

Guadeloupe (Fr.)Marie Galante (Fr.)

Montserrat (Br.)

1863 St. Eustatius (D.)

Martinique (Fr.) 1848

Caicos Islands

CaymanIslands

GR

E A T E RA N T I L L E S

Antigua andBarbuda (Br.)

St. Vincent (Br.)

St. Christopher/Nevis (Br.)

Trinidad andTobago (Br.)

Dominica (Br.)

St. Lucia (Br.)

Grenada

Barbados (Br.)

St. Thomas (Br.)

Virgin Is.(Br.)

Anguilla

St. Martin(D.)

St. Barthélemy (Fr.)

Central America and the Caribbean, 1830–1910

British

French

U.S.

Dutch

Danish

Date ofindependence

Date slaveryabolished

(Br.)

(Fr.)

(U.S.)

(D.)

(Dn.)

Primary products:

indigo

cochineal

timber

coffee

1873

1898

bananas

sugar

tobacco

hides

Chapter 11, Map Activity, continued

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Holt World Geography Today 22 Map Activities

1. When did most Central American countries gain their independence? What were the

exceptions?

2. Which Caribbean islands had won independence by 1910? What was the status of

Puerto Rico?

3. What primary products did Cuba produce? What primary products were common to

at least four Central American countries? Where were bananas produced?

4. Critical Thinking: Place Why did some countries gain independence during this

period and others remain colonies? What factors did each group have in common?

ACTIVITY Create a fact sheet about a country in Central America or the Caribbean,

listing important details about the government, economy, and society. At the bottom of

the sheet, write a paragraph describing current prospects and challenges for the country.

Name Class Date

Name Class Date

Map ActivityCHAPTER 12

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Holt World Geography Today 23 Map Activities

Drug Traffic

Drug trafficking is a major problem in Latin America. Large quantities of cocaine and

marijuana come from South America and are shipped by various routes to markets in

Europe, the United States, and Asia. Profits from illegal drug sales are “laundered” by

funneling the money through legal enterprises. The map below shows drug producing

areas, money laundering centers, and trafficking routes. Examine the map, then answer

the questions on the following page.

CHILE

ARGENTINA

BRAZILPERU

MEXICO

UNITED STATES

PANAMA

BAHAMAS

ST. KITTS

& NEVIS

GUYANA

SURINAME

FRENCH GUIANA

VENEZUELA

COLOMBIA

ECUADOR

BOLIVIA

PARAGUAY

URUGUAYBuenos

Aires

La Paz

Brasilia

São PauloRio de Janeiro

Santiago

BogotáMedellin

Cali

Quito

PanamaCity

Asunción

Lima

Montevideo

Caracas

Miami

Main drug cultivation areas

Countries where illegal drugsare processed

Money laundering centers

Main trafficking routes

PERU

To Asia

To UnitedStates

To Europe

To Europe

To Europe

N

W E

S

0 500 1000 Miles

0 500 1000 Kilometers

South American Illegal Drug Traffic

Chapter 12, Map Activity, continued

Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.

Holt World Geography Today 24 Map Activities

1. Where are the main illegal drug cultivation areas in South America? What other parts

of Latin America are shown as major illegal drug producing regions?

2. Where are illegal drugs processed? Which South American countries are not shown as

illegal drug processors?

3. Where do the trafficking routes begin? Where do most of them go?

4. What cities or sites are marked as money laundering centers?

5. Critical Thinking: Place/Movement How does the map underscore some of the

challenges in ending the illegal drug traffic? What makes stopping the traffic so

difficult?

ACTIVITY The United States and other developed countries often blame the drug-

producing countries, like Colombia, for the serious illegal drug-traffic epidemic. But the

traffic would not exist without a market in the consuming countries. Who bears the

responsibility for drug trafficking? What can be done about it? Discuss the issues with a

group of classmates and come up with ideas to end the illegal drug traffic.

Name Class Date