Central America and the West Indies
Chapter 6
A Frightening VoyageOn October 12, 1492,
Columbus spotted land in AmericaHe actually landed in the
BahamasThe Arawaks
The friendly people Columbus met
Beginning of one of the greatest changes in history
West Indies, an Island WorldColumbus sailed home,
thinking he found the water route to Asia (India)Name West Indies stuckFour Largest islands- Cuba,
Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Hispaniola
Many are archipelagos- chain of islands
They named America in honor of an Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci (sailed near South America)
Two Kinds of Islands/HurricanesTwo Kinds
Variety of LandscapesLimestone islands
Generally flatVolcanic island
More fertile soil More dangerous
HurricanesBiggest danger
People of the Caribbean Mulattoes
Most Indians disappeared (disease)
Mulattoes are born of one black parent and one white parent
SlaveryMost slaves were brought to
the West Indies by sugar planters from England, France, and Netherlands
Today is the result of that Spanish, Dutch, French, and
English are spoken
IsthmusA small strip of land
that connects two larger land areasSize of CaliforniaCosta Rica, Guatemala,
El Salvador, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama
Very different in each country
Coffee and Bananas
Daily OpenerWhat is an archipelago?
Quick ReviewFrom Yesterday
Partner ProjectFind a partner
One group of threePick a country from the West Indies
Cuba 13Jamaica 11Bahamas 2Haiti 15Dominican Republic 6
ProjectYou will be making a three slide PowerPoint
on your countryOpening Slide- Title and picture of countrySlide 1- Brief history of the CountrySlide 2- Geography of the CountrySlide 3- Economy of the Country and natural
resourcesSlide 4- Government of the Country
Picture on each slide
The West IndiesLesson 2
CubaCuba is the Largest
country in the West Indies
Ideal place to grow sugarcane
Only 90 miles from the United States
Easy transportation of sugarcane
RevolutionUnited States sugar
companies controlled sugar business in Cuba until 1959
That year a revolution overthrew the government
They “expropriated” the AmericansTo take the property of
anotherCastro turned to the Soviet
Union for aid and supportSold most sugar to U.S.S.R
U.S. and Cuban Relationshttp://www.history.com/videos/kennedy-and-t
he-cuban-missile-crisis
Puerto RicoThe United States took
control of it after the Spanish-American War (1898)
Commonwealth of the United StatesCan make its own lawsCitizens of the United
StatesCannot vote for
President
Economic SuccessUntil 1940, Puerto Rico was one of the
poorest lands in Latin AmericaBetween ‘40 and ‘70 however they became
one of the wealthiestBrought in industries that produce electronic
equipment, appliances, textiles, and clothing
HispaniolaHispaniola
Dominican RepublicHaiti
Dominican RepublicEconomy is highly
sugarcane and tourism
HaitiPoorest country in
the Western Hemisphere
JamaicaBritish colony until
1962Grew coffee and
sugarcane on huge plantationsBrought Africans as
slavesEconomy
Bauxite is used for making aluminum
Tourism has become very important
Lesser AntillesMany smaller
countries in the West Indies
Largest is Trinidad and TobagoRich because of oil
and gasTourism has become
important to these countries
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