Chapter 8: Central America and the Caribbean

tierra helada

"Frozen Land" is located above tree line and is an area of permanent ice and snow.

tierra caliente

"Hot land"-lies at elevations below 2,500 feet and Bananas and Sugarcane are grown here

tierra templada

"Temperate land"- lies between 2,500 to 6,000 feet and is the most densely populated

archipelago

A group or chain of islands.

isthmus

A narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas.

rain forests

A tropical ______ ___ climate and _____ ______dominate much of Central America.

caribbean islands

A tropical wet/dry climate is typical of _____ ______.

Africans

Because of Labor shortage, the Europeans began to bring _____, who had been forcibly captured, enslaved, and transported by ship to the Caribbean to meet the demand for workers.

most

Because of the Central HIghlands cooler climates, adequate rainfall and rich natural resources it is the ___ populated region.

Great Britain

Because of the physical geography __________ ________ was allowed to colonize Belize and the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua.

east

In a tropical wet/dry climate moist winds sweep on from the ____. This leaves leeward islands areas dry. Thus some islands may have high temperatures and rainfall but also extended dry seasons.

San Juan River

An Outlet for Lake Nicaragua, drains into the Caribbean Sea.

2/3

Approximately ____ of trading ships are sailing to or from U.S. ports. (Panama Canal)

biodiversity

Biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plant and animals.

1804

By ______- Hati had won its independence from France.

action

By the late 1700s, Africans and indigenous people began to take organized ________ to free themselves from slavery and European control.

killed

By the mid-1600s, forced labor, starvation, and European diseases had nearly ___ the entire indigenous people.

land bridge

Central America acts as a ________ _______ connecting North and South America.

Central Highlands

Central America's most distinctive landforms-mountains-form the _________ _________.

international trade

Commercial fishing of sardines and tuna and the utilization of other marine resources have increased ________ ________. (Antillean region)

biodiversity

Costa Rica and Panama are global _____ hotspots, rich in natural resources that may one day provide medicines and other products,`

1898

Cuba gained self-rule in _- as a result of the Spanish-American War.

1902

Cuba remained under the protection of the U.S. until ____. (Some islands remain under foreign control or continue to have foreign ties today)

1800s

During the __, several Central American colonies struggles for independence from Spain.

evergreens

Ecosystems with broadleaf ____at lower altitudes give way to ____ at upper elevations.

Lempa River

El Salvador's only navigable river.

high temperatures and abundant rainfall

For much of the region, its location in the Tropics and prevailing winds that carry warm, moist air from the Atlantic Ocean results in _____ ______ ____ ______ _____ year round.

labor shortage

For the Europeans, the drastically reduced number of indigenous people meant _________ _______.

Hati

Francois Toussaint Louverture led a revolt of enslaved Africans in _______.

refine

Guatemala and certain islands _____ petroleum.

inspired

HAIti's independence _______ downtrodden people throughout Latin America, but frightened many of the elite who had much to lose.

swamps and lowlands

In Central America ________ ___ _______ extend along both coast.

Costa Rica

In _____ ______, the native population strenuously resisted Spainish efforts at conquest. Spain did noot establish a perment colony there until 1561.

2010

In _____, an earthquake struck Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, Collapsing buildings and killing large numbers of people.

grasslands

In a tropical wet/dry climate _____ flourish, although soils may not be very fertile or suitable for large scale agriculture.

mountains

In the Caribbean many of the more than 7,000 islands are the tops of _____ that are part of the mainlands Central Highlands.

agricultural, population

In the Central Highlands the weathered lava produces fertile soil, making these highlands rich _________ zones and areas of dense ________.

common

In the Central Highlands volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are _______.

colonies

In time, France, the Netherlands, and Portugal also established ______ in the Caribbean and other parts of the Americas.

Pacific Lowlands

Located in Central America, these narrow plains extend from Guatemala to Panama.

Caribbean Lowlands

Located in Central America, these narrow plains extend from Nicaragua to Honduras.

difficult

The Isthmus of Panama's mountains, swampy coastal lands and dense rain forest make contact between people _____ in this area.

hydroelectricity

The Lempa River generates _______- from the energy of moving water.

june-november

Intense hurricanes strike each year from ____ ______ in the northern Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico.

dominated

International Traffic through the Panama Canal zone is _______ by ships traveling between East Asia and the eastern U.S.

tierra fria

LAnd at 6,00 to 10,00 feet is known as ___ _____ or "cold land". Winter frost are common here and potatoes and barley are grown.

short and steep

Many of Central America's rivers provide commercial water routes because they are _____ ____ ______.

Lake Managua

Nearby Lake Nicaragua, this lake has commercially viable fish and alligators. It is drained by a river that flows into Lake Nicaragua and fed by streams from the highlands. Nicaragua's capital city, Managua is located on the southern shore of _____ ______.

1900s

Most Caribbean colonies did not gain independence until ________.

around

Much Commercial fishing also takes place _____ the Caribbean islands.

hilly or mountainous

Much of Central America is ____ _ ______.

mountainous

On _______ .islands (that have tropical wet/dry climates), windward slopes facing moist winds help cool the warm, humid air and increase precipitation.

Panama City

Pedrarias, as governor of Panama, established _____ _____ (1519) on the Pacific coast and later moved the capital there.

1501

Rodrigo de bastidas made Spain's first claim to Central America in March __________.

Hispaniola

Spain founded the region's first permanent European settlement on the island of ___________ in 1493.

conquistadors

Spanish _________ attempted to subdue the local people and establish permanent colonies

Caribbean plate

The Archipelago that includes the Antilles is composed of the crest and peaks of a mountain range formed from collisions between the _____ _____ and other tectonic plates.

Ring of Fire

The Caribbean is shaped in part by the _________ ___ _________, this region is volatile zone of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

west

The Central Highlands climb steadily higher _____ of the Caribbean Lowlands.

western plateau highlands

The Central Highlands rise up to the _______ ____ _______

Ring of Fire

The Central highlands location on the __ __ __ bring potential hazards to living, but humans have thrived in the mountains, valleys, and plateaus for thousands of years.

reef fish

The Coral reefs of the antillean region exhibit a wide variety of _____ _____.

Cape Horn

The Panama Canal allows allows ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans without making the long trip around South America's ____ _____.

tropical

The ___ forest biome has continuous canopy of trees and diversity of species.

Central America

The belts: Pacific Lowlands, Caribbean Lowlands, and Central Highlands are all part of what region?

Antilles

The islands of the Greater and Lesser ____ are part of an Archipelago.

indigenous

The king of Spain replaced Balboa with Pedro Arias Davila, known as Pedrarias, at Castilla de Oro. Pedrarias expanded the colony, but was notorious for enslaving and murdering ___________ people.

7,000

The more than ________ islands of the Caribbean exhibit their own unique landforms and living things.

remote

The physical geography influenced colonization of the region. ________ areas of Central America remained outside of Spanish control.

population pressure

The sum of factors within a population that reduce the ability of an environment to support the population, therefore resulting in migration or population decline.

christopher columbus

The voyages of __________ ___________ to the Americas from 1492 to 1504 triggered a period of conquest and colonization in Central America and the Caribbean

Coral reefs

The warm, clear waters of the Antillean regions of the Caribbean Sea contain _____ ______.

Sierra Madre

The western plateau highlands are where mountains and some 40 volcanic cones attain elevations of more than 12,000 feet. These are volcanic highlands or the Volcanic Axis. These mountains are an extension of the _____________ _______ of Mexico.

Volcanic Axis

The western plateau highlands are where mountains and some 40 volcanic cones attain elevations of more than 12,000 feet. These are volcanic highlands or the ________ _______.

12,000

The western plateau highlands are where mountains and some 40 volcanic cones attain elevations of more than ______ feet.

7,000

There are more than ____ islands in the Caribbean.

climate factors

These include proximity to the sea, elevation, latitude, and local topography.

Antillean Regions

These regions of the Caribbean sea contain manatees, manta rays, spiny lobsters, dolphins, and numerous species of sea turtles.

Panama Canal

This bisects the Isthmus of Panama. It is one of the world's most important human made water ways.

Isthmus of Panama

This feature extends west to east, connecting North and South America and separating the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Panama.

Lake Nicaragua

This is the largest freshwater lake in Central America. It is the only lake in the world to contain oceanic animal life such as sharks, swordfish and tarpon.

water systems

This provides transportation, drinking water, drainage, irrigation, and a source of hydroelectric power.

Central America

This region boasts dense rain forest, coastal plains, and high mountains, and is one of the world's great biodiversity hotspots.

Central Highlands

This region has cooler climates, adequate rainfall and rich natural resources. ( These factors attracted earliest settlers)

British Hounderas

This was the only non- Spainish colony in Central America.

Castilla de Oro

Vasco Nunez de Balboa explored extensively, crossing the isthmus, claiming land for Spain, and finding enough gold and pearls to establish the 1st profitable colony in the Americas, called __________ __ __________.

honduras

When gold was discovered in __________ various Spainish forces fought each other for control of the region.

Natural resources

____ ___ of the Central Highlands are water, volcanic soil, timber, and minerals.

elevation

_____- affects the climate and ecosystems of some parts of Central America more than distance from equator.

species

_____- of tropical forest include tall trees, ferns and mosses, as well as birds, bats, small mammals and insects.

cottage industry

a business that employs workers in their home

patois

a dialect used in everyday speech that blends elements of several languages.

matriarchal

family ruled by a woman such as a mother, grandmother or aunt.

latifundia

in Latin America, large agricultural estates owned by families or corporation.

minifundia

in Latin America, small farms that produce food chiefly for family use.

dialect

local form of a language used in a particular place or by a certain group

vertical climate zone

such areas in which animals, plants, and climate changes as altitude increases

ecotourism

the practice and business of recreational travel based on concern for the environment.

natural resources

these include nickel, iron ore, fish, timber, and petroleum.

Belize

this country extracts crude oil