Central America and the

Caribbean

Central America

Important because it forms a land bridge between North and South America

Divides two oceans Panama Canal – located in Panama and connects the

Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Native and Colonial Central America Cultural Hearth – a place from which important ideas

spread. Heartland or place of origin of a major culture.

Example: The Mayan civilization that stretched from southern Mexico into northern Central America.

The Mayan culture was carried to other regions through military alliances and trade

Mayan Influence Cities located in Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and

Honduras Each city-state was ruled by a god-king and served as a

center for religious ceremony and trade. Tikal – most spectacular cities. Located in Guatemala,

center of the Mayan civilization. Pyramids at Tikal were among tallest structures in the

Americas till the 20th century

United Provinces of Central America Once Spanish conquered the Aztecs, it opened the door to Spanish control

in Central America!!!! Central America was part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, capital was

Mexico City. Extended from Mexico to Costa Rica 1821 – Mexico declares independence from Spain. Up to that point, Central America had been governed from Mexico 1823 – the whole region declared its independence from Mexico and took

the name UNITED PROVINCES OF CENTRAL AMERICA: By 1830s, the United Provinces split into separate nations:

Guatemala Honduras El Salvador Costa Rica Nicaragua Panama (broke off from Colombia becomes independent country in Central

America) Belize (former British colony, broke away from British Honduras)

Native and Colonial Caribbean ALTHOUGH CENTRAL AMERICA WAS RULED BY SPAIN,

THE CARIBBEAN WAS SETTLED AND CLAIMED BY MANY EUROPEAN POWERS. SPANISH FRENCH BRITISH NETHERLANDS (DUTCH) DENMARK (DANISH) THESE COLONIAL POWERS MADE THEIR WEALTH IN THE

SUGAR TRADE Originally tried to use Taino (inhabitants of Caribbean islands)

but they died from disease and mistreatment European slave traders brought Africans to the Caribbean by

force and put them to work on the plantation.

Caribbean Independence 18th Century – Haiti (French Colony), important sugar

industry had slaves lead a rebellion and took over the government of the island.

1804 – Haiti gains independence from France

1898 - Cuba achieves independence from Spain as a result of the Spanish-American War

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago did not achieve full independence from Great Britain until 1962

Central America Caribbean

Cultural Blends

Cultural blends of Native Americans and Spanish settlers

Spanish were dominate group of settlers

Spanish language dominant

Catholic religion dominant

Native American, European, African mixed

Slaves were brought to the islands to work sugar plantations

Spanish, French, British, Danish, Dutch, African and Native American

Catholic, Protestant, Santeria (African practices and rituals with Catholic elements)

Voodoo – Haiti Rastafarianism – Jamaica French, English, and Spanish

speakers

VOODOO

Based upon a merging of the beliefs and practices of West African peoples and Roman Catholic Christianity.

Created by African slaves who were brought to Haiti in the 16th century and still followed their traditional African beliefs, but were forced to convert to the religion of their slavers (Catholic)

Practice of sticking pins in dolls to curse an individual NOT a feature of Haitian religion – became associated through horror movies and popular novels

Economics Export Crop – Sugar Cane

(largest), bananas, citrus fruits, coffee, and spices

Central America EconomicsCommercial farming – main source of income

Farms produce 10% of the world’s bananasTrade is important because of the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

Panama Canal Makes trade important Cuts through land bridge of Central America and connects

the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean Ships from BOTH hemispheres use the canal – making

Panama a crossroads of world trade Built from 1904 to 1914 Opened in 1914 US President Teddy Roosevelt was instrumental in its

completion. 48 miles long Takes 9 hours to cross

Music of the Caribbean Calypso – combines musical elements from Africa,

Spain, and the Caribbean

Reggae – developed in Jamaica in 1960s. Songs deal with social problems and religion. Bob Marley was pioneer of reggae

Tourism An increasingly important industry Locals find jobs working in hotels, resorts, and restaraunts

Informal economy – street vending, shining shoes, and a variety of other activities and services that provide people with a small income.

Spanish-Speaking South America South America is divided into 2 main regions (Spanish Speaking or

Portuguese Speaking) Spanish-speaking South America – Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,

Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela (Guyana – British, Suriname – Dutch, French Guiana – French)

The Inca Arose in rugged Andes Mountains of Peru Despite Andes harsh terrain, the Inca were able to build an

advanced civilization By 1500 – empire extended 2,500 miles Road system that was about 20,000 miles long

Spanish Conquest Spanish soldiers under the command of Francisco Pizarro

invaded the Incas. Spanish attacked the Inca army, killed many of its warriors

and took the emperor prisoner. Spanish were interested in gold and silver of Inca Spanish forced natives to work in mines and on farms and

ranches Forced their own language (Spanish) and religion

(Catholic) on the Incas The Quechua – language of the Inca was overshadowed

by Spanish as the settlers became the dominant culture Spanish rule lasted for almost 300 years Millions of native peoples still speak Quechua!!!! VICEROYALITY OF PERU – CAPITAL WAS LIMA!!!

Independence Movements Inspired by American Revolution of 1776 and the French

Revolution (1789) – countries of South America sought their independence from Spain in the first half of the 19th century

2 GREAT LEADERS OF INDPENDENCE MOVEMENTS Simon Bolivar (helped to liberate the countries of Colombia,

Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia Jose de San Martin (helped to free countries of Argentina, Chile,

and Peru)Argentina and Chile were the first to achieve independence because they were the farthest from Lima, center of Spanish controlOligarchy – (government by the few) and military rule have characterized the governments of many of the countries of South America since they won their independence from Spain.

A Cultural Mosaic A cultural mosaic is societies with different cultures living

near each other, but keeping their separate identities Literature

Strong literary heritage Music

Popular music and folk music Street Music

Arts and Crafts Beautiful craftwork and handmade items Pottery, textiles, glasswork, and metal-work

The literature, music and arts and crafts of South America are important because they express the different peoples and cultures that make up South America

Economics Economies of the region

Produces a wide variety of products because of its unique combination of resources, landforms, climate, and vegetation

Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana grow crops for export on large farms

Colombia and Venezuela both have huge oil reserves that are probably their greatest economic asset

Peru = Fishing industry Ecuador – shrimp Argentina – produces great quantities of grain and livestock on its vast

PAMPAS Chile’s success story

South America’s greatest economic success story Ability to participate in the global economy by trading the products of its

mines and fields with nations as far away as Japan Export of fruit and vegetables to NA markets is important because its

harvest comes during the Northern Hemisphere’s winter Largest export - copper

Education and the Future Literacy in South America

South America has the highest literacy rate in Latin America South America supports colleges, universities, and technical

schools, and there are many daily newspapers and books published which indicates that the literacy rate is high in South America

The Case of Chile Literacy rate of 95% Education is very important Children ages 6 to 13 are required to attend school and public

education is free

Portuguese Speaking Brazil

Treaty of Tordesillas Spain and Portugal reached an agreement to divide South

America. Treaty of Tordesillas (1494), Portugal gained control over

the land that became present-day Brazil. Papal Line of Demarcation, (1493)

Native Peoples and Portuguese Conquest

Territory of Brazil – home to millions of natives Portuguese colonists hoped to find gold – find sugar and create sugar

plantations instead Patterns of Portuguese settlement occurred along the coast because

the interior was difficult to settle because it was heavily forested. Reason why cities such as Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo were

established along the coast. Portuguese put natives to work on sugar plantations – then bring

African slaves by force to replace them Today – millions of Brazilians are of mixed European, African, and

native ancestry!!!

Independence from Brazil Portuguese colony from 1500 to 1822 After Napoleon’s defeat in 1815, many people in Brazil

demanded independence from Portugal Portuguese government wanted Brazil to remain a colony Brazilians kept pushing Thousands signed a petition asking Dom Pedro (son of

Portugal’s king, to rule Brazil as an independent country) 1822 – Brazil becomes independent from Portugal

Brazilian Culture Portuguese, Native American, and African are three

influences that have shaped the culture of Brazil. Primary language – Portuguese Primary Religion – Catholic Has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan!!!

Economic Giant NATURAL RESOURCES, RIVERS (MORE THAN A 1,000),

RESERVES OF OIL AND NATURAL GAS, VAST AREA, AND PEOPLE HAVE MADE BRAZIL AN INDUSTRIAL POWER!!!

One of the most industrialized South American countries 80% of people live within 200 miles of the sea Government encouraging settlement of the interior to

develop its many resources

Commercial agriculture is an important part of the economy in the western interior because the grasslands (cerrado, similar to the Great Plains in the US) provide rich farmland.

Brazilian Life Today

Rio de Janeiro – cultural center of Brazil Brasilia – political capital of Brazil Sao Paulo – economic heart and largest city Drug abuse and crime are so high in Rio de Janeiro because

there is a high-poverty level and large income gap Carnival – most colorful feast day in Brazil (people wear

costumes, ride on floats. Carnival takes place to the music of the samba (Brazilian

dance music with African influences