Chapter 6: Central America and the Caribbean Today Essential Questions: How do trade and globalization affect the cultures of the region today? How is the region trying to improve the standard of living? 6.1 the Impact of Tourism Main Idea: Tourists who visit Central America and the Caribbean have a major effect on income and resources of the region. Tourism the business of travel. it is an important source of income for Central America and the Caribbean. With tourism the environment can be damaged. Diversity Attracts People this region is an intersection of cultures-a meeting point for traders and settlers from other countries. Rich resources attracted European groups. the slave trade brought the African culture to the region. 1980s global air travel and advertising made tourism an important industry. Many visitors stay in resorts or on cruise ships. This type of tourism can have long- term negative effects. Efforts to Improve These overnight tourists can consume a lot of electricity, water, and food. this causes shortages for the locals. large resorts and cruise ships release pollution into the air and water, threatening marine life. Protections The United Nations and other organizations are seeking to increase environmental protections. because the region is very dependent on the industry local governments are resistant to new limitations. travelers and businesses are trying to offset the damage. 1.2 Caribbean Food and Music Main Idea: Caribbean food and music blend influences from indigenous cultures and other world cultures. worldwide trade and communications have helped influence the culture as well as the food and music of this region. Caribbean Food Columbian Exchange has added to the regions diet native Taino foods and those from Europe, Africa, and Asia fused or blended into a rich cooking tradition. Basic foods in the Greater Antilles include rice, beans, yams, peppers, and plantains and avocados. Poultry and fish are also local foods. Caribbean spices are blended to create unique flavors. Jamaican jerk is a distinct blend of strong spices used for grilling meat. Fast food In the 1990s open trade allowed many fast food restaurants into the region adding modern foods to the islanders diet. Caribbean Music Wind instruments and drums at first. European colonists brought stringed instruments. Island cultures blended European and African instruments and rhythms to make their own music. Calypso began on the island of Trinidad as folk music-It tells stories. Calypso Soca -was developed in the 1970s-it is a mixture of calypso and East Indian music. Other popular styles are Dominican Republic merengue and Jamaican ska and reggae.Dominican Republic merengueJamaican ska 1.3 The Panama Canal Main Idea: The Panama Canal provides a water route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. 1500s Spanish explorers wanted an artificial water route through the Central American isthmus. It would reduce the travel time from Europe to the Pacific. Connecting Two Oceans Trade routes from the Atlantic to the Pacific were long and difficult around the tip of South America. 1855 the U.S. completed the first railroad across Panama. Goods and people could now travel across the isthmus by rail. The idea for the canal still remained. Building the Canal Panama declared independence from Colombia in They signed a treaty that gave the U.S. control of the Panama Canal Zone. There were many obstacles to building the canal: keeping builders healthy. Keeping builders healthy doctors worked to eliminate mosquitoes that caused serious diseases. the terrain of Panama posed challenges- 40,000 workers made plans, cleared brush, drained swamps, and drilled rocks. It took 100 steam engines and 10 years to finish, from It took More than 20,000 workers died in the process. Canal Connects the World slogan-The Land Divided, the World United. before its completion a ship traveling from New York to San Francisco had to travel 14,000 miles. The canals 51-miles shortened the distance by half to 6,000 miles. more advanced technology allowed ships to become larger and the Panama canal had to be expanded. The project was scheduled to be completed in 2014. Section 2: Government and Economics 2.1 Comparing Costa Rica and Nicaragua Main Idea: Costa Rica and Nicaragua both work to build a more stable economy, despite different political conditions. Costa Rica and Nicaragua had very different histories and as a result Costa Rica became a very strong, stable democracy. Nicaragua became one of the poorest countries in Central America. Different Political Paths Costa Rica has enjoyed peace for over 60 years and the economy is very stable. Since 1949 the country has not had an army and its capital is home to several global human rights organizations. Tourism is the countrys greatest source of income. Nicaragua has had an unstable government since its independence from Spain in included dictatorships and civil wars lasting through the 1990s. in 1998 it suffered a devastating hurricane destroying much of the infrastructure. roads, bridges, and electricity were gone after the hurricane many were without homes, jobs, or medical care. These unstable conditions make poverty more difficult. in 2005 more than half the population was living in poverty.poverty Economic Challenges Costa Ricas economy has steadily grown but the poverty rate has remained the same around 15-20%. Changes in government policy may account for the lack of improvement. 1980s after spending and borrowing for many years the country was out of money. various policies were enacted to address the economic crisis. the government restricted its spending and raised taxes. funding for social programs was reduced. 2007 Costa Rica joined the free trade agreement with the U.S. It went into effect in 2009. In 2005 Nicaragua received funds from the U.S. to address rural poverty. the money was used for factors of production-like farm equipment, marketing for rural businesses, and for building roads. These efforts can provide long-term solutions for poverty. 2.2 Challenges in Haiti Main Idea: Haiti faces many great challenges in its efforts to build a strong economy and decrease poverty. 1700s the island (Saint Domingue), Haiti today, was the richest in the Caribbean. Today it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of the people living in poverty. Povertys Historical Roots They gained independence in most of Haitis citizens had been slaves and did not have money or means of income. No other nations would help Haiti financially for fear of slave rebellions. 20th century political conflict and disease kept tourists away making it difficult to grow economically. 21st Century Haiti The Human Development Index (HDI) is used by geographers to compare quality of life in different countries. it combines measure of health, education and standard of living. people in countries with low HDI are less healthy, educated and poorer than people in other countries with higher HDI Politics Politics in Haiti have been instable and corrupt. violence between political groups has forced the U.S. to send troop in 2004 to the capital, Port-au-Prince, to maintain security. efforts toward peace in Haiti have been unsuccessful. Earthquake in 2010 a massive earthquake hit Haiti causing further challenges. 1.5 million people were displaced. Damage to the airport and to seaports made it difficult to receive immediate help from other countries. Organizations from around the world began donating money and supplies such as food and medicine. Some even sent emergency rescue workers. Many nations and organizations excused Haiti from paying back billions of dollars in loans, so they could rebuild. 2.3 Feeding Central America Main Idea: Food supply in Central America is affected by natural disasters and human activities. Food security, or easy access to enough food, is an importantn issue around the world. Food security, understanding why shortages happen can help local governments and global organizations take steps to improving food security. Impact on Food Supply Natural disasters have a major impact on the food supply. Many countries affected by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 barely had time to recover before major flooding hit Central America in Disasters destroy crops and make it difficult for people to find safe water. dry seasons can greatly reduce food production. Human activity can threaten the food supply (lack of irrigation, declining soil quality, and deforestation). climate also threatens the food supply-Global warming-causes extreme weather patterns.Global warming Childhood Hunger Childhood malnutrition is one of the most serious effect of food shortages in Central America. Many pregnant women do not get the nutrition they need and their babies are born very small. Poor nutrtition continues thruogh childhood and slows growth. Solutions for the Future increasing the countrys own crop production will improve food security in Central America. Education is also a way to improve food security-Educating rural people in productive farming methods, keeping soil healthy, and how to grow and sell surplus crops. Emergencies In emergency situations, like an earthquake, a country can benefit from foreign aid. But learning to improve its own food supply can achieve long-term food security without outside aid. 2.4 Migration and the Caribbean Main Idea: Many Caribbean people migrate to other countries to find economic opportunities and help support their families back home. People migrate from one place to another because of push-pull factors. push factos make people move away for reasons like drought or war. pull factors draw people to a place because it has something to offer. Push-Pull Migration and the Caribbean The collapse of major businesses, like the sugar industry, has pushed workers out of rural areas into cities for work. internal migration-migration within a country or region. of the population now lives in cities. Cities have become overcrowded. Urban unemployment is high in the Caribbean. Migrants seeking better jobs a higher standard of living have been forced to travel to other islands in the Caribbean. 1990s tourism industry expanded dramatically across the region. demand for workers pulled many people to islands with large or growing tourist industries. Migration out of the Caribbean At the same time, push-pull factors played a part in workers leaving to go to other countries like the U.S., Canada, Europe, and other places. Example: political conflict in Cuba and Haiti pushed people to migrate to the United States. Remittances Most migrants who find work somewhere else will send money back to thier families as remittances-money sent to a person in another place. These have become a very important part of the economy of the Caribbean countries. 2.5 Conserving the Rain Forest Main Idea: Ecotourism provides a new opportunity for this region to protect rain forest habitats and fight poverty. Rainforests and other natural resources of Central America and the Caribbean are big draw for travelers. Tourism can damage these resources. Rain Forest Habitats a rain forest contains important animal habitats. plants in the rain forest provide food and produce oxygen. produce oxygen some species in the rain forest do not exist anywhere else in the world.world Attractions to the rain forest are the very same that are threatened by excessive tourism. altering habitats can cause loss of that habitat and the extinction of the species that rely on it. Blue Jeans Frog Quetzal Three-toed sloth Rain Forest Ecotourism Ecotourism-a way of visiting natural areas that conserves the resources of the region. the purpose is to allow a visitor to experience the environment in its most natural form. it protects plants and animals and improves the lives of the local people. It helps stop deforestation and soil destruction by providing alternative jobs to poor farmers who live off rain forest land. it helps to preserve the environment by allowing a country to profit and sustain its resources in their natural form. Ecotourists can still have a negative effect. International conservation organizations have become involved in ecotourism. they are working to point travelers to areas that are working to preserve natural resources.