CULTURES – UNIT 2: Mexico, Central America & The Caribbean GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY & GOVERNMENT Notes Page
I can: define a cultural region; explain the geography, history (or common history), economy and governments of Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Cultural Region
A cultural region is a __________ that shares a common _____________, beliefs and cultural _________________.
Geography of MEXICO
Mexico is located in: ___________________________________________________________
What extreme features does Mexico have? ___________________________________________________________
What are the two major mountain ranges in Mexico? ___________________________________________________________
Where is the Yucatan Peninsula and who lived there centuries ago? ___________________________________________________________
Mexico is a country with great problems and great potential. It is rich in ___________, like oil, silver, copper, and agricultural products. But political and economic failings have kept much of the population in poverty.
The Mexico-United States border is the largest ___________ divide on Earth. For many Mexicans, the best chance for a better life lies in the much more prosperous United States. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans come to the U.S., legally and illegally, each year in search of work.
Mexico has a Presidential ___________ Republic
TOP TEN VIDEO – Write down the three most interesting things, in your opinion:
Central America is generally considered part of the continent of ___________, but is often referred to as its own region.
Central America is a narrow isthmus that is bordered by North America and the ___________ to the north and by South America to the south.
Isthmus: a narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link between two larger areas of land
To the east of Central America is the ___________ Ocean and the Pacific Ocean is to the west.
Government & Economy of Central America
The economies of the Central American countries depend on farming and harvesting wood from their ___________. Central America has two kinds of farms. Wealthy people and companies own plantations, which are commercial farms that grow crops for sale.
Plantations export their ___________ to the United States and other parts of the world.
Farmers in Guatemala and Costa Rica also grow ___________ and ornamental plants for export.
Many farms in Central America are not ___________ but subsistence farms.
These are small plots of land where poor farmers grow only enough food to feed their families.
Subsistence farmers typically raise ___________ and grow corn, beans, and rice
In Central America, both El Salvador and Nicaragua are ___________, while most of the other countries are some other form of a republic.
Guatemala has a constitutional ___________ republic as does Honduras.
Costa Rica has a democratic republic and Panama has a ___________ democracy.
Lastly, Belize has a ___________ democracy.
Geography of the Caribbean
The Caribbean Islands are another region that are considered part of the continent of ___________
They are located in the ___________ Sea to the east of Central America.
The largest four Caribbean Islands are Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico.
Government & Economy of Caribbean
Cuba
The country had a ___________ government, but in 1959 Fidel Castro led a revolution that took control of the government.
Almost immediately, he set up a ___________ state and turned to the Soviet Union for support.
When Castro seized property belonging to ___________ companies, the United States government responded. It put in place an embargo, or a ___________ on trade, against Cuba.
Recently our president has started to lift these bans – including travel bans!
Cuba relied on aid from the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union broke apart in 1989, it stopped giving economic ___________ to the island.
The Cuban economy is ___________, and many Cubans live in poverty.
The Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with ______________.
The Dominican Republic was settled by Spaniards, who brought enslaved Africans to work on _______________ plantations. Sugar is still an important crop.
Tourism is growing too, and many Dominicans sell goods in the country’s free trade zone. Free trade zones are areas where people can buy goods from other countries without paying _________.
The government of the Dominican Republic hopes to build up the country’s electrical power so the economy can grow more quickly.
____________ remains a problem. As a result, many Dominicans have left the country looking for work.
The Dominican Republic is a _______________ republic
Puerto Rico
To be or not to be a state in the United States? This is the question that Puerto Ricans ask themselves every few years. The last time they voted, they said _______.
How did Puerto Rico become part of the United States? The island was a Spanish colony from ___________ to 1898. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, the United States won control of Puerto Rico.
Since 1952 the island has been a ___________________, or a partly self-governing territory, under U.S. protection. By law, Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. They can come and go as they wish from the island to the United States.
Puerto Rico has a high standard of living compared to most other Caribbean islands. It boasts more industry, with factories producing _____________, machinery, clothing, and more.
_____________ is the capital and largest city. In rural areas, farmers grow sugarcane and coffee.
Puerto Rico makes more money from _____________ than any country in the region.
Latin America – including Central America and the Caribbean – have a Common or Shared History
Latin America was once dominated by large civilizations—the Incan, Aztec, and Mayan empires. These empires left a lasting influence on architecture, food, and language.
The History of MEXICO
The Olmec people, Mexico's first complex society, emerged in the southeastern part of the country around ___________ B.C.
Mexico's ancient societies built great cities and huge ___________, created remarkable works of art, and even studied the stars and ___________ to determine when to plant ___________ and hold ___________.
In the early 1500s, the ___________ arrived in Mexico. The Aztec people got sick from smallpox and other diseases that the Spanish brought with them.
The Spaniards also seized and destroyed the ___________ capital, called Tenochtitlán.
The Spanish ruled Mexico until ___________.
Shared History of Colonization
The Mesoamerican empires were conquered and colonized by European conquistadors and European colonists, mostly from _______ and Portugal.
Central America was the home of many Native Americans prior to Europe colonizing the region. The majority of the area was colonized by Spain. ____________ is still the most common language.
Lasting Influence of Colonization:
Language (Spanish), food (many items brought from Europe), religion (Catholicism) and traditions (religious holidays especially) are all things passed down that still _________ the culture of the entire region.
