World Geography

Central America & the Caribbean Islands

Central America has a history of Mayan culture. The Mayans were known for their temples, which were the tallest structures in the Americas before the 1900s. The Spanish came and conquered their land. But after Mexico gained its independence, so did all the rest of Central America. Central America was one region before it was split into nations.

Christopher Columbus landed on the Caribbean islands in 1492. He thought he'd reached the West Indies. He named the natives of the islands "Indians." The Spanish created sugar plantations and brought slaves over. Eventually, other European nations came and settled on the islands. The sugar was a huge draw. After 100 years (1800-1900) all the islands gained their independence.

Central America is Spanish dominant because they came and conquered the land. The native peoples were oppressed and their homes were taken from them. They were moved to the cities.

The Caribbean islands had many different cultural influences because of the many different nations that settled there. African slavery had a huge impact on their culture. Their religion is Catholicism, Protestant, and African practices and rituals. Their language is Spanish, English, French, and a smattering of Dutch.

Both Central America and the Caribbean islands are pretty poor.

Agriculture is the islands' main export: sugar canes, coffee, bananas, spices, and citrus fruits. Most of the islands are overpopulated, most people live in cities-slums.

Agriculture and mining are the main source of income for Central America. The Panama Canal is used for trade in the region.