Unit 8 Central America

Central American Cultural Geography -Central America was first settled by Amerindian peoples, the descendants of Asiatic hunter-gatherers that crossed into the Americas from Asia during the Ice Age. In central America, many of these peoples were eventually absorbed into larger civilizations such as the Maya or Olmec cultures. -With the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, life was to change drastically for these indigenous people. Disease and warfare would kill many, and although some maintained their culture through isolation in areas of heavy rainforests or mountainous regions, the rest of the native Amerindian population would be largely assimilated (absorbed into) the new Spanish-American culture. -One of the major goals of the Spanish was to spread their religion, Roman Catholicism, to the natives of America. As a result, the vast majority of Central Americans (and Latin Americans in general) practice some form of Catholicism or Christianity. In some areas, Catholicism is mixed with local, native religions to create a sort of hybrid of both Christian and pagan (non-Christian) religious practices. -In addition to contributing their religion to the Americas, the Spanish also contributed their language as well. In Central America, Spanish is the primary spoken language, but hundreds of local languages and dialects (a particular form of a language unique to a region) are spoken as well, especially in more rural regions. -Central American economies are, for the most part, raw material and natural resource export economies, with very little industrial development or diversification in their economies. This makes their economies vulnerable to fluctuations (changes) in the demand, and thus the price, of various commodities such as coffee, bananas, oil, natural gas, etc. Most people in Central America are engaged in some type of agriculture as a profession. Many are subsistence farmers. That is, they grow food for their own consumption, and sell whatever they have left at a local market. Most of these farmers do not own their own land, but rent it from a landlord. The average per capita income in Central America is around $2500 per year. -Standards of living in this region are very low. Access to quality education is difficult, because people generally cannot afford it, and many children must drop out of school at an early age in order to help support their families. Access to quality health care is low, leading to higher death rates and lower life expectancy.

Subsistence Farmer

Central American Cultural Geography -Since there is little land available considered suitable for large scale agriculture, many farmers in Central America practice slash and burn farming. This refers to the practice of cutting down forests (deforestation), burning the fallen trees and vegetation, and farming the land to crow various crops. This practice has two detrimental effects on the region’s environments. One, the slash and burn process gives a temporary infusion of nutrients to the soil. However, once the soil is depleted of minerals and nutrients, the land is essentially “dead” and farmers move on to another plot of land and repeat the process. The second problem is that by removing trees and plants from the soil, erosion occurs (the gradual or sudden shifting of soil) because it lacks the stability that plant and tree roots provide. This becomes especially pronounced in the event of a natural disaster. The region is especially prone to earthquakes and hurricanes, which can accelerate this erosion. -Politically, Central American states are relatively unstable, with some notable exceptions like Costa Rica. Coups, or hostile takeovers of governments, were common, especially in the 20th century. These coups were often led by military officers who had the support and backing of various elements of Central American militaries. The unstable political climate often led to social and economic instability as well, decreasing economic investment (the process of using capital, or money, to build and operate various means of production such as factories). -Central America was considered a battleground of the Cold War. The Cold War was a period in world history between the end of World War II (1945) and 1991 in which the democratic United States and the communist Soviet Union competed to win the hearts and minds of the world’s people, usually in poorer, less developed countries where communism was more appealing to the population. Both the US and the Soviets used political and economic influence to sway these smaller countries to their side. The United States believed in containment, or the attempt to keep communism bottled up where it already existed and not allowing it to spread. This was based on the idea of the domino theory, which stated that communism would spread from country to country like falling dominos if no country moved to stop it. -Today, most Central American countries have instituted democratic reforms, or positive changes. This has led to greater political participation and freedoms for the people, improved economic investment and growth, and improved standards of living. Subsistence Farmer

Slash and Burn Farming

Manuel Noriega, former military

dictator of Panama

Daniel Ortega, former Marxist (Communist) Leader of Nicaragua

Countries of Central America Guatemala Capital: Guatemala City Key Facts: -Guatemala is the largest Central American country in terms of both land area and population. -Guatemala experienced a devastating civil war (a war within a country) in the mid 20th century, in which the largely Amerindian peasantry fought for greater political, social, and economic power against the mestizo controlled government. These peasant rebels, who wished to establish a Marxist (communist/socialist) government with a more equitable distribution of lands and resources to the masses. These rebels were aided (helped) in terms of monetary and military aid by the communist Soviet Union. The ruling mestizo government was aided by the United States. This was a minor conflict in the global conflict known as the Cold War. Overall, over 100,000 people lost their lives in this conflict. -Like many other Central American countries, Guatemala’s economy is largely dependent upon raw material and natural resource exports. There is some small scale manufacturing, mostly in goods intended for export to the United States. Guatemala is attempting to diversify its economy by encouraging investment in tourism.

Belize Capital: Belmopan Key Facts: -Belize was a Spanish colony until 1862, when it was ceded, or given, to Great Britain, at which time it became known as British Honduras. It remained a British colony until 1981, and changed its name to Belize upon gaining independence. -Belize has Central America’s lowest population, but one of its highest gross domestic products, giving it a fairly high per capita income. Belize’s primary industry is ecotourism, or a form of tourism in which people visit the country to see its rich natural environments: rainforests, beaches, coral reefs, etc. For this reason, the government of Belize has enacted legislation (laws) that protect the natural environment.

Guatemalan Flag

Belize

Belizean Flag

Guatemala

Countries of Central America Honduras Capital: Tegucigalpa Key Facts: -Honduras is a country with varying geography: large forests, mountainous regions, and coastal lowlands. -Like other Central American countries, there is a large mestizo majority and a minority of Amerindians and people of African ancestry. Similar to its neighboring countries, Honduras was once a Spanish colony, and gained its independence in the early 1800s. The country has a history of social conflict between the dominant mestizo class, who tend to control means of production such as farmland and small industry, and the minority Amerindians, who tend to form the large, landless peasantry. -Honduras has a number of environmental issues. Due to large scale slash and burn farming, much of the country’s rainforests have been eliminated. This leads to widespread erosion, especially in the event of natural disasters. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch devastated the country, leaving 9,000 dead and destroying much of the country’s infrastructure through flooding and landslides. These disasters also have a major effect on the country’s economy. As they are heavily dependent on agricultural exports, natural disasters such as hurricanes can wipe out an entire year’s crop, leaving the country with few exports to bring in much needed income.

El Salvador Capital: San Salvador Key Facts: -El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America in terms of land area, but one of the highest in terms of population, thus giving it a very high population density, or the average number of people in a given area. -El Salvador is recovering from a long civil war in which over 75,000 people lost their lives. This war was primarily fought by Marxist rebels and the ruling military dictatorship, who would use ruthless tactics to maintain control of the country. Thousands of people fled El Salvador to escape this bloody conflict in the 20th century. Many sought asylum, or refuge, in the United States. In 1992, a democratic constitution was created with a drastically reduced military, hoping to avoid future military coups and dictatorships.

Honduran Flag

El Salvador

El Salvadoran Flag

Honduras Aftermath of Mitch

Members of Salvadoran Gang

MS-13

Countries of Central America Nicaragua Capital: Managua Key Facts: -Nicaragua is a mountainous country with narrow strips of coastal lowland on the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts. Because of a lack of infrastructure connecting the two coastal regions, the mountains have the effect of isolating the western and eastern areas of the country. -Due to its mountainous geography and tropical climate, there is little arable land, or areas suitable for agriculture. An estimated 9% of the land is considered good for farming, forcing subsistence farmers to expand agriculture into forested areas through slash and burn farming, or used terraced (man made “steps”) farming on hill and mountainsides. -Like other Central American countries, there have been numerous social and political conflicts between the wealthy and poor of Nicaragua. Traditionally, the dominant mestizo class controlled the majority of the wealth, while the landless Amerindian peasants were forced to accept high rents and low wages. During the Cold War, Nicaragua was one of many countries that both the United States and Soviet Union tried to exert its influence. Marxism (communism) was popular with the poorer classes because of its promise of social equality. The United States, worried that communism would spread if allowed to take root in Nicaragua, tried to covertly (secretly) prevent this from happening. -Beginning in 1962, Soviet supported Marxist rebels called the Sandinistas began an insurgency (rebellion) against the government, a military dictatorship. Their goal was to take control of the country, seize land, factories, and businesses, and create a communist state. They used guerilla warfare, which is characterized by hit-and-run tactics, ambushes, assassinations, sabotage, etc. This type of warfare is especially effective in mountainous, rainforested, or other difficult terrain because these types of geography offer ample places to hide and retreat if necessary. By 1979, the Sandinistas, led by Daniel Ortega, had complete control of the country, and began to nationalize land, businesses, and property. The Sandinistas brutally repressed, or put down, anyone who stood in their way.

Nicaraguan Flag

Nicaragua

Sandinistas

Fidel Castro, leader of Cuba, and Ortega

Guerilla Warfare

Countries of Central America Nicaragua (Continued) Worried that the Nicaraguan Marxist movement would spread, the United States, acting under the policy known as containment, began to secretly arm and train Nicaraguan exiles (people who flee a country) living in Honduras known as the Contras. These Contras would then cross into Nicaragua and carry out their own insurgency and guerilla campaign against the Sandinistas. After a long and bloody conflict, the Sandinistas allowed democratic elections to take place in 1990, which coincided with the end of the Cold War. This was yet another example of a Cold War era proxy war, or a war in which the US and Soviets each supported the combatants in a civil war without becoming directly involved themselves. Today, the former Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega is now the democratically elected leader of Nicaragua.

Costa Rica Capital: San Jose Key Facts: -Like Nicaragua, Costa Rica is characterized by a tropical climate, central mountainous zone, and coastal lowlands on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts. -Costa Rica’s government done much to maintain political stability. First, the 1949 Constitution, which was patterned after the US Constitution, abolished, or permanently banned, a national military, in order to prevent military coups and potential dictatorships. Instead, law and order is maintained by a national police force, and Costa Rica’s defense is the responsibility of the United States. Secondly, the state carefully controls means of productions, and most major industries are state owned in order to prevent any one social or economic group from dominating the economy, thus avoiding bloody class conflicts. Finally, Costa Rica has an official policy of non-intervention in the affairs of its neighbors, keeping the country out of international conflict. -The primary industry of Costa Rica is that of ecotourism, or attracting tourists in order to visit the country’s well-protected environment, including beautiful beaches and lush rainforests. Costa Rica has a high gross domestic product and per capita income. -In many ways, Costa Rica is a Latin American “success story”, having avoided the social, political, and economic problems of its neighbors.

The Contras

Costa Rica

Costa Rican Flag

Arenal Volcano

Countries of Central America Panama Capital: Panama City Key Facts: -Panama is an example of an isthmus, or a narrow strip of land that connects to larger land masses. In this case, Panama is the “bridge” that connects North and South America. Panama is a mountainous, rugged country with narrow Caribbean and Pacific coastal areas. -One of the most important man made geographical features in the region, and the entire world for that matter, is the Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This important piece of infrastructure allows ocean going vessels the opportunity to bypass the long and time consuming journey around South America. -Panama was once part of the South American country of Colombia, and gained its independence in 1903 with the support of the United States, who pressured the Colombian government into granting Panamanian independence. The United States wanted to install a pro-American government in Panama in order to facilitate the construction of the Panama Canal, which would be paid for, built, and controlled by American interests. -The canal’s construction took many years to complete, and finally opened in 1914. The canal forms a 50 mile long passage that takes vessels through a series of man-made locks, or chambers that lift or lower ships to various elevations. The area around the canal is known as the Canal Zone, and from its opening in 1914 until 1999, the United States leased and ran the Canal Zone. In 1999, control over the canal was handed over to the Panamanian government. -Important industries in Panama include those related to the canal, as well as a thriving tourist industry. -The United States invaded Panama in 1989 in an effort to capture and arrest Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was using his position as military dictator of Panama to smuggle drugs through Panama on their way north to the United States. Noriega was a key US ally in the Cold War, but now sits in a US federal prison in Florida.

Panamanian Flag

Panama Canal