HFT 2716 International Travel Culture Exam 2 Notes Central America South America El Salvador on the coast of the Pacific Ocean Mosquitoes Mosquito Coast nothing to do with mosquitoes Belize 1500 s 1638 Little is known about life in Belize prior to the arrival of the explorer in the The Spanish ignored Belize Shipwrecked British sailors established the first European settlement in The colony was called British Honduras until 1973 Became independent in 1981 Barrier Reef and The Cayes Barrier Reef Principal Tourist Attraction Ranks as the world s second largest Reef runs parallel to the coast The ridges are called cayes More than 200 isles The two largest are Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye San Pedro the most important access point for dive sites Northern Belize La Ruta Maya begins north of Belize City Altun Ha the extensively excavated The head of the sun god carved in jade the national symbol was found here Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary found in northern Belize Western Belize Mostly a savanna gives way to Maya mountains San Ignacio the district s center and base for exploration of the area Maya site of Caracol which rivals Tikal Central Americas largest cave system Chiquibul Caves Best time to explore the area is from March to May Southern Belize Considered by many as the place to visit in Belize Dangriga the area s largest town The inhabitants are descendants black Caribs who fled Honduras after failed revolt November 19th is Garifuna Settlement Day o Carnival big event Costa Rica The rich coast Highest literacy in South and Central America 97 literacy Costa Rica is linked with ecotourism One of the world s best systems of national parks 25 of its territory is protected Lies between Panama and Nicaragua Coasts on the Pacific and the Caribbean Most of the population lives in the central part of the country San Jose is located here Land of volcanoes Only a slightly larger than New Hampshire and Vermont combined Natural diversity provides tourists with many experiences Puntarenas principal Pacific port Puerto Caldera to the South is where most cruise liners come to San Jose the capital was founded in 1737 Located in the agricultural center of the country Coffee trees surround the city Known for its nightlife May be the base for visits to other parts Butterfly farm coffee plantation oxcart factory carretas Parks and Biological Reserves Volcan Poas the most visited park steam bleching crater fumaroles bubbling vents in the earth s crust Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in western Costa Rica Tortuaguero National Park in the north eastern part of the country important nesting site for green turtles and other species like monkeys jaguars also inhabit the park The Pacific Coast resorts are popular for sport fishing and surfing Nicoya Peninsula site for many new hotels Liberia is the area s principal town Airport has daily flights to San Jose Approximately 145 miles north of San Jose on the Pan American highway Panama Nickname Crossroad of the World Caribbean Sea is to the North and the Pacific is to the South Approx the size of south Carolina 1 3 of he country is tropical rain forest Much of it protected by the Government Soberania National Park borders the Panama Canal REVIEW Second largest barrier reef is in Belize Largest city in Costa Rica San Jose capital What attracts many tourists to Costa Rica eco tourism rain forest beaches Atlantic Where is the city of Belmopan capital of Belize the new capital Where is Tegucigalpa capital of Honduras Why is Honduras the Mosquito Coast Miskito Indians What languages are spoken in Central America Spanish and English Quiet peaceful beach in Central America You would recommend the If you are entering from the northeast you are going southeast When was Panama Canal built officially open 1914 Teddy Roosevelt was president took 10 years Central America positives eco tourism beautiful beaches tropical rainforests archeological sites native inhabitants Central America negatives natural disasters hurricanes and earthquakes ad volcanoes political instability Panama Continued The country has many rivers and more than 1 600 islands More than 940 recorded bird species Panama attracts many eco tourists During colonial times the Spaniards build a road across Panama to carry gold from Peru In the 19th century Panama was part of the Gran Colombia 1878 Colombian government awarded a contract to build a canal to a French diplomat Ferdinand Lesseps builder of the Suez Canal Tropical diseases malaria yellow fever etc prevented the French from building the canal Theodore Roosevelt wanted to take over the project Colombia would not agree to his terms Panama became an independent country and allow the U S to build the In 1903 the U S pushed Panama to revolt against Colombia canal Called The Big Ditch Built across the narrowest point between the Atlantic and the Pacific It opened in 1914 The canal extends for 51 miles Took 10 years to build at a cost of 352 million and 5 609 lives U S control of the canal ended in 1999 The average ship takes 8 10 hours to cross the canal A ship traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific sails from the northwest to the southeast Colon is the entry city in the Caribbean Panama City the capital is the entry city in the Pacific Darien gap links Central and South America It is the only break in the Pan American highway San Blas Islands are Panama s largest archipelago Often visited by cruise ships The Cuna Indians live on the islands They are self governing and live according to ancient ways They have their own language but speak Spanish Guatemala Shares borders with Honduras El Salvador Mexico and Belize Guatemala City is the capital and largest city It is one of the most beautiful countries in Central America Antigua a colonial city center of weaving industry Lake Atitlan is a mile high lake A deep blue caldera surrounded by 3 volcanoes and 12 Indian villages Tikal of the greatest Mayan cities near the border with Belize You may fly from Guatemala City More than 200 structures are hidden in the tropical rain forest Pacific beaches because of the volcanic activity the sand is black Honduras Honduras lies between Nicaragua Guatemala and El Salvador Tegucigalpa is the capital Most of the territory is covered by mountains The name comes from the Miskito Indians El Copan are Mayan ruins near the border with Guatemala The Mosquito Coast located in the northeast mostly uninhabited o Key travel destination It is the smallest and the most
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