Central South America Study Guide Test 2 CENTRAL AMERICA Belize Two countries have coastlines facing one ocean Belize and El Salvador The capital is Belmopan o Moved from Belize City after a hurricane destroyed it 2nd largest coral reef off coast English is the official language here Little is known about life in Belize prior to the arrival of the explorers in Inexpensive medical treatment the 1500 s The Spanish ignored Belize Shipwrecked British sailors established the first European settlement in 1638 The colony was originally called British Honduras until 1973 Became independent in 1981 Barrier Reef and the Cayes o Barrier Reef Principal Tourist Attraction o Ranks as the world s second longest o Reef runs parallel to the coast o The ridges are called cayes o More than 200 isles o The two largest are Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye o San Pedro the most important access point for dive sites Northern Belize found here Western Belize o La Ruta Maya begins north of Belize City o Altun Ha the extensively excavated o The head of the sun god carved in jade the national symbol was o Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary found in northern Belize o Mostly a savanna gives way to Maya mountains o San Ignacio the district s center and base for exploration of the area o Maya site of Caracol which rivals Tikal o Central Americas largest cave system o Chiquibul Caves o Best time to explore the area is from March to May Southern Belize o Considered by many as the place to visit in Belize o Dangriga the area s largest town o The inhabitants are descendants black Caribs who fled Honduras after failed revolt o November 19th is Garifuna Settlement Day Costa Rica Costa Rica is linked with ecotourism The Rich Coast Tico s nickname for Costa Ricans 97 literacy rate 1000 species of butterflies 800 species of birds 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 county San Jose is located here 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 o Butterfly farm coffee plantation oxcart factory carretas Parks and Biological Reserves Volcan Poas the most visited park steam belching 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 The Crossroads of the World Caribbean Sea to the North and the Pacific to the South Approximately the size of South Carolina 1 3 of the country is tropical rain forest Much of it is protected by the government Soberania national park borders the Panama Canal 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 built 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 allowed the United States to In 1903 the United States pushed Panama to revolt against Colombia build the canal It opened in 1914 The canal is called The Big Ditch Built across the narrowest point between the Atlantic and the Pacific The canal extends for 51 miles Took ten 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 to 10 hours to cross the canal Currently expanding the canal for larger cruises Each year the canal brings in 2 billion from fees A ship traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific sails from the northwest to the southeast Darien The jungle o This is the only break on the Pan American highway San Blas Islands Panama s largest archipelago o Often visited by cruise ships o The Cuna Indians live on the Island o They are self governing and live according to ancient ways o They have their own language but speak Spanish Guatemala Guatemala City is the capital and largest city Shares borders with Honduras El Salvador Mexico and Belize Antigua is a colonial city center of weaving industry It is one of the most beautiful countries in Central America o Old capital destroyed by volcano Lake Atitlan is a mile high lake A deep blue caldera surrounded by three volcanoes and twelve Indian villages Tikal one of the greatest Mayan cities near the border with Belize You may fly from Guatemala City More than 2 000 Mayan structures are hidden in the tropical rainforest Honduras Honduras lies between Nicaragua Guatemala and El Salvador Tegucigalpa is the capital Most of the territory is covered by mountains The Mosquito Coast located in the northeast mostly uninhabited o The name comes from the Miskito Indians El Copan are Mayan ruins near the border with Guatemala Major exporter of bananas Most southern area of the Mayans 1998 Hurricane Mitch destroyed much of the tourist infrastructure El Salvador It is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America Does not have a coast line in the Caribbean San Salvador is the capital Nicaragua Located between Honduras and Costa Rica Managua is the largest city and the capital Makul 450 million resort on the west coast It is the largest but most sparsely populated country in the region It is slightly larger in size than the state of New York Review of Central America Know all of the countries and their capitals When did the Panama Canal open Who was the U S President wanting to build the canal o Theodore
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