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**Physical-** islands warm all year and plenty of rainfall(about 200 cm/80 in a year) which can support tropical rain forests natural grasslands in parts of cuba, hispaniola, and southern guyana much of natural vegetation removed for agriculture and fuel- small forest fragments remain tropical lowlands, wet climate hurricanes create heavy rains and fierce winds(beginning of July going west coast of africa) creates mud slides, floods. tropical forests found in rimland svannas which are important to the Caribbean fertile soil mangrove swamps which are wet enviroment not suited for human settlement arid zones- semiarid vegetation with thorn-scrub brush and cactus. these lands recieve 20-40 in of rain. limitied agriculture thousands moved in cities as economic migrants going iinto the informal sector. There are squatter ssettlements in places like Santo Domingo that are bad with people living in horrible houses without working serwers and running water. Cuba has good housing like the apratments that resemble eastern Europe and Russia; modern day housings.
 * [[file:Five Themes of Geography.ppt]]​ Place**

Diverse cultures from European descendents from colonies, Africans, Amerindians, and people from India and China who came to work and communities of runaway slaves African religions are an influence in Caribbean religions. ex- Voodoo in Haiti and Obeah in Jamaica dominant languages the residents speak: Spanish, French, English, and Dutch the political integration of the Carribbean is hard because islands are sperated and speak different languages; for example Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the U.S and Cuba is communist. water sports are very popular for example scuba diving many lands are not paved but cars, jeep or trucks are used and some walk on foot bicycles have been popular because of the scarcity of fuel creolization is the blending of African, European, and some Amerindian cultures some new languages are spoken in the ABC islands Papiamento(blend of Dutch, SPanish, Portugese, English, and African) also Patois in Haiti music is popular like reggae, rumba, merengue- roots of these genres come from a combination of african rhythms w/ european forms of melody and verse carnivals are filled with steel instrument like steel pans, skilled dancers and musicians.
 * Human- **

// People //: -emigration- people move to different areas ex. cubans puerto ricans jamaicans to u.s. -immigrants- many jamaicans migrate to North America -slave trade -Barbadians most settle in London, England -Cubans choose to live in Miami -Haitians usually don't live in place of birth but move to their neighbor, Dominican Republic -Most people from Puerto Rico move into the U.S. -Circular Migration- man or woman leaves children behind with relatives to work hard for money, save, & return home - - -
 * Movement**

// Goods //: -trade -railroad -ports - exports/imports // Ideas //: -languages-emerge and are spread to other places. Main languages spoken are Spanish, French, English, Dutch -Music -Singing -Dance - - -

change-deforestation to grow sugar cane/produce fuel change-cleared hillsides to farm
 * Interaction**

REGION Physical: Islands, Deforestation on Haite/D.R border, Seas, Arid Zones. Forests, savannas, and mangroves Political: Education, Status of women, migration, social development Cultural: Plantation America, Neo-Africa, languages Economic: Deforestation in Haiti? Monocrops, Free Trade Zones, tourism

Location Exact: 30 degress longitude and 75 degress latitude Relative: Next to Carroibean Ocean, south of the United States and Bahamas, north of Latin America