1500's: Europe colonizes Central America. 1821: United Provinces of Central America separates from Spain.
1838-1839: UPCA forms separate nations.1800's: British leave Nicaragua
1903: Panama gains independence from United States.1979: Sandinistas overthrow a dictator in Nicaragua
1981: British Honduras becomes independent, modern Belize.1980's: El Salvador’s Civil War.1992: end of El Salvador’s Civil War1990: end of Nicaraguan Civil War
Isthmus: a neck of land connecting two larger areas.Archipelago: large group of islandscloud forest: high elevation wet tropical, low clouds are common.hurricane season: between June and November.volcanic ash: natural fertilizer of the Caribbean. mestizo: people of mixed Indian and European heritage.
cacao: a tree with cocoa beans. dictator: a ruler that rules with absolute authority. civil war: a conflict between two or more groups within a nation. ecotourism: using natural beauty to appeal to the tourism industry.
Creole: a language dialect of French Haitians.
Santeria: African religions mixed with Catholicismcalypso: music of Trinidad and Tobago, steeldrums.reggae: Jamaican music, mixture of ska and rocksteady.meringue: national dance and music of the Dominican Republicguerilla: armed irregular warfare, raids, hit and run tactics.refugees: some one who flees to another country seeking refuge.embargo: a limit on trade, currently the U.S. has an embargo Cuba.
plantains: starchy bananas used for cooking.commonwealth: self governing territory associated with another country.
Greater Antilles: Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico.
Lesser Antilles: Virgin Islands, to Trinidad and Tobago
The Bahamas: nearly 700 islands, and thousands of reefs.
Cocos Plate and Caribbean Plate: colliding plates of the Caribbean
Indian Labor: brought in by the British to labor in the plantations.
UPCA: United Provinces of Central America.
Catholicism: the predominant religion of Central America.
Protestants: a large minority in Central America
cooperatives: organization whose members work together for common good, Cuba has cooperative farms.
