Title: Middle America
Headings: Chapter 5
Middle America

Chapter 5 Middle America
Identifying the Boundaries
5.1 Introducing the Realm
Physical Geography
Rimland and Mainland
The European Invasion
The Maya and the Aztec
Spanish Conquest of 1519–21
The Spanish Colonial City
Key Takeaways
Discussion and Study Questions
Geography Exercise
5.2 Mexico
Physical Characteristics
The Core versus the Periphery
Mexican Social Order
NAFTA and Maquiladoras
Chiapas and NAFTA
Illegal Drug Trafficking in Mexico
Key Takeaways
Discussion and Study Questions
Geography Exercise
5.3 Central America
Physical Environment
Altitudinal Zonation
Tierra Caliente ( Hot Land ): Sea Level to 2,500 Feet
Tierra Templada ( Temperate Land ): 2,501 to 6,000 Feet
Tierra Fria ( Cold Land ): 6,001 to 12,000 Feet
Tierra Helada ( Frozen Land ): 12,001 to 15,000 Feet
Tierra Nevada ( Snowy Land ): Above 15,000 Feet
European Colonialism
People and Population
CAFTA and Neocolonialism
The Republics: Diverse Political Geography
Guatemala
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Honduras
Costa Rica
Belize
Panama and the Panama Canal
Key Takeaways
Discussion and Study Questions
Geography Exercise
5.4 The Caribbean
European Colonialism in the Caribbean
The Greater Antilles
Cuba: A Rimland Experience
The Cuban Revolution
The US Embargo Era
A Post-Castro Cuba
The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
Hispaniola: The Dominican Republic and Haiti
Jamaica
Tourism and Economic Activity in the Rimland
Offshore Banking
Caribbean Music
Key Takeaways
Discussion and Study Questions
Geography Exercise
5.5 Tropical Cyclones (Hurricanes)
Hurricane Dynamics
Key Takeaways
Discussion and Study Questions
5.6 End-of-Chapter Material
Chapter Summary

Content: The smaller islands, extending all the way to South America, make up the Lesser Antilles. The island that is farthest south is Trinidad, just off the coast of Venezuela. The Bahamas, the closest islands to the US mainland, are located in the Atlantic Ocean but are associated with the Caribbean region. The Caribbean region is surrounded by bodies of salt water: the Caribbean Sea in the center, the Gulf of Mexico to the west, and the North Atlantic to the east. Central America refers to the seven states south of Mexico: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Panama borders the South American country of Colombia. During the colonial era, Panama was included in the part of South America controlled by the Spanish. The Pacific Ocean borders Central America to the west, and the Caribbean Sea borders these countries to the east.