Central America and Caribbean Today

The Impact of Tourism

1.1 - Impact of Tourism

Positive effects• Global jobs: airlines, cruise

ships, advertising, travel agencies, hotels and resorts, and street vendors

Negative effects• Loss of resources for the

local population( electricity, water and food)

• Pollution( both air and water )

• Loss of habitat for animals• Loss of culture( fast food,

traditional jobs and many other aspects)

Efforts to off set damage

• Use of recyclable materials• Conservation of energy( both fuel and

electricity)• Water conservation• Donations by tourists to plant trees, stop

pollution and improve overall conservation

1.2- Caribbean Food and Music

• Food– Fusion of native Taino foods with European , African and

Asian cuisine.– Basic foods: rice , beans, yams, peppers, plantains and

avocadoes. Meat is primarily chicken and fish– Jamaica

• Use jerk seasoning to preserve meats

– Most natives had a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables– 1990s open trade introduced fast food restaurants

Music

• Mix of native wind instruments and European string instruments– Calypso- folk music with simple rhythms and local

language which tells a story– Soca- mixture of calypso and East Indian music– Salsa- Afro-Cuban mixed with jazz– Merengue- fast rhythmic beats– Ska- 1950s , mix of calypso, jazz and blues– Reggae-1960s , mix of Ska and rock steady

1.3 Panama Canal

• 1500s – Spanish wanted to create an artificial water route or canal to reduce shipping time from Europe to the Pacific Ocean

• 1855- U.S. completes railroad across Panama • 1881-1889- French company tries to build a

canal, but plan collapses• 1900 -1903- U.S. helps Panama liberate itself

from Columbia, in exchange U.S. receives canal rights

1.3 Panama Canal

• 1904- 1914- U.S. builds the canal– Problems:

• Mosquitoes- carry many diseases• Panama’s physical features: swamps, mountains and jungles• 20,000 men die during construction

– Benefit• 51 miles long instead of 1000s of miles around South

America

– 2006 – Panama voted to expand the canal to accommodate larger ships and reduce traffic problems