Unit 10 The Caribbean, Part II

Countries of the Caribbean Haiti Capital: Port-au-Prince Key Facts: -Haiti occupies the western half of the island of Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern portion of the island). Like other volcanic Caribbean islands, it has a tropical climate with warm, humid weather and large amounts of precipitation. There are low lying coastal areas surrounding a central mountainous region. -Haiti was primarily a French colony prior to achieving independence in 1804. The French imported large numbers of African slaves, the descendants of whom make up the vast majority of the population in Haiti today. These slaves were brought to Haiti primarily to work on various plantations, producing cash crops such as coffee, sugar, and tobacco. As a result of its French foundations, Haiti’s primary language is French. -Haiti was the second colony (after the United States) in the Western Hemisphere to gain its independence from its European “homeland”. The Haitian independence movement was primarily fought by slaves under the leadership of Toussaint Louverture. -Today, Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries in terms of gross domestic product and per capita income. It has some of the lowest standards of living in the world, as Haitians have little access to quality education, health care, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, jobs, etc. Life expectancy in Haiti is less than 50 years of age, due to the factors mentioned above; in addition, crime, violence, and cultural/ethnic tensions, sometimes which result in civil war. Another major factor in the low life expectancy of Haitians is the rate or spread of infectious diseases and viruses. For instance, Haiti has the highest rate of AIDS or HIV in the world. This virus slowly attacks the body’s immune system, leaving its victims vulnerable to other forms of infection. The rapid spread of the disease is due to lack of proper health care and education as to how the disease is spread. -Haiti’s economy is poorly developed and lacks diversification. Most Haitians barely make ends meet. Haiti is largely a natural resource/raw material export economy, and most people are subsistence farmers. Slash and burn farming is common, which leads to deforestation, erosion, and it is estimated that nearly 90% of Haiti’s natural forests have been cut down. This erosion is exacerbated, or made worse, by natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, which are annual occurrences in the Caribbean.

Toussaint Louverture

Haiti Dominican Republic

Haitian Deforestation

Countries of the Caribbean -Natural disasters have wide-ranging, long term effects on the environment and the infrastructure of these countries. The Haitian government lacks the funding to easily rebuild after a major natural disaster, so the effects of these disasters linger for years. Additionally, laws in Haiti do not require that newly built homes, buildings, etc. are able to withstand natural disasters. As a more specific example, the 2010 Haitian earthquake killed thousands, most of whom died when their homes collapsed. Even the home of the Haitian president collapsed in the quake. -Many of these poorly built dwellings include shacks made from whatever materials are available. These shacks are called shanties, and large groups of these shacks clustered together are known as shantytowns. These shantytowns are typically found in urban areas called slums. These slums lack basic utilities such as clean water, sewer systems, electricity, etc. People in these areas often throw their waste in the streets. One of the largest urban slums and shantytowns in the world, with hundreds of thousands of inhabitants, is the Cite d’ Soleil in Port-au-Prince. -Many Haitians risk their lives in an effort to reach the United States aboard various types of boats. Every year, the US Coast Guard picks up thousands of Haitians at sea, attempting to reach the United States in boats never intended for long voyages or to hold so many people. These boat people, as they are called, risk their lives on such journeys, and these boats often sink before ever reaching the United States or before they are picked up by authorities. If apprehended by the authorities, these people are deported, or sent back, to their native country.

Cite d’ Soleil Haitian Boat People

2010 Earthquake Damage to Haiti’s Presidential Palace

Countries of the Caribbean Dominican Republic Capital: Santo Domingo Key Facts: -The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola. Like Haiti, it is characterized by a tropical climate (warm, humid, ample precipitation), low coastal plains, and a central mountainous region. -Hispaniola was originally discovered by Columbus on behalf of Spain, and was primarily used for natural resource export by the Spanish, at first using native labor, then imported African slaves. The primary spoken language of the D.R. is Spanish, and the primary religion is Roman Catholicism. Most people in the D.R. are ethnically mestizo (both native and European ancestry). This contrasts with Haiti, whose inhabitants are mostly African in ancestry, and the primary spoken language is French. -Compared to Haiti, the D.R. has a relatively diversified economy; the two biggest industries are agriculture and tourism. For decades, the Dominican Republic has enjoyed economic success thanks in large part to the American trade embargo against Cuba. As it was against American law to import Cuban exports such as tobacco, sugar, and coffee, Dominican products, while generally considered inferior to their Cuban counterparts, were seen as an acceptable substitute, and thus the embargo on Cuba encouraged American trade with the D.R. Tourism is an important industry in the D.R., which markets itself as a relatively “affordable” Caribbean destination compared to neighboring parts of the Caribbean. The D.R. has also benefitted from a free trade agreement with the United States, which allows good to flow freely between the two countries without tariffs (import/export taxes) or restrictions.

Dominican Republic

Countries of the Caribbean Puerto Rico Capital: San Juan Key Facts: -Puerto Rico (meaning “rich port” in Spanish) was a Spanish colony, but after the Spanish-American War in 1898, became a territory and later a commonwealth of the United States. A commonwealth is a semi-autonomous (self-ruling) territory of another country. Although Puerto Rico has been given the opportunity to vote for independence or statehood, its people have repeatedly voted to remain as a commonwealth rather than become an independent country or the 51st state in the United States. -Puerto Rico’s people enjoy full US citizenship with guarantees of the same rights and privileges as Americans living in the 50 states. However, as a commonwealth and not an actual state, P.R.’s ability to influence national politics is limited. For instance, Puerto Rico has no voting power in the US Congress, only non-voting representation. Puerto Ricans are free to migrate, without restrictions, to the continental United States. The areas of the country with the largest concentration of Puerto Ricans are Florida and New York. -Puerto Rico has the strongest and fastest growing economy in the Caribbean, as it is essentially tied to the US economy. Two important industries in Puerto Rico are the pharmaceutical (prescription drug) and electronics industries. The American government encourages investment in Puerto Rico by offering businesses, companies, and corporations various incentives, or rewards for building factories in Puerto Rico and hiring Puerto Rican workers. For instance, those companies that invest in P.R. are often given corporate tax breaks, or discounts on taxes these companies must pay annually. These incentives encourage economic and industrial growth, and ensure that P.R. will have a highly diversified, modern economy. Tourism is also a major industry in Puerto Rico, with over five million annual visitors, especially from the United States, who are attracted to the island because it is part of the US (and therefore no passport is needed to travel there), English is widely spoken, and the US dollar is the primary form of currency.

Dominican Republic

Old Spanish Fort in P.R.

Countries of the Caribbean Jamaica Capital: Kingston Key Facts: -Jamaica is an island nation located to the south of Cuba in the Caribbean. It has a tropical climate and large amounts of annual precipitation. The island is surrounded by low lying coastal plains and has a central mountainous region. Much of the island is covered in tropical forests. -The majority of Jamaicans are descended from African slaves brought to Jamaica to work on various plantations under British rule. Jamaica became an independent country in 1962, and remains a member of the British Commonwealth. Therefore, Jamaica recognizes the monarch of Great Britain (Queen Elizabeth II) as their national leader. There are many Jamaicans, however, that wish to leave the Commonwealth, viewing it as a remnant (leftover) of European colonialism. -Tourism is Jamaica’s largest economic sector, attracting millions of visitors to the island each year. Jamaica is also one of the world’s largest exporters of bauxite, the metal ore (raw rock from which raw materials are extracted) from which aluminum is obtained. -Jamaica is known for its Rastafarian culture. Rastafarians are a Christian sect (a religious group within an organized religion) who believe that a Haile Selassie, a former emperor of Ethiopia (a country in eastern Africa) who came to power in 1930, was the second coming of Christ. Despite its relatively small following worldwide, Rastafarianism is widely known thanks in large part to the music of Bob Marley, one Jamaica’s most famous cultural figures and artists. Marley sang songs about Rastafarian culture and beliefs, racial equality, and an eventual return of the Rastafari people to their African homeland, which they refer to as Zion. -Jamaica is also known for its athletic accomplishments. Despite being located in the tropical climate of the Caribbean, Jamaica is known for its bobsled team, which competes in international competitions including the Winter Olympics. Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt is arguably Jamaica’s most famous athlete. Bolt holds world records in various Olympic events, including the 100 meters, which has earned him the title of the “World’s Fastest Man.”

Dominican Republic

Usain Bolt Bob Marley

Jamaican Bobsled Team

Countries of the Caribbean The Bahamas Capital: Nassau Key Facts: -Unlike the volcanic islands of the Caribbean known as the Antilles, the Bahamas are an archipelago of over 700 coral islands of various sizes, known as atolls. Coral islands are essentially the fossilized remains of organisms and sedimentary rock such as limestone that gradually build up on the ocean floor over time. Coral islands typically have lagoons, or shallow pools of water, in their centers. -The Bahamas were first discovered by explorer Christopher Columbus when he landed on the Bahamian island of San Salvador. During the Golden Age of Piracy, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Bahamas were used by pirates as a safe haven. In an effort to combat piracy in the Caribbean, the islands were occupied by the British. Although independent today, the Bahamas are a member of the British Commonwealth. -Most Bahamians are of African ancestry, descended from slaves. -Like Jamaica, tourism is by far the largest industry in the Bahamas. Due to its close proximity, or nearness, to the United States, the Bahamas attracts thousands of American visitors each year. Another major industry is the banking or financial sector. Wealthy foreigners deposit their money in Bahamian banks because it allows them, in many cases, to “hide” their money from their governments and avoid paying various personal or corporate income taxes.

Dominican Republic

Bahamian Resort

Bahamian Bank