Curious About The Caribbean Region

Homework Question and Answers:

1. Reading Check on 214 - What formed the islands of the West Indies?

Volcanoes formed the islands of the West Indies. The islands are actually mountains. They are submerged under the water to form a chain. Typically, the mountains have central highlands ringed by coastal plains. In the highlands, the volcanic soil is rich.

Some other islands, not the Indies though, are formed when limestone is pushed by pressure under the earth's crust to the ocean floor. On the other hand, unlike islands formed by volcanoes, the soil of limestone islands is not good for farming. Some islands of the West Indies are made of coral beds and sand as well as pieces of Earth crust. Islands made from coral beds and sand are called low islands because coral does not grow above the surface of the ocean. Continental islands are the islands made out of the Earth's crust. They are made out of the same materials that New Hampshire is, and often will have very good resources such as gold and silver. Low islands on the other hand, do not have good resources. This is because coral is mostly just sand containing no nutrients.

2. Reading Check on 215 - What is the major industry in the West Indies?

The major industry in the West Indies is tourism. Different cruise ships often will make stops at the different islands. The climate is warm and sunny and beaches are plentiful among the islands. Farming is also an important economic aspect of the islands. Landowners will grow bananas, coffee, sugarcane and tobacco with plans to export them. Working on these plantations provides jobs for many. Puerto Rico has dairy and livestock industries as well.

3. Reading Check on 217 - Where was the first permanent European settlement in the West Indies?

The first permanent European settlement in the West Indies was located in the Western Hemisphere by the Spaniards. This happened in 1496 in what is now Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic. Over 200 years from this point, the Spaniards, English, French and Dutch all founded colonies on different islands, though most of them were not permanent.

4. Region- What three archipelagos make up the West Indies?

One of the three archipelagos in the West Indies is the Bahamas. They are found east of Florida and consist of nearly 700 different islands shaped like o's, c's, u's and other various letters! One of 700 islands is St. Lucia, which I chose to do my project on! Secondly, there are the Greater Antilles. Some islands part of the Greater Antilles are Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Hispaniola (Domincan Republic on the right and Haiti on the left.) All are of reasonable size. Lastly, there are the Lesser Antilles. They are located to the southeast of the Greater Antilles. The islands that are a part of it are smaller in size compared to most of the islands that are a part of the West Indies.

5. History- Name four groups who have influenced the culture of the Caribbean region.

A group that affected the Caribbean culture was the Spanish. Christopher Columbus, a Spaniard, reached San Salvador, which is now Hispaniola, in 1492. The first permanent settlement was also by the Spaniards in 1496 in Santo Domingo, which is the capital of the Dominican Republic. Over the next 200 years, along with the Spaniards, the Dutch, English and French all settled colonies in the island nation. Also, the United States have influenced the culture because they trade with the West Indies. They give things to the islands and then they in turn export certain items to them. Trading makes up most of the economy. You may also find some people of Asian descent in the West Indies because the Europeans brought Asians down to work on the plantations in return for a trip to the islands later.

6. Government- How is Cuba different from every other country in the Western Hemisphere?

Cuba is different from other countries in the Western Hemisphere because it is the only country that has adopted the policy of communism. It was ruled by a dictator named President Fidel Castro until November 2016. Castro took hold of the government in 1959 and with help from the Soviet Union, became a communist country. Also, unlike most countries in the Western Hemisphere, Cuba does not trade with the United States. When Castro took hold of property claimed by American companies, the United States placed an embargo on Cuba. This means that they refused to receive anything from Cuba nor export anything to Cuba. Since the Soviet Union, (it's main support) has broken up, many Cubans are facing poverty.

The island I chose to research for our Island Project was St. Lucia.