Central America And Mexico

By: Joe Strycharz and

John Panaccio

Mexico- Geography

Borders- Belize, Guatemala, US; A little smaller than Texas.

Climate- Varies from tropical to desert.

Terrain- High mountains, low coastal plains, and deserts

Imports- Agriculture machinery, and Industrial machinery.

Exports- Silver, cotton, oil, coffee

Arable Land-12.66%

Mexican Connections to Geography Tourism-

3rd largest factor in the economy Agriculture-

20% of jobs farm related, while only 1/5 of the land is arable

Most farmers are subsistence farmers This together with the fact that over half the

population in Mexico lives in poverty there have, historically, been many issues regarding food in Mexico

Guatemala- Geography Borders- Belize, El Salvador,

Honduras, Mexico; a little smaller than Tennessee

Climate- tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain- most of the country mountainous with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateaus

Imports- fuels, machinery, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity

Exports- coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables,

Arable Land- 12.54%

Panama- Geography Borders- Columbia, Costa Rica;

A little smaller than South Carolina

Climate- Tropical, hot and humid. Long rainy season, short dry season.

Terrain- mountainous, coastal areas, many plains and rolling hills

Imports- food, consumer goods, chemicals

Exports- bananas, shrimp, sugar, coffee

Arable Land-7.26%

Panamanian Connections to Geography Isthmus of Panama-

Created by tectonic platesAffected the earths geography by changing

the oceans flow which also changed the climate

The location of the Panama Canal More than 14,000 ships pass through each year,

resulting in many people visiting Panama A large factor in the country’s economy

El Salvador- Geography Borders- Guatemala, Honduras;

a little smaller than Massachusetts

Climate- tropical rainy season and tropical on coast; temperate in uplands

Terrain- mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau

Imports- raw materials, consumer goods, capital goods, fuels, petroleum, electricity

Exports- coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, chemicals, electricity

Arable Land- 31.85%

Costa Rica- Geography

Borders- Nicaragua, Panama; A little smaller than West Virginia

Climate- Tropical and subtropical; cooler in highlands

Terrain- Coastal plains separated by rugged mountains and many volcanoes

Imports- raw materials, consumer goods, petroleum

Exports- coffee, bananas, sugar; pineapples; textiles, medical equipment, electronics

Arable Land- 4.41%

Costa Rican Connections to Geography Due to the fact that the country is located in the Central

American isthmus Costa Rica is provided with easy access to markets in North and South America and ocean access to the European and Asian continents.

Because of its location on the globe Costa Rica has two distinct seasons each with its own agricultural advantage, as different crops can be grown at different times

One-fourth of Costa Rican land has been set aside as national forests, often with adjoining beaches, which has made the country a popular tourist spot for retirees and ecotourists.

Honduras- Geography Borders- Guatemala, El

Salvador, Nicaragua; a little bit bigger than Tennessee

Climate- lowlands subtropical, mountains temperate

Terrain- mostly mountains in interior, narrow coastal plains

Imports- machinery, industrial raw materials, chemical products, fuels,

Exports- coffee, bananas, shrimp, lobster, meat; zinc, lumber

Arable Land- 15.15%

Belize- Geography Borders- Guatemala, Mexico; a

little smaller than Massachusetts Climate- tropical; very hot and

humid Terrain- flat, swampy; many

coastal plains; low mountains in the south

Imports- machinery, manufactured goods; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; tobacco

Exports- sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood

Arable Land- 2.85%

Belizean Connections to Geography Tourism- A combination of natural factors support the extensive tourist

industry Warm Climate The Belize Barrier Reef Numerous islands Excellent fishing Jungle wildlife

Forestry- Due to Belize's climate and terrain many species of valuable timber

were produced in Belize and were the staple of the economy until the mid 1900’s

The most important varieties of timber included logwood, and mahogany

Nicaragua- Geography

Borders- Honduras, Costa Rica; a little smaller than the state of New York

Climate- tropical in lowlands, cooler in highlands

Terrain- coastal plains rising to mountains; often interrupted by volcanoes

Imports- machinery, raw materials, petroleum

Exports- beef, coffee, shrimp and lobster, tobacco, sugar, gold, peanuts

Arable Land- 14.81%

Central America And Mexico

By: Joe Strycharz and

John Panaccio