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Central America Research Paper

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Objective You will examine the physical environment of Central America. Introduction Central America is a tropical zone with a wide range of climates, vegetation, and agriculture products. In this lesson you will learn about these climates, what vegetation grows naturally in the climates, and what agricultural products the people of Central America grow. Physical Environment Central America connects North and South America as a land bridge. The Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea border to the west and east. Mountains run all through the region. Many of these mountain ranges contain volcanoes, some active and some dormant. The isthmus of Panama is incredibly narrow. If you were to climb to the highest point in Panama, you could see both …show more content…

Even thoughts this is called the dry season, there is still chances for the occasional flash flood. Average rainfall for this time of the year is between 0.1 to 9.3 inches. Higher rainfall amounts are closer to the end of the dry season, like April and May. The average daily temperature is 83 degrees Fahrenheit. All the countries in this region are incredibly humid. Those along the Pacific coastline have slightly higher temperatures than those along the Caribbean coastline. Towards the center of the region, as you start to encounter the mountainous areas, the average temperature is closer to the mid-70s. As the elevation continues to rise, the temperatures average around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Vegetation The natural vegetation of the area is just as diverse as the climate. Along the eastern lowlands of the region there are an abundance of rainforests. This contrasts with the Pacific coastline where evergreen forests are. High in the mountains the forests are mainly pine and oak trees. Along the coastline you will find more palms, vines, and Spanish moss, which create the dense rain forested …show more content…

Each country has its main export. Main exports of this region include bananas, tropical fruits, rice, coffee, corn, and sugarcane. Corn was established as the earliest crop of Central America. It was a major part of their life before the Europeans arrived. Other crops during this time, and current time, include squash, beans, and chili peppers. These crops were often traded within villages or other villages for materials that each other needed as well as to help sustain others. Nonfood crops such as cotton and tobacco were and still are vital parts of agriculture in Central America. Both crops are grown for personal use and trading. Crops like bananas, coffee, and sugarcane are the main export crops today. Bananas are mainly grown in Honduras and the Caribbean. Honduras is a leading exporter for bananas in the world. Coffee is grown in every country of Central America. Coffee takes as much as two months to harvest because of its slow ripening time. Sugarcane, like coffee, is widely grown. Sugarcane takes very little time to manage during the growing time, however that changes when it comes time to harvest. The harvesting of sugarcane is incredibly

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