Puerto Rico has been influenced by many cultures, including Spanish, African, and American. The Spanish enslaved the Taino Indians, but replaced Indian slaves with Africans when they decided one black slave was equal to 4 Indian slaves. Africans brought over more religious beliefs and new styles of music. The U.S. military invaded Puerto Rico in 1898 for natural resources. Eventually military control ended and Puerto Rico was allowed to elect its first governor and draft their Constitution.
Jamaica has problems with poverty, gender equality, and violence. Most people are at the poverty line and women are paid less. Recessions and inflation caused poverty problems and health issues result. Jamaicans from the 18th century were worried about violence in school and had a punishment environment. Jamaica still has racism and sexism. I would have liked to have known if there was still problems with violence in schools today.
Martinique has faced water-borne diseases like leptospirosis and dengue. Leptospirosis is caused by drinking unsanitary water with animal feces or urine in it. Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted from mosquitos. The symptoms are similar to the flu. The risk is higher in Africa, Asia, Central America, South America, and Oceania. Martinique has had 4 major dengue outbreaks.
St. Martin and St. Maarten are on the same island, except St. Martin is the French side and St. Maarten the Dutch side. The division affects their economy, culture, and politics. The Dutch side is known for casinos, happy hour, and shops, while the French side is known for cuisine. Tourism accounts for 60% of their GDP. They have carnival every year. St. Maarten holds a boat race and is a monarchy. St. Martin has over 300 restaurants and is represented in French parliament.
The ABC islands are Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao, located off the coast of Venezuela. Aruba is known for kite-surfing and windsurfing, Bonaire diving, and Curacao bird watching. The official languages are English, Dutch, and Papiamento. Tourism is helping people find jobs.
In the Bahamas, the Lucayans were the first inhabitants. When Columbus arrived, he wanted their gold and thought they would make good servants and Christians. Blackbeard the pirate operated in the Bahamas, as did Anne Bonny, Mary Reed, and Calico Jack. The Bahamas has been shaped by Columbus, pirates, and tourism. I would have liked to know more about how tourism affected the Bahamas. Do tourists visit the Bahamas because of its history of pirates or is it only for the beaches?
My next post will be Presentation Day 3, where I'll wrap up what I learned from the presentations and include what worked and what didn't during the presentations.
My next post will be Presentation Day 3, where I'll wrap up what I learned from the presentations and include what worked and what didn't during the presentations.
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