Lesson 47:
What is Middle America?
Hola y bienvenida aMexico! For those of you who would like to learn Spanish, “Hola y bienvenida a
Mexico” is “Helloandwelcome toMexico.”Mexico is located just southof theUnitedStates. It is the largest
country in a region of North America known as
Middle America
. Middle America includes
Mexico
, the
countries of
Central America
, and the
Islands of theCaribbean
, also called theWest Indies.
Central America is the narrow area of land that connectsMexico to South America. Seven small
countries are part of Central America, including Panama. Panama is located at the narrowest part of
Central America.Panama isan
isthmus
–anarrowsectionof land that connects two larger landforms.
In this case, Panama connects the two continents in theWesternHemisphereweare studying–North
America andSouthAmerica.
The Islands of the Caribbean, orWest Indies, lie east of Mexico and Central America and stretch
for more than 2,000miles from the Caribbean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.They aremade up of three
regions, or groups of islands: The Bahamas (Bahama Archipelago), The Greater Antilles, and The
Lesser Antilles.
Middle America is also considered to be part of a much larger cultural region known as
Latin
America
. LatinAmerica includes all the lands in theWesternHemisphere south of theUnitedStates.
In other words, it includes Middle America and the continent of South America. The countries that
make up Latin America have been settled and strongly influenced by the customs and Latin-based
languages of theSpanishandPortuguese settlers.Wewill study about other LatinAmerican countries
in later lessons. For now, let’s turn our attention toMexico and the geography of MiddleAmerica.
ACTIVITY:
Use the political map of North America in your
Atlas Buddy (AB)
on page viii to help you locate
Mexico, the countries of Central America, and the physical geography of Middle America. Follow
the statements below to label your map of Middle America on the next page with the words in
boldface
print.
0
1.Mexico is bordered by theUnitedStates to its north.The states of
Texas, NewMexico
,
Arizona
,
and
California
border Mexico to the north.
0
2. The
RioGrandeRiver
forms nearly two-thirds of the northern border of Mexico. (InSpanish, Rio
means river andGrandemeans large).
0
3.The
Gulf of Mexico
bordersMexico on the east.
0
4.The
PacificOcean
bordersMexico on thewest.
0
5. Label
Mexico
and shade in the land area of Mexicowith a green colored pencil.
0
6. Label the seven countries that make upCentral America:
Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador,
Honduras, Nicaragua, CostaRica,
and
Panama
.
0
7. Shade in
Central America
using a light red pencil and label.
0
8.The
CaribbeanSea
bordersCentral America to the east.
0
9. The islands in theCaribbeanSea are called the
West Indies
. Shade in theWest Indies using a
yellow pencil.
10.TheCaribbeanSea is the eastern-most portion of the
AtlanticOcean
.
COPYRIGHT
93
PENNSVALLEY
Middle America
