Caribbean History
This island was the first place where Christopher Columbus landed in 1492, marking the beginning of European exploration in the Americas.
What is the Bahamas?
This ancient civilization built impressive pyramids and cities like Tikal in what is now Guatemala.
Who were the Maya civilization?
This is the largest island in the Caribbean Sea.
What is Cuba?
This country is the largest in Central America by land area.
What is Nicaragua?
This U.S. territory in the Caribbean uses the U.S. dollar but is not a state.
What is Puerto Rico?
This Caribbean country was the first in Latin America to gain independence after a successful slave revolt in 1804.
What is Haiti?
This Spanish conquistador led the expedition that conquered the Aztec Empire, influencing much of Central America’s early colonial history.
Who was Hernán Cortés?
This island nation shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
What is the Dominican Republic?
This country is the only one in Central America that does not have a coastline on the Pacific Ocean.
What is Belize?
This Central American country is home to the ancient city of Tikal, once a major center of the Maya civilization.
What is Guatemala?
Known as the “Pearl of the Antilles,” this island became a major Spanish colony after the arrival of Columbus and is now the most populous Caribbean nation.
What is Cuba?
After gaining independence from Spain in 1821, several Central American countries briefly formed this united nation.
What was the Federal Republic of Central America?
This group of islands, including Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, is known as the Greater what?
What are the Greater Antilles?
This narrow strip of land connects North and South America and includes all the countries of Central America.
What is the Central American isthmus?
This Caribbean island is famous for its blue mountain range and shares its name with a type of coffee.
What is Jamaica?
This island was controlled by both the French and the British before becoming independent in 1962; it later became famous for reggae music and artists like Bob Marley.
What is Jamaica?
Completed in 1914, this major canal in Panama connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and transformed global trade.
What is the Panama Canal?
This sea, bordered by Central America and the Caribbean islands, is part of the Atlantic Ocean and gives the region its name.
What is the Caribbean Sea?
This large lake in Nicaragua is the biggest freshwater lake in Central America and is known for having sharks.
What is Lake Nicaragua?
This Central American capital city is located near the Panama Canal and shares its name with its country.
What is Panama City?
In 1917, the United States purchased these Caribbean islands from Denmark; today they are a U.S. territory.
What are the United States Virgin Islands?
This U.S.-backed revolution in 1903 led to Panama’s independence from Colombia so the canal could be built.
What is the Panamanian Revolution?
This chain of smaller islands forms an arc from the Virgin Islands down to Trinidad and Tobago and is divided into the Leeward and Windward Islands.
What are the Lesser Antilles?
This mountain range runs through much of Central America and is part of the larger system that includes the Rockies in North America.
What is the Central American Volcanic Arc?
This Caribbean island is divided into two countries, one French and one Dutch, making it one of the smallest landmasses shared by two nations.
What is Saint Martin?