See “Latin America ever trendier”, Horizons section, page  7

Good morning everyone.  I hope that you are enjoying your summer.  It’s getting hotter each day in Thailand.  And speaking of heat, today we look at an article about a tourism ‘hot spot’ on the other side of the world.  This is Central America, the area between North and South America.  In the title it is called ‘Latin America’, although Latin America also includes Mexico and South American countries, such as Peru, Brazil, Argentina and Columbia.  Some of the countries in this area that have become popular as tourist destinations include Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras and Costa Rica.  If you have a world map or atlas, you should look at it to get a better idea of the location and layout of the region.  You can also go to: http://www.accd.edu/sac/forlang/campos/CRmap.html

These countries are located on an isthmus, a strip of land connecting two larger landmasses.  Thailand has its own isthmus, the Isthmus of Kra, that connects central Thailand with the Malay peninsula.  Looking at the pictures you can see that the climate in Central America is hot and sunny like Southeast Asia.  Also, in the two pictures that show cathedrals, you can see the cultural influence of Spain that dates back to centuries of the Spanish empire in America that lasted from about 1500 to 1898.

Turning to the article, we can read through and think about the importance of tourism to the region.

1. What are two reasons that tourism is important to the countries of Central America?

2. Where do most visitors to Central America come from?

3. What are some reasons that more tourists have started coming to this region?

4. What kinds of attractions does Central America offer to tourists?

 
After checking your answers, you can work with your friends to discuss travel to Central America.  Use the questions below to discuss your opinions about visiting the region.