GCTG LESSON 5

NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA

Northern America

Bermuda

Canada

Greenland

Saint Pierre and Miquelon

United States of America

Central America

Belize

Costa Rica

El Salvador

Guatemala

Honduras

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Carribean

Cuba

Dominican Republic

Jamaica

Haiti

STATUE OF LIBERTY, NEW YORK, USA

• formally Liberty Enlightening the World

• colossal statue on Liberty Island in the Upper New York Bay, U.S.

• commemorating the friendship of the peoples of the United States and France.

TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK, USA

formed by the intersection of Seventh Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway. It is also the centre of the Theatre District, which is bounded roughly by Sixth and Eighth avenues to the east and west, respectively, and by 40th and 53rd streets to the south and north, respectively. It earned the nickname “Crossroads of the World.” Moreover, in short order Broadway became synonymous with American theatre, especially musical theatre.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, CALIFORNIA, USA

• suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate in California to link San Francisco with Marin County to the north.

• Upon its completion in 1937, it was the tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world.

• recognized as a symbol of the power and progress of the United States

• it set a precedent for suspension-bridge design around the world.

GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA, USA

immense canyon cut by the Colorado River in the high plateau region of northwestern Arizona, U.S., noted for its fantastic shapes and coloration.

DISNEYWORLD, FLORIDA, USA

• resort complex near Orlando, Florida, envisioned by Walt Disney

• featuring attractions based on stories and characters created by the Disney Company.

• By the early 21st century it had grown to encompass 47 square miles (122 square km) and included four theme parks—the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—as well as two water parks and numerous hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers.

MARDI GRAS, LOUISIANA, USA

• name means Fat Tuesday, from the custom of using all the fats in the home before Lent in preparation for fasting and abstinence.

• The principal Carnival celebration is in New Orleans, Louisiana.

CN TOWER, ONTARIO, CANADA

• —, also called —, a broadcast and telecommunications tower in Toronto.

• Standing at a height of 1,815 feet (553 metres), it was the world’s tallest freestanding structure until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Burj Dubai building in Dubayy (Dubai), U.A.E.

• It is by far Toronto’s most distinctive landmark.

• It is a major tourist attraction that includes observation decks, a revolving restaurant at some 1,151 feet (351 metres), and an entertainment complex.

• It is also a centre for telecommunications in Toronto.

NIAGARA FALLS, ONTARIO, CANADA

waterfall on the Niagara River in northeastern North America, one of the continent’s most famous spectacles. The falls lie on the border between Ontario, Canada, and New York state, U.S. For many decades the falls were an attraction for honeymooners and for such stunts as walking over the falls on a tightrope or going over them in a barrel. Increasingly, however, the appeal of the site has become its beauty and uniqueness as a physical phenomenon.

BANFF NATIONAL PARK, ALBERTA, CANADA

is a scenic natural and wilderness area in southwestern Alberta, Canada. Established as a national park in 1887, it occupies 2,564 square miles (6,641 square km) along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and abuts the border with British Columbia. Noted for its beauty, plant and animal diversity, and ongoing geologic processes, — was designated part of the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

TEOTIHUACAN, MEXICO

• “The City of the Gods” the most important and largest city of pre- Aztec central Mexico, located about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern Mexico City.

• At its apogee (c. 500 CE), it encompassed some 8 square miles (20 square km) and supported a population estimated at 125,000–200,000, making it, at the time, one of the largest cities in the world.

• It was the region’s major economic as well as religious centre.

• was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

CHICHEN ITZA, MEXICO

ruined ancient Maya city occupying an area of 4 square miles (10 square km) in south-central Yucatán state, Mexico. It is thought to have been a religious, military, political, and commercial centre that at its peak would have been home to 35,000 people. The site first saw settlers in 550, probably drawn there because of the easy access to water in the region via caves and sinkholes in limestone formations, known as cenotes.

DIA DELOS MUERTOS, MEXICO

Day of the Dead, a holiday in Mexico, honouring dead loved ones and making peace with the eventuality of death by treating it familiarly, without fear and dread. The holiday is derived from the rituals of the pre-Hispanic peoples of Mexico. Led by the goddess Mictecacihuatl, known as “Lady of the Dead,” the celebration lasted a month. After the Spanish arrived in Mexico and began converting the native peoples to Roman Catholicism, the holiday was moved to coincide with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (November 1 and 2, respectively).

DUNN’S RIVER FALLS, JAMAICA

Dunn's River Falls is a famous waterfall near Ocho Rios, Jamaica and a major Caribbean tourist attraction that receives thousands of visitors each year.

statue of liberty

formally “Liberty Enlightening the World”

times square

• centre of the Theatre District

• “crossroads of the world”

golden gate bridge

• tallest and longest suspension bridge in the world.

• recognized as a symbol of the power and progress of the United States

• it set a precedent for suspension-bridge design around the world.

disneyworld

included four theme parks—the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom—as well as two water parks and numerous hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers.

cn tower

Toronto’s most distinctive landmark.

teotihuacan

“The City of the Gods”

cenotes

sinkholes/limestone formations

Mictecacihuatl

known as “Lady of the Dead”