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Geographic Profile of Latin America
- 1. A Geographic Profile of LATIN AMERICA Chapter 10
- 2. 10.1 Area and Population Extent of Latin America From Mexico south to Argentina and Chile, together with the islands of the Caribbean Sea Comprised of 38 countries Spans more than 85° of latitude and 82° of longitude Subregions Middle America South America Population of 596 million people (2011) Distributed mainly across “rimland” and “highland” Region is 76% urban
- 3. Principal Features of Latin America
- 6. Comparison in Area and Latitude Latin America vs. Conterminous U.S.
- 7. Population Distribution of Latin America
- 8. Population Cartogram of Latin America
- 9. 10.2 Physical Geography & Human Adaptations Climates and Vegetation Elevation and Land Use Natural Hazards in Latin America
- 10. 10.2.1 Climates and Vegetation Extraordinary climatic and biotic diversity, both within the region and even within some countries Tropical Rain Forest Tropical Savanna Humid Subtropical Prairie Mediterranean Desert Steppe
- 11. Climates of Latin America
- 12. Biomes of Latin America
- 13. 10.2.2 Elevation and Land Use Altitudinal Zonation Terra caliente (Hot Country) Tierra templada (Cool Country) Tierra fría (Cold Country) Tierra helada (Frost Country) Zonation results from the fact that air temperature decreases with elevation at a normal rate of approximately 3.6°F per 1,000 feet
- 15. Land Use in Latin America
- 16. Coffee Crop in Tierra Templada of Mexico
- 17. Tierra Fria in Andean South America
- 18. Páramo at 12,000 Feet in Colombian Andes
- 19. 10.2.3 Natural Hazards in Latin America Adjoins a large section of the Pacific Ring of Fire Violent history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions Largest earthquake ever recorded on earth was the 9.5 quake in 1960 off the coast of Southern Chile It fronts two seasonal hurricane regions Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean This region is the source of the El Nino climatic pattern Winds off the Pacific coast of Peru switch direction and blow from west to east, suppressing the upwelling of water and raising the surface temperature of the water Responsible for global climate disruptions resulting in unusually high/low precipitation/temperatures for various places
- 20. Climatic Impacts of El Niño
- 21. 10.3 Cultural & Historical Geographies Unfortunate that this region came to be known as Latin America, as there were no “Latins” among its inhabitants before the end of the 15th century When the first Europeans arrived in 1492, the region was home to an estimated 50-100 million Native Americans Emergence of Early Culture Hearths Andes region of South America Southern Mexico and adjacent Central America
- 22. Native American Groups and Civilizations
- 23. 10.3.1 Civilizations Predating European Arrival Maya Teotihuacános Aztecs Tarascan Inca Nazca Chibcha
- 24. Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Sun
- 25. Inca’s Machu Picchu in Peru
- 26. 10.3.2 Languages in Latin America Indigenous Language Families (Mexico and Central America) Hokan-Siouan Aztec-Tanoan Oto-Manguean Totonac Penutian Mayan (South America) Quechu-Aymaran European Languages Spanish is most prevalent European language in region Portuguese in Brazil Some French, Dutch, and English in Caribbean
- 27. Languages of Latin America
- 28. 10.3.3 The European Conquest The arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 marked the beginning of profound changes in almost every aspect of life in what would become Latin America, including: Death (Both deliberate and unintended) European settlement patterns and development of ports Development of agricultural districts Increased volume of trade products shipped overseas European-introduced horses, cattle, sheep, donkeys, wheat, sugarcane, coffee, and bananas Labor provided by the arrival of slave ships Discovery of gold and silver by Europeans led to opening or reopening of mines Introduction of Catholicism
- 29. Corn in Oaxaca, Mexico
- 30. Zócalo (Plaza) of Mexico City
- 31. Cave Offering of Q’eqchi’ Maya in Guatemala
- 32. 10.3.4 Ethnicity in Latin America Majority of Latin Americans are of mixed heritage In addition to the Native Americans, there are four leading racial types: Europeans Blacks Mestizos (Mixture of Spanish & Native American) Mulattoes (Mixed African & European ancestry) Only Argentina, Uruguay & Costa Rica have significant white European ethnic groups
- 33. Many Faces of Latin America European Black Mestizo Mulatto
- 34. 10.4 Economic Geography Latin America is generally a region of LDCs People do not enjoy a high standard of living One-third of population lives in poverty Large gap between the “Haves” and “Have-Nots” Glitter of Metropolises vs. Shantytowns (Favelas / Barrios) Benefited from global boom in commodities Abundance of raw materials Poverty and unemployment have diminished in recent years Heavy borrowing from international banking community Recent push to move away from commercial agriculture and raw materials toward manufactured exports
- 35. Shantytown of Belen in Iquitos, Peru
- 36. 10.4.1 Commercial Agriculture In many countries, more than half of all export revenue is still derived from farm products Overreliance on a narrow range of exports makes these countries economically vulnerable to changes in market conditions “Banana Republics”
- 37. 10.4.2 Types of Farms Farms are classified by size and system of production Latifundia Large estates with strong commercial orientation Also called haciendas and plantations Minifundia Smaller holdings with a strong subsistence component Generally, people who lack the money to purchase large and fertile properties Usually marginal plots, often on sharecropping basis
- 38. Henequen Plants on Plantation in Yucatan
- 39. Corn Vendor in Oaxaca, Mexico
- 40. 10.4.3 Minerals and Mining Latin America is a large-scale producer of a small number of key minerals Few nations gain large revenues from exporting minerals Chile (largest copper producer in the world) Venezuela and Brazil (iron ore) Venezuela was a founding member of OPEC in 1960 Some of profit from mineral production has funded significant infrastructure, including roads, power stations, water systems, schools, and hospitals
- 41. 10.4.4 Free Trade Agreements Many countries have formed or joined free-trade agreements, trying to reduce their dependence on raw materials and boost their exports of value-added manufactured products Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs) NAFTA (Mexico, United States, and Canada) Mercosur (Southern Cone Common Market) Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay Andean Community Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia DR-CAFTA Central American Common Market CARICOM (Caribbean Community) Plans for Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) U.S. 1-on-1 trade agreements with Chile (2004) & Peru (2007)
- 42. Economic Associations of Latin America
- 43. 10.4.5 Sending Money Home Immigrant Workers Remittances Earned savings sent home by people working abroad, especially in the United States In 2011, Latin Americans working in the U.S. sent home $61 billion Mexico has $24 billion infused yearly from Mexican laborers in the United States Multi-Latina Companies Some experienced workers return to their home countries to establish companies that invest in the U.S. Aiding the revival of certain down-trodden sectors of U.S. economy, including cement and steel mills
- 44. 10.4.6 Tourism in Latin America Tourism has become a major regional economic asset, generating critical foreign exchange Only oil exports are more valuable Tourism revenues reflect distance-decay relationship Highest tourism receipts flow to Mexico, the nearest neighbor to the wealthy countries Tourism revenues fall off for more distant destinations
- 45. 10.5 Geopolitical Issues The U.S. has staked its geostrategic claim to the region Monroe Doctrine (1823) Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine (1904) Cuban Missile Crisis (1962) Bay of Pigs Invasion Trading with the Enemies Act Plan Patriot Washington Consensus Modern U.S. Interests in Latin America Promoting trade Fighting drug trafficking Guaranteeing secure access to oil
- 46. 10.5.1 The Panama Canal Built between 1904 and 1914 by American contractors Intended to serve U.S. commercial and strategic interests For many decades, the canal zone was a U.S. territory Authority of the canal was handed over to Panama in 1999 One of the world’s most critical chokepoints 50-mile shortcut between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Saves about 20 days and 7,800 miles on a voyage between New York City and San Francisco 14,000 ships per year traveling along 80 shipping routes 5% of the world’s cargo volume (16% of the U.S.’)
- 47. Panama Canal Saves Distance, Time & Money
- 48. 10.6.1 Middle America: Mexico Largest, most complex, and most influential country in Middle America Most populated country where Spanish is the main language Mexico City is world’s second largest city in population with 27 million One of most urbanized countries in Middle America (78%) Ranks as world’s third most important megadiversity country Trade with the United States Mexico is 3rd largest provider of imports to U.S. (after China & Canada) U.S. exports more goods to Mexico than any other country but Canada Maquiladoras are factories built by American firms just inside of Mexico Oil is Mexico’s most important export, and 90% of it goes to the U.S., making it the second largest oil supplier to the U.S. (after Canada)
- 49. 10.6.2 Central America: Panama Canal The narrow Isthmus of Panama separates Pacific and Atlantic oceans by only 50 miles Best location for transcontinental shipment routes In 1855, the Panama Canal Railway became the 1st transcontinental railway and is still in use In 1878, a French firm was granted permission to build a canal near the railroad line This venture went bankrupt in 1889 In 1903, Panama broke away from Colombia The U.S. struck a deal with the new government to build the canal, and it was completed in 1914. It cost $380 million and many lives were lost to disease Profile and Plan of Thanks to growing trade, expanding ports, the Panama Canal and residential / commercial development, Panama’s economy has boomed in recent years
- 50. 10.6.3 South America: Venezuela Venezuela’s Petroleum Politics Blessed with large oil resources in the coastal area around Lake Maracaibo Oil makes up about 95% of Venezuela’s exports by value Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez spearheaded regional quest for liberation from Spain He also rewrote Venezuelan constitution, put friends on the supreme court, controlled media, and jailed political foes Called his political philosophy “21st-century socialism” Chávez used Venezuela’s oil wealth to advance his political agenda across the Western Hemisphere Built alliances with Latin America’s leftist leaders and courted center and right governments of the region to move his way Goal to build a coalition to counter U.S.-led free-trade efforts
- 51. 10.6.4 South America: Colombia Colombia has had an outstanding reversal of fortune in recent years They have abundant resources, which are under less threat from opposition forces than they were a few years ago: Large hydropower capacity Coalfields in Andes, the Caribbean coast, and the interior lowlands Oil in Magdalena Valley and interior Natural gas near Lake Maracaibo Iron ore and reserves of nickel However, illegal cocaine and marijuana may have been its largest exports In 2002, Alvaro Uribe was elected president He has pleased both his citizens and the U.S. Congress by cracking down on rebellion and violence fueled by the drug trade
- 52. 10.6.5 South America: Brazil Brazil is the largest Latin American country both in terms of area (3.3 million square miles) and population (197 million as of 2011) An increasingly important role in hemispheric and world affairs Candidate for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council Explosive urbanism has made São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro two of the world’s largest cities Rise of manufacturing and diversification of export agriculture Economy is the 10th largest in the world, and is projected to become the 4th largest by 2050 Brazil is one of the world’s major bread baskets and is the world leader in ethanol production Strong relationship with China, sharing many exports and imports Large natural gas and oil reserves have been found offshore and in the remote central Amazon region Could rival those in Saudi Arabia, but are far offshore and very deep, making drilling difficult / potentially damaging to environment Latin America’s most unequal distribution of national wealth
- 53. 10.6.6 South America: The Amazon The Amazon Basin Amazon River handles more volume than any other river in world Basin covers some 2.7 million square miles Home to world’s largest remaining expanse of tropical rain forest and some of world’s most remote populations of indigenous peoples Its rain forest contains many species of plants and animals Helps mitigate global warming due to excess greenhouse gas emissions Trans-Amazon Highway: Brazil began construction in 1970s on the main line of an interoceanic highway connecting Atlantic and Peruvian coasts Regional Initiative for the Infrastructure Integration of South America Ecological concerns about deforestation resulting from building this road Hardwoods from forest are harvested and sold (40% shipped abroad) Human interference has removed 20%, or 1.6 million square miles, of the tropical rain forest cover of the Amazon Basin since the 1960s Continued development of the rain forest threatens not only the environment, but also indigenous tribes and their cultures
- 54. The Amazon Basin A view from the MIDDLE of the Amazon River, more than 2,000 miles upstream from its mouth, near Iquitos , Peru. Although so far upstream, this stretch of the river is navigable by oceangoing vessels. Deforestation and Road Development in the Brazilian Amazon