Transcript Chapter 3 - Latin America and the Caribbean

Chapter 3:
Latin America and the Caribbean
Physical Diversity
•
Three structural landforms
1. Eastern Highlands
•
•
•
Central Brazil
Southern Venezuela,
Guyana, Suriname, and
French Guiana
Southern Argentina
2. Central Lowlands—South
America
3. Western Alpine Zone
•
•
•
Southern Chile
Argentina
Into Central America and
Mexico
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 2
Weather and Climate
•
•
•
•
•
Varied as its landforms
Flat-topped mountains
Volcanoes
Notable are its extensive areas of tropic climates
Savannas and rainforests
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 3
Latin American Climates
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 4
Roman and Moorish Heritage
•
Roman influence
•
•
•
•
•
Dominates its land use form
Saw cities as places for the “civilized”
(civilitas).
Upper-class Romans held large estates
(latifundios).
Brought Christianity
Moorish era
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduced advanced hydrologic
engineering
Metallurgic technology
Numerous crops
Coffee
Rice
Citrus
Made Iberia a center of education and
relative enlightenment
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 5
Impact of Colonialism
•
•
Spanish Conquest by Conquistadores —Gold,
God, and glory
Native Indian civilizations
•
•
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
All sustained by agriculture—mainly crop
harvesting.
Types
• Aztec—Most urbanized
• Tenochtitlan—One of the largest cities
on Earth (Mexico)
• Maya—Most ancient
• Guatemala and Mexico
• Chibcha
• Agricultural villages in Columbia
• Inca
• Noted for infrastructure development
• High mountains of Southern Peru and
Bolivia
• Excelled at authoritarian social and
political order
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 6
European New World Settlement
• Spanish
• Caribbean islands
• Mexico
• British and French
• Caribbean island
• Parts of South America
• Portugal—South America
• Economic relationships
• Encomienda—New World version of European manorial system
• Mercantilism—Exploitative, exclusive trade between colony and
mother country
• Raw materials from colony to mother country
• Finished goods to colony at exorbitant prices
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 7
Social Organization
• Highly stratified according to race
• Cultural racial classification system came into place
• Types
• Mestizos—Intermingling between Spanish/Portuguese and darkerskinned natives
• Mulattos—Offspring of white–black unions
• Zambos—Offspring of white–Indian unions
• Spanish preoccupation with race reflected social
inequalities of colonial society.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 8
Distinctness of Catholicism in Latin America
•
Formal
•
•
•
•
•
Nominal (“in name only”)
•
•
•
Small European upper-class
Urban centers
Emphasis on piety, faith, and Sacraments
Emphasis on devotional societies, charities,
and social clubs
Rural peasant population and urban poor
Anticlericalism
Folk
•
•
Mixture of European Catholicism and nonCatholic faith and beliefs
American Indian
•
•
•
Pre-Columbian animalistic and medieval
catholic customs
Centered in mountains and valleys
Spiritism
•
•
•
Caribbean-based
Black and mulattos
Aspects of Voodoo and Santería
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 9
Era of Independence
•
•
Lingering effects of colonialism
Continued social stratification
•
•
•
•
•
Peninsulares—Europeans born in the Iberian peninsula
Criollos—Those born in American colonies
Fundamental inequities in landholding
Latifundos—large estates
Three forms
1. Plantations
2. Haciendas
3. Estancias
•
Centrality of marketplaces
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 10
Urbanization
• Predominantly an urban society
now
• 75% urbanized
• Rural to urban migration
• Self-perpetuating cycle of
growth
• Large metropoli (megacities)
• Mexico City
• Sao Paolo
• Rio de Janiero
• Shantytowns/squatter
settlements
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 11
Social and Religious Change
• Totalitarian regimes
• Typically associated with military power
• Juntas
• Oligarchs
• Began to fade after World War II
• Urbanization
• Industrialization
• Democratic political institutions developed
• Threats to institutional Catholic Church
• Secularism
• Protestant fundamentalism
• Liberation theology
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 12
Economic Change
• Need for development of capital
• Neocolonialism—Depending on external
sources for investment to grow
economies
• Debt crises
• Vestiges of expansive borrowing
• Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico all have
had crises in recent years.
• Privatization
• Emphasis on multinational economic
unions
• Free Trade Across the Americas (FTAA)
• North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA)
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 13
The Nations, Cities, and Major Highways of Middle
America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 14
Mexico: Great Development Potential
• 72% of all land in Middle America
• 57% of population of that area
• A land of revolutions
• Strangled by the mercantile system
• Stunted by class stratification
• Lapsed into political chaos and despotism in 1800s
•
•
•
•
Santa Anna—Flamboyant demagogue
Benito Juarez—Liberal that followed Santa Anna in 1855
Dictatorship under Porfirio Díaz
Revolution between 1910 and 1917
• Since 1917, relatively politically stable
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 15
Mexico: National Unity
•
•
Political stability brought beginnings of economic and social
development.
Three approaches to strengthen national allegiance
1. Establish public education as a national priority.
2. Glorifying Mexico’s “Indianness”
3. Encouragement of political activism by lower-class masses
•
Political parties
•
•
•
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) is dominant—Almost one-party
state until 1990s.
Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) is leftist coalition.
National Action Party (PAN) is a pro-business alliance; its leader was
elected president in 2000—first non-PRI president.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 16
The Latin American Debt Crisis
• Excessive borrowing from international banks and their
representatives, including the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank
• Neither borrower nor lender paid attention to ability to
repay.
• Debt levels in 2006 in the hundreds of millions of dollars
• Brazil—$194 million
• Argentina—$122 million
• Mexico—$160 million
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 17
Reactions to the Debt Crisis
• Baker Plan (James Baker, US Secretary of State)
• Bridge loans to cover interest on the debt
• Assumption that debt to cover debt is acceptable
• Bought time for lenders and borrowers
• Brady Plan (Nicholas Brady, US Treasury Secretary)
• Strategies acknowledging that debtors may be unable to repay debts
without severely impacting their development
• Proposal to forgive a significant part of debt
• IMF and World Bank guarantees for remaining debt.
• Requirements of debtor countries to enact changes in economic practices
• Changes sometimes had social and political ramifications.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 18
Promising Development Strategies
• Tourism
• Major source in Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, the
Dominican Republic, and parts of the Lesser Antilles
• Less effective where there were beaches, Indian ruins, nonproximity to the US, or where political instability exists
• Trade
• Multinational economic unions
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 19
Principal Mineral-Producing Areas of Middle
America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 20
Maquiladoras
• Means “milling or producing”
• US factories
• Less stringent regulation than
in US
• Located on border towns on US
border
• Nuevo Laredo, Mexico
• Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 21
Many Mexicos: Seven Distinct Regions
•
•
•
•
Border cities
Northeastern Mexico
Gulf Coast
Yucatan Peninsula
• Historically, one of the poorest regions
• Irrigated citrus groves helping it to prosper
• Tourism
• South
• Vast, rugged mountain ranges
• The poorest and most isolated
• Has provided refuge to antigovernment guerilla groups
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 22
Many Mexicos: Seven Distinct Regions
(Continued)
• Valley of Mexico
•
•
•
•
Great interlocking series of snowcapped volcanoes
Uncontrolled population growth
Extensive industry
Mexico City
•
•
•
•
•
22 million people (megacity)
One of the world’s most polluted cities
Diesel and gasoline fumes
Chronic water shortages
Yet, also some of the world’s greatest museums
• The West
• Semiarid region
• Developing rapidly
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 23
Central America
• Troubled region of six small countries
•
•
•
•
•
Serious economic and political challenges
Limited mineral wealth
Physical isolation
Poor transportation networks
Small markets for manufactured goods
• Little changes since colonial era
• Torn apart in 1990s by various guerilla movements, death
squads, and US military intervention.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 24
Regions of Middle America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 25
Historical Land Use
•
•
•
•
Settled in two different directions.
Dating back to 1500s
First commercial crop introduced was coffee.
1850s—Family-operated coffee farms (fincas) dominated
central plateau.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 26
Bananas
• Crop that has most strongly influenced the development of
Central America
• Spaniards introduced it to the region.
• Hispaniola in 1516
• Central America shortly thereafter
• Early 19th century
• Refrigerated ships made possible commercial cultivation
• 1890s—First shipments to Boston and New Orleans
• Standard and United Fruit companies came to exercise
large influence in many countries.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 27
Economic Development
•
Agriculture very prominent
•
•
•
•
•
Coffee
Bananas
Irrigated cotton
Chilled beef
Cool-weather vegetables
•
•
•
•
•
Broccoli
Potatoes
Onions
Ornamental plants and cut flowers
Commercial fishing
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 28
Guatemala
•
Guatemala
•
•
•
•
The largest, the poorest, and the most politically troubled
Sugar, coffee, and cattle widely produced
36-year civil war ended in 1996.
CIA interference in 1950s (United Fruit company)
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 29
El Salvador
• Most densely populated
• Migration
• To shantytowns outside San
Salvador
• To neighboring countries
• No agricultural frontier
• Emphasis on industrialization
• Relatively skilled and
industrious labor force
• No minerals of significance
• Power mostly imported
• 1992—End of deadly 12-year
civil war
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 30
Honduras
• Population of only 7 million;
sparsely settled
• Limited manufacturing
• Some maquilladoras (see
picture)
• Agriculture is almost sole
occupation
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 31
Nicaragua
• Long history of political instability
• US military occupation between 1912 and 1933
• 1937—Somoza family gained control and ruled until
1979.
• Somoza controlled over half of the wealth in the country.
• Sandinistas
• Took control in 1980s.
• Later lost elections
• Currently seeking a comeback.
• Sparsely populated and little developed
• Basically, an agricultural country
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 32
Costa Rica
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Differs from other Central American countries
Has developed a socioeconomic middle class
Spirit of national unity
90% literacy
Well-developed infrastructure
Democratic government
Considerable regional specialization
•
•
•
•
Coffee
Bananas
Cut flowers
Cattle ranching
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 33
Panama
•
•
•
Owes existence and economic
vitality to US
Panama Canal
Divides country into two parts
1. East
•
Little developed rain forest
2. West
•
•
•
Numerous banana plantations
along Caribbean coast
Beef cattle, rice, staple food
crops in interior
Tertiary activities in Canal Zone
•
•
•
•
Retailing
Shipping
Banking
Drug trafficking
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 34
The Caribbean
• Greater Antilles
•
•
•
•
Cuba
Hispaniola
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
• Lesser Antilles
• Continental rimland nations
•
•
•
•
•
Guyana
Belize
Suriname
French Guiana
Relatively small size and harsh environments
• Challenges
• Need to overcome colonial legacies
• Preserve both the local ways of life and the environmental balance in the
face of increasing numbers of foreign visitors
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 35
The Caribbean Culture Realm
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 36
Cuba
• Ignored by Spaniards throughout the colonial era
• US protectorate at beginning of 20th century
•
•
•
•
Tourism exploded
Yellow fever eradicated
Sugarcane became the “grass of Cuba”.
Havana—Mecca of gambling and nightclubs
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 37
The Cuban Revolution
•
1959—Castro overthrows the
Batista government.
•
Promises major reforms
• Lessen Cuban dependence on
foreign nations
•
•
Switched allegiances and
dependencies on Soviet
assistance
Breakup of USSR brought new
economic challenges
• Diversify Cuban agriculture
• Succeeded in removing Hispanic
historical prejudice against
farming
•
•
Breakup of Berlin Wall and USSR
has effects
2006—Castro yields to his brother
Raul.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 38
Puerto Rico
•
US commonwealth
•
•
•
Pays no income taxes
No full statehood
Three-pronged development
plan
1. Industrialization
2. Agricultural improvement
3. Expansion of tourism
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 39
Hispaniola
• Haiti
•
•
•
•
•
•
African and French elements
Almost entirely black
Extreme poverty
Decay is everywhere.
Erratic water and power supplies in Port-au-Prince
Criminality and lawlessness rule.
• Dominican Republic
•
•
•
•
Hispanic flavor
Subsistence agriculture, large ranches, and mechanized farms
Improving infrastructure
Tourism is booming.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 40
Belize and Jamaica
• Belize
• Independence from Britain in
1981, but strongly influenced
by English culture.
• Population less than 300,000
• Tropical hardwoods and other
forest products traditional base
• Sugar and citrus have become
significant exports.
• Jamaica
• British influences from 1655
when captured from Spanish
• Severe social turmoil
• Rich in bauxite—aluminum
ore
• Unemployment chronically
high
• Crime increasing
• Shantytowns of Kingston
• Rastafarian marijuana dealers
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 41
Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana
• Little known, culturally Caribbean nations
• Settled during 16th and 17th centuries by Spanish,
Portuguese, Dutch, English, and French colonists
• Guyana and French Guiana—Governed by Britain
• Suriname—Dutch possession
• Sugarcane
• Importation of slaves
• Indentured laborers from Indian subcontinent in 19th century
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 42
Countries, Selected Cities, and Major Highways of
South America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 43
Major Physiographic Regions of South America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 44
Principal Mineral-Producing Areas of South
America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 45
Population Distribution of South America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 46
Dominant Ethnic Groups in South America
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 47
Andean South America
•
•
•
•
•
Land of social and political fragmentation
Dominated by high mountainous core
Humid lowlands of Amazon and Orinoco river basins
Narrow coastal lowland
Countries
•
•
•
•
•
Venezuela
Columbia
Ecuador
Peru
Bolivia
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 48
Venezuela
•
•
Rich and diverse resource base—notably oil
Four regions
1. Andean Highlands
•
•
Most of Venezuelan population resides here.
Urban centers
2. Maracaibo Lowlands
3. Guiana Highlands
•
•
Under development
Vast iron ore and bauxite reserves
4. Llanos
•
•
•
Troubled area
Rough terrain
Breeding ground for political dictatorships
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 49
Venezuelan Economy
•
Petroleum-producing country
•
•
•
•
•
Helped country to fund social
infrastructure
Profits threatened lately by
increasing political instability
Iron ores and bauxite reserves
Urban centers
87% of 26 million population resides
in cities.
•
•
•
•
•
Caracas—3.6 million
Maracaibo
Valencia
Maracay
Barquisimeto
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 50
Columbia
• Deep social divisions and history of violence
• Regional rivalries
• Conservative culture
• Medellin
• Cali
• Other cities of Cauca River Valley
• Liberal Culture
• Bogota
• Magdalena River Valley
• Failure of government to control land east of Andes
• Area harbors subsistence agriculture
• Drug trafficking
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 51
Columbia: Historical Antecedents
• Spanish conquistadores occupied in 16th century
• Colonial era domination by oligarchy
•
•
•
•
Church
Military
Civil officers
Persisted until 1936 with enactment of new land law
• Land law impact
• Provoked land barons to evict colonos
• Colonos emerged as a vast, homeless subclass.
• Indiscriminate violence (La Violencia) lasted until 1960s.
• Political developments
• 1957 to 1974—Political parties divide cabinet posts.
• 1990—End of leftist guerilla insurgency.
• Guerilla groups on left and right now control almost half of territory.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 52
Columbia: Notorious Drug Trafficking
•
Organized crime syndicates
•
•
•
•
•
Control major cities
Large expanses of rural hinterlands
Hired private armies
•
•
•
Medellin
Cali
Guerilla bands
Homeless street children
Have engaged in many lawless
activities
•
•
•
Kidnappings
Assassination attempts
Bribery of government officials
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 53
Columbia: Urban Modern Economy
• Bogota major urban center in South America
• Cosmopolitan/7.6 million population
• Agriculture and industrial economies
• Barranquilla—Leading Caribbean port
• Manizales, Pereira, Medellin
• Textiles
• Food processing
• Banking
• Cali
• Most rapid growth
• Diversified economy
• El Cerrejón
• Coal deposits
• Petroleum production has increased.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 54
Ecuador
• Deep social and economic
divisions
• Tension between rural and
urban groups
• Notoriously unstable political
environment
• Ignored in favor of Peru during
colonial era by Spain
• Export economy
• Bananas
• Petroleum
• Fish products
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 55
Ecuadorean Landform Geography
• Oriente
• East of Andes
• Sparsely settled rainforest
• Major oil field discovered in 1967.
• Pacific Lowlands
• Most dynamic and progressive region
• Guayaquil now the nation’s largest city.
• Andean Highlands
• Population concentrated in Callejón Andino.
• Has both minifundios and latifundios.
• Major road-building projects have served as connections.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 56
Ecuadorian Demographics
• 13 million—Evenly divided
• Rural
• Andean Indian farmers
• Some are still illiterate.
• Locally focused
• Urbanites
•
•
•
•
•
Spanish
Mestizos
More nationalistic
Mostly literate
Aspire to white-collar employment
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 57
Peru
• Spanish Conquest left deep divisions.
• European vs. Indian values
• Economic production systems
• Spanish influences
•
•
•
•
•
Private property concept
Large-scale commercial agriculture
Mining
Nation-state
Urban/Westernized
• Indians
• Locally focused/emphasis on local traditions
• Agriculture/subsistence farming
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 58
Coastal Peru
•
Coastal Peru a narrow ribbon of desert
•
•
•
Arid
Cool temperatures
Economy
•
Lima–Callao oasis
• Truck gardening
• Dairying
• Lima increasingly industrialized
•
Fishing
• Guano—Bird droppings from huge flocks
of seabirds
• El Niño—Warm equatorial front affecting
fishing industry
•
Crops
•
•
•
•
Sugarcane
Bananas
Cotton
Rice
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 59
Peruvian Interior
• Andes
• Peasant Indians
• Quechua
• Aymara
• Language
• Spanish (80%)
• Quechua (17%)
• Aymara (3%)
•
•
•
•
Mountains have extensive mineral deposits.
Repeated attempts to colonize montana in Amazon Basin
Iquitos—Major urban center
Amazon River is the major port.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 60
Peruvian Government Policies
• Active role in directing economic and social change
•
•
•
•
Seizure of political power from landed gentry
Unification of society
Education
Agrarian reform
• 1980s/1990s troubled time
•
•
•
•
Economic dislocation due to coca farming within montana
High inflation rates
Heavy foreign debt load
Political instability
• Drug producers
• Shining path
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 61
Bolivia
• Long been divided
• Small, elite European upper class
• Large underclass of Indians
• Chronic political instability from factional
rivalries
• Altiplano
• High plain
• Perpetually cold and arid
• Rural farmers
• Economic development
• Highlands are one of the greatest mining
districts in the world.
• Large natural gas and petroleum deposits in
Chaco
• Yungas area for coca production
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 62
Southern South America
• Known collectively as the Southern Cone.
•
•
•
•
•
Relatively prosperous
Well-defined middle class
High literacy rates
Nation-state well-defined/ingrained
Culturally unified
• Countries
•
•
•
•
Chile
Argentina
Uruguay
Paraguay
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 63
Chile
• Heart is the Central Valley
• Mediterranean climate
• Cohesive society
• Atacama Desert
• Very little rainfall
• Sparsely populated
• Minerals
• Nitrates
• Copper
• Iron ore
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 64
Chile (Continued)
• Southern Chile
• Marine west coast
• Abundant rainfall
• Cool temperatures
• Central Chile
• Most of population, industry and commercial agriculture
• Agricultural heartland
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 65
Chilean Political History
• Colonial roots
• Large, inefficient haciendas
• Inefficient labor supply of inquilinos
• Rapid industrialization following War of the Pacific
• Political power moves to reform-oriented urban parties.
• Greater control of foreign investment
• Allende elected first Marxist head of state (1970).
•
•
•
•
Nationalized mining industry
Accelerated land redistribution
Took over banks and communications
Opposition, inflation, and unemployment
• Military revolt in 1973 and Allende killed.
• Pinochet—Military dictator until 1990
• Massive human rights violations
• Democratic elections after Pinochet
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 66
Argentina
• Second largest territory in Latin America.
• One of the richest agricultural bases in the world.
• Colonial roots
• Europeans arrived 16th century.
• Spanish focused on gold and silver mines in arid NW.
• Agricultural communities formed along rivers.
• Expansion of Buenos Aires and the Pampa in 18th century.
• Independence 1816
• 1946—COL Juan Perón takes over in a military coup.
• Nationalized major industries
• Jobs to descamisados in new, inefficient state-controlled factores
• Perón ousted 1955.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 67
Argentina’s History
• Series of military regimes
•
•
•
•
1973—Perón returns from exile.
Wife, Isabel, succeeds him one year later after his death.
Isabel deposed 1976 by military junta.
Dirty War follows.
• Military rulers prosecute failed war against Great Britain over
Falkland (Maldives) Islands.
• Menem elected amidst inflation and declining living standards.
• Privatization
• Failed to curb rampant political corruption
• Major debt crises in early 21st century.
• Defaulted on international debts for three days
• Resulted in election in 2003 of President Nestor Kirschner.
• Kirchner’s wife succeeds him as president.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 68
Argentinian Economy
•
•
•
•
Buenos Aires and Pampa form heartland.
13.3 million—Buenos Aires (primate city)
Manufacturing and service industries
Other regions
• West
• Old cities of Córdoba, Mendoza, and Tecumán
• Important growth centers
• Agricultural base
• Some petroleum and metals in East Andes
• Patagonia
• Sparsely populated
• Sheep raising
• Irrigated alfalfa fields, cattle ranches, vineyards, and fruit orchards
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 69
Uruguay and Paraguay
• Uruguay
•
•
•
•
•
One of the small South American nations
One of the highest standards of living
Rich agricultural base
Geologically, a transition zone
Military rule in 1973 ended long-standing, two-party democratic
government.
• Civilian rule restored in 1985.
• Paraguay
• Poor and landlocked
• Gran Chaco
• Sparsely populated Western two-thirds
• One of the harshest environments on Earth
• Limited industry
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 70
Brazil: Latin America’s Potential Economic Giant
• Largest of all Latin American nations
• Fifth largest country in the world
• Geology
• Diverse
• Rich and extensive ore deposits
• Gold and diamonds, iron ore, bauxite, and ferroalloys
• Steel production
• Largest in South America
• One of the largest in the world
•
•
•
•
Greatest debt burden of any Latin American nation
High inflation
Political corruption
Stagnant standard of living for middle and lower classes
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 71
Brazil’s Regions
•
•
•
•
•
Traditional and modern
West sparsely populated
East densely settled
Six regions
São Paulo
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 72
São Paulo, Brazil
• Economics
•
•
•
•
•
•
Most modern and productive region
Per capita income is far above the national average.
Two-thirds of total national industrial output
55% of national manufacturing
Leading financial center
Leads the nation in agricultural production
• Megacity
•
•
•
•
•
19 million population
Rural to urban migration
Poor, illiterate, and unskilled
Lack access to infrastructure
Air pollution
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 73
Rio de Janeiro
• Second largest city
• Distinctive Carioca culture
• 11 million people
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 74
Brazil: The South
•
•
•
•
•
Distinctive flavor
19th century settlement by German and Italian farmers
Agriculture is main economic livelihood.
Urban areas are regional service centers.
Typical manufacturing
•
•
•
•
•
Milling
Meat packing
Tanning
Textiles
Breweries
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 75
Brazil: The East
• Modern meets the traditional.
• Large modern urban center—Rio de Janeiro
• Megacity
• 11 million
• Shortage of level land for urban development
• One of the most mineralized areas of the world
• Mineral Triangle
•
•
•
•
Gold
Diamonds
Iron ore
Other gems
• Volta Redonda—Iron ore and steel-making center
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 76
Brazilian Northeast
•
•
•
•
•
Once the center of the country
Now poverty-stricken
Feudalistic social structures continue.
Low levels of technology
Three cities
1.
2.
3.
•
Recife
Salvador
Fortaleza
Service centers
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 77
Brazilian Central West
•
Central West
•
•
Large portion of Brazilian
Highlands
Two main cities
1. Brasília—Planned city (see
picture)
2. Goiania—Second regional
center
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 78
Brazilian North
• Amazon Basin
• Vast region
• Multilayered rainforests
• Diversity of plant and animal
life
• Reasons for failure
• Soils must be fertile.
• Reliance on single crop
• Cropping systems require
fungicides and herbicides
antithetical to Green
revolution.
• Trans-Amazon Highway
• Massive road system out of
the Basin
• Encourage underemployed
migrants to settle there.
World Regional Geography,
Tenth Edition
Copyright © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. 79