© T. M. Whitmore

TODAY

•Migration – the 3rd part of the population equationRural to urban migration

•Social GeographiesWealth Social development indicators

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LAST TIME- Questions?

•Día de los muertos

•Migration – the 3rd part of the population equationInternational to/from LA USA-LA migrationRemittances

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Migration: rural => rural

•From densely settled highlands to sparsely settled lowlands

Andean to AmazoniaAndean to coastCentral American

•From densely settled NE Brazil and S cities to Amazonia

•Also temporary r -> r circulation

•Myriad of interacting factors “driving” migration

Amazonia

© David Carr

Sugar mill in S coastal Guatemala

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4th type: rural => urban migration

•What is it? Rural to urban migration => permanent change of residence

•Why migrate? “Push” and “Pull” forcesEconomic welfareSocial welfare Other factors

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Economic pushes & pulls•Lack of land

•Few non-farm opportunities

•Little upward mobility

•Development => fewer rural jobs & jobs with less dignity

•New jobs have less autonomy

•Strategy of family income diversification

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Social (pushes & pulls)•Education

•Health care access

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Other (pushes & pulls)

•Environmental

•Violence

•Individual factors

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Who migrates?•Age

•Gender

•Marital status

•Education level

•Personal

•Ethnicity

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How do migrants move?

•Migration patterns Role of information Role of social networksRole of “steps”Role of distance and costs

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Social Geography & Development: Wealth

•Average wealth in GDP (in PPP)/capita

•World ~ $9,940Lesser developed ~ $4,760-5,480

•USA ~ $44,260

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Social Geography & Development: Wealth II

•LA ~ $8,630

•Extremes of GDP/capita in LA (< $5,000)Low

Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala Jamaica, Haiti (<$1,500!)Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay

> LA average GDP/capita (> $8,500)Costa Rica, MexicoArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay

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Percent population living on <$2/day

•World average > 50%

•Latin American average ~ 24%Countries with > 30%

Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador,

Jamaica, Haiti, Bolivia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Countries with fewer than LA averageCosta Rica, MexicoArgentina, Brazil, Uruguay Chile

GDP/capita

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Wealth distribution I•USA

Richest 20% have 40% of all incomePoorest 20% have 5% 65% in middle class

•GINI coefficientsUSA ~ 41Mexico ~46Bolivia ~60Brazil ~56Guatemala ~60

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Wealth distribution II•Latin America

Richest 20% have 50-65% of all income

Poorest 20% have 2-5%30% in the middleCountries with top 20% with more

than 50% of all incomeBrazil, Panama, Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela

•Changing over time

•Varies within countries

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Social development indicators

•The Human Development Index

•Safe water access

•Population to hospital bed ratio

•% of children < age 5 underweight

•Overall worst levels of human developmentBolivia; Ecuador; Paraguay; PeruEl Salvador; Guatemala; Honduras;

NicaraguaDominican Republic; Haiti