GEOG 310 Middle America Sriram Khé Associate Professor of Geography
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Transcript of GEOG 310 Middle America Sriram Khé Associate Professor of Geography
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GEOG 310
Middle America
Sriram KhéAssociate Professor of Geography
MIDDLE AMERICA
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INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE AMERICA
THE REALM– MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA,
CARIBBEAN ISLANDSMAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES– FRAGMENTED - PHYSICALLY AND
POLITICALLY– DIVERSE CULTURALLY– POVERTY IS ENDEMIC
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REGIONS OF MIDDLE AMERICA
Mexico
Central America
Greater Antilles
Lesser Antilles
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MIDDLE AMERICA
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Poverty
Home to the poorest countries of the Americas:– Haiti– Honduras– Nicaragua
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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
LAND BRIDGE
ARCHIPELAGO– GREATER AND LESSER ANTILLES
NATURAL HAZARDS– EARTHQUAKES– VOLCANOES– HURRICANES
I wonder why?
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WORLD TECTONIC PLATES
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DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES & VOLCANOES
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WORLD HURRICANE TRACKS
Hurricane Mitch devastated Central America in October 1998
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CULTURE HEARTHSOURCE AREAS from which radiated ideas, innovations, and ideologies that changed the world beyond.
Mesoamerica HearthsAztecsMayans
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MESOAMERICA
CULTURE HEARTHS– MAYA CIVILIZATION
• CLASSIC PERIOD 200-900 AD• HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, BELIZE, YUCATAN
PENINSULA• THEOCRATIC STRUCTURE
– AZTEC CIVILIZATION• 1300 AD• VALLEY OF MEXICO
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SPAINSPAIN
FRANCEFRANCE
BRITAINBRITAIN
COLONIAL HERITAGE
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THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM
Land was appropriated - colonial commercial interestsLands devoted to food crops for local consumption were converted to cash cropping for export
Land Alienation induces:– Famine– Poverty– Migration– Little agricultural diversity
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COLONIAL SPHERES
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MAINLAND/RIMLAND FRAMEWORK
MAINLAND– EURO-INDIAN INFLUENCE– GREATER ISOLATION– HACIENDA PREVAILED
RIMLAND– EURO-AFRICAN INFLUENCE– HIGH ACCESSIBILITY– PLANTATION ECONOMY
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MAINLAND vs RIMLAND
Location greater isolation greater accessibility
Climate altitudinal tropicalzonation
Physiography mountains islands
Culture Euro/Indian African-European
MAINLAND RIMLAND
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HACIENDA vs PLANTATION
HACIENDA– SPANISH INSTITUTION– NOT EFFICIENT BUT SOCIAL PRESTIGE– WORKERS LIVED ON THE LAND
PLANTATION– NORTHERN EUROPEAN ORIGINS– EXPORT ORIENTED MONOCROPS– IMPORTED CAPITAL AND SKILLS– SEASONAL LABOR– EFFICIENCY IS KEY
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AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
PlantationPlantation•Production for exportProduction for export•Single cash cropSingle cash crop•Seasonal EmploymentSeasonal Employment•Profit motive $$$Profit motive $$$•““factory in the field” efficiency factory in the field” efficiency
NaturalResources
A major oilProducer:About 3.5 million barrels per daySaudia Arabia produces about 9 mil bpd
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Assembly plants that pioneered the migration of industries in the 1970s
Today
–>4,000 maquiladoras
–>1 million employees
MAQUILADORAS
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Modern industrial plants
Assemble imported, duty-free components/raw materials
Export the finished products
Mostly foreign-owned (U.S., Japan)
80% of goods reexported to U.S.
Tariffs limited to value added during assembly
MAQUILADORAS
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Maquiladora products
MAQUILADORAS
Electronic equipment
Electric appliances
Auto parts
Clothing
Furniture
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ADVANTAGES
– Mexico gains jobs.
– Foreign owners benefit from cheaper labor costs.
EFFECTS
– Regional development
– Development of an international growth corridor between Monterrey and Dallas - Fort Worth
MAQUILADORAS
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MAQUILADORASTijuana
NogalesCiudadJuarez
Matamoros
Reynosa
Monterrey
Chihuahua
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GDP PER CAPITA ALONG THE US-MEXICAN BORDER
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NAFTA
Effective 1 January 1994 Established a trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the US, which:
–Reduced and regulated trade tariffs, barriers, and quotas between members
–Standardized finance & service exchanges
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NAFTA
How has Mexico benefited from NAFTA?
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MEXICO AND NAFTA
Foremost, it promises a higher standard of living.
NAFTA creates more jobs for Mexicans as US companies begin to invest more heavily in the Mexican market.
Mexican exporters increase their sales to the US and Canada.
Is that the entire story?
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U.S. TRADE WITH CANADA & MEXICO
Canada remains as the United States’ largest export market.Since 1977, Mexico has moved into second place (displacing Japan).85% of all Mexican exports now go to the United States.75% of Mexico’s imports originate in the United States.
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ECONOMIC TRENDS (Central America & the Caribbean)
Agriculture
Industry
Services– Tourism
Environmental Issues– Deforestation
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El Salvador– Agriculture accounts for 24% of GDP and 40%
of the labor force and contributes to 60% of exports.
– Economic losses because of guerrilla sabotage total $2 billion since 1979.
Honduras– Agriculture accounts for more than 25% of
GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports.
– Economic loss because of natural disaster
PRIMARY SECTOR DEPENDENCE
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HIPC
Honduras and Nicaragua are on the HIPC list– Heavily indebted poor countries– The Initiative is designed to reduce debts to
sustainable levels for poor countries that pursue economic and social policy reforms,
– Used specifically in cases where traditional debt relief mechanisms will not be enough to help countries exit from the rescheduling process.
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The weight of debt
Nicaragua's external debt currently stands at 6.7 billion dollars.- 25% of the Nicaraguan budget is spent on debt payments – Contrast to … 14% on health care – 11% on education
Almost half the population falling below the poverty line. High levels of infant mortality and maternal mortality, and a high level of infectious and parasitic diseases. Malnutrition is widespread with around 20 per cent of children under five being chronically malnourished or stunted
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PRIMARY SECTOR DEPENDENCE
Dominican Republic (49% Agriculture)– Sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa,
and tobaccoJamaica (22.5% Agriculture)– Sugar, bananas, and rum (Hurricane
Gilbert -1988)Cuba (20% Agriculture)– Sugar, tobacco, citrus, and coffee
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ALTITUDINAL ZONATIONMiddle & South America’s Vertical Climate Zones
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ALTITUDINAL ZONATION
SeaLevel
SeaLevel
2500’ 750 m
TIERRA CALIENTE(Hot Land)
Bananas, Cocoa, Sugar, Rice
Middle & South America’s Vertical Climate Zones
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6,000’ 1800 m
ALTITUDINAL ZONATION
SeaLevel
2000’ 600 m
SeaLevel
TIERRA TEMPLADA (Temperate Land)
Coffee, Rice, Corn, Sugar
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ALTITUDINAL ZONATION
SeaLevel
6,000’
2000’
2,000 m
600 m
SeaLevel
12,000’ 3,600 m
TIERRA FRIA(Cold Land)
Corn, Wheat, Potato
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THE TOURISM OPTIONAntigua and Barbuda– Direct contribution of 13% to GDP and affects
growth in other sectorsThe Bahamas– Tourism alone provides 50% of GDP and
directly or indirectly employs 40% of the population.
Cuba– Growing industry
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ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Tropical Deforestation
3.5 million acres of woodland in Central America disappear each year!
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CAUSES OF TROPICAL DEFORESTATION
Clearing of rural lands to accommodate meat production and exportRapid logging of tropical woodlands to meet global demands for new housing, paper, and furniturePopulation growth: forests are cut to provide crop-raising space and firewood
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Internal Wars
Nicaragua– Sandinistas v. Contras
Panama– Remember Manuel Noriega?
Honduras– Drawn into conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador
El Salvador– 12-year civil war ends in 1992
Guatemala– A peace agreement in 1996 ends a 36-year civil war
Costa Rica?– The only stable country– Best standards of living in the region
• Intel comes to town …