Intro to Geography: Middle america
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Transcript of Intro to Geography: Middle america
Physiographic Boundaries
• Pacific Ocean• Gulf of Mexico• Atlantic Ocean• Caribbean Sea• Unclear boundaries to the north of Mexico• Isthmus of Panama
Climate
• At or below the Tropic of Cancer– Warmer temps and direct sunlight
• Mixture of desert climate, tropical rainforest, and highlands climate
• Mexico– Two peninsulas
• Baja and Yucatan
– Mountain Ranges• Sierra Madre Occidental
and Oriental
– Climate• Dry to the north and
more humid to the south
Physiographic Features
Physiographic Features
• Central America– Volcanic highland belt– Fertile soil
• Biodiversity Hotspot- high concentration of plant and animal species
Physiographic Features
• Formation of the Isthmus of Panama– Intensified the gulf stream– Atlantic ocean became saltier than the Pacific
Physiographic Features
• Caribbean– Island archipelago– Over 7000
• Greater Antilles– Big islands
• Lesser Antilles– Small island arc
Volcanic Island Arc
• The Islands of the Caribbean• Mountain chains which formed through tectonic plate convergence (subduction)
Geologic Resources
• Oil along the Gulf of Mexico– Mexico’s oil supply was
nationalized for 75 years– Recently, reforms have
allowed foreign oil companies to return to Mexico
Environmental Issues
• Tropical Deforestation– Clearing forests for economic opportunity– Related to agriculture
Mesoamerica
• Cultural Hearth- source of new ideas and intellectual progress– Advances in art and science
• Extended from Mexico City to Nicaragua
Mesoamerica
• Aztec Civilization (13th-16th century)• Intermontane Highlands• Tenochtitlan- Modern Mexico City
Spanish Conquest
• Group of Spaniards led by Cortes (16th century)– Invaded Tenochtitlan and defeated Aztecs– Destroyed Tenochtitlan and built Mexico City
Conquest and Colonialism
– Religious conversion– Diseases wiped out millions of indigenous people– Destroyed knowledge base– Deforestation– Language conversion
– Competition over land and resources between Spain, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, and later the U.S.
Conquest and Colonialism
• Hacienda- landholdings with Spanish landowners and indigenous workers
• Plantation Agriculture- high efficiency and profit, one crop such as bananas, sugarcane, tobacco, etc.– Trans-Atlantic slave trade used to provide labor for
plantations
Diversity of People
• Amerindian- people native to the Americas• Mestizo- mixed ethnicity– i.e. European and Amerindian
• European– Hispanic (Spanish speaking)
• African American
• Transculturation- two way exchange of cultural traits
Independence
• Independence movements began in 1800’s and is continuing today– Some Caribbean nations are still under European
control
• Ejidos- government breakup of haciendas and plantations – Redistributed as communal lands
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Regional Issue…The Role of the Tourist Industry in Middle
American Economies
IN SUPPORT OF THE TOURIST INDUSTRY• Without tourism, there is no
economy.• Demand for infrastructure
benefits locals, too.• Affluent tourists will always
come to escape northern climates.
• It is a “clean industry.”• It is educational.
CRITICAL OF THE TOURIST INDUSTRY• Tourism does not constitute
a real and fundamental benefit to local economies.
• Tourism represents inequality and affluent isolation.
• It debases local peoples and cultures to tourists’ tastes.
• Tourism is still environmentally damaging.
Mexico
• Core Area of the region– Anchored by Mexico City– Economic focus to the
north, poor south– 77 % of population in
urban areas
NAFTA
• North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (1994)– Between U.S., Mexico, and Canada– Maquiladoras- factories converting raw materials
into goods for the U.S.– Boom in urbanization along the border
Drug Trade
• Drugs produced in Columbia, Bolivia, and Peru enters the U.S. through Mexico
• Mexican cartels have developed through these transactions
Drug War
• Results of the drug trade– Rise in violent crime
• Control of territory
– Increase in addiction– Loss of government
control– 60,000 deaths from
2006-12
Central America
• Isolated region• Population explosion• Contains 1% of land, but 7% of natural species– Ecotourism
• Disadvantaged economies• Internal conflicts• Impacted by drug trafficking
Physiographic Features
• Panama Canal (1914)– Human made waterway which links the Atlantic
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean– Third lane to open in 2015
Caribbean Basin
• Fragmented region• Social stratification based on colonial
influences• Most densely populated region of the western
hemisphere (90% in the Greater Antilles)• Labor shortage after emancipation brought
immigrant workers from Asia.
The Greater Antilles• Jamaica– English speaking– Still recognizes British
monarchy
• Haiti– Still recovering from
devastating Earthquake in 2010
– Poorest country in the western hemisphere
• Puerto Rico– U.S. Territory– Discussions about
possible statehood or independence
• Dominican Republic– More land/ resources in
Hispaniola– Government corruption
has hurt stable economy
The Greater Antilles
• Cuba– Largest Caribbean state– Became a communist dictatorship under Fidel
Castro in 1959• Close ties to the Soviet Union• Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
– Receiving oil from Venezuela
The Lesser Antilles
Thousands of islands including;• Bahamas/Turks & Caicos • Virgin Islands (U.S)• Trinidad & Tobago
• Many islands choose to remain affiliated with their European colonial power