Latin America - Five Themes

Latin America - Five Themes

South America

Movement

Who were the Inca?

Focus on Brazil

Where? Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador (Andes Mountains), Capital was Cuzco, Peru. Macchu Picchu was last stronghold

When? 1200AD to 1533AD

What kind of people?

Empire was large, structured, and advanced

Famous for gold art and statues

Terrace farming on mountains

Huge road network

Emperor was a “god”, polytheistic religion

What happened to the Inca?

Defeated by Francisco Pizarro in 1533, who captured Emperor Atahualpa

Inca society destroyed by Spanish

Incans made slaves for gold

Population and Migration/Urban Geography

Government of Brazil

Culture of Brazil

Human Geography of South America

• “Federative” Republic – like ours, more power in center.
• Administrative divisions: 26 states & 1 federal district
• Capital was Rio De Janeiro, moved to Brasilia in 1960

Indigenous in South America

Push-Pull Factors

Pre-Columbian Cultural Hearths

• Incas - South America.
• Mayans –South Mexico, Guatemala, Belize
• Aztecs – Central Mexico and Mexico City

• Urbanization -- Megacities
• Mexico City
• Sao Paolo
• Rio de Janeiro
• Harsh conditions push people to move away while other factors pull them forward

• Ancestors of Incas in the highlands, numerous small groups in the Amazon basin
• Large and successful civil rights movements
• Presidents of Ecuador and Bolivia both Mestizo or Indio.
• Conflict between indigenous groups and corporations over access to resources.

• 388 million people, in twelve countries and two European colonies.
• Explored and settled by Spain, so mostly Catholics who speak Spanish, except for Brazil.
• Indigenous peoples make up between 20% to 60% of the population of South American countries.
• Economy has been improving for most countries, but still suffers large gap between rich and poor, high inflation.
• Politically, South America has moved towards democracies but still suffers from high corruption in government.

• Colonized by Portugal in 1500’s
• Speak Portuguese, not Spanish.
• Population: 185 million, largest in Latin America.
• Very diverse – includes Native/Indian, African, European, even Asian ethnic groups.
• 1.5 million Japanese in Brazil, the
• most outside of Japan!
• Religion is 74% Catholic, 15% Protestant, 1% various others.
• Issues include poverty, AIDS epidemic.

Pull Factors into Latin America

Push Factors Out of Latin America

• Rural Poverty
• Urban Overcrowding
• Political Instability
• Limited Access to Social Services

• Agricultural workers from Asia seek work into South America
• Expatriate Americans and Europeans seeking lower cost of living as retirees

Economy and Resources of Brazil

Geography of the Pampas

Urban Geography of Brazil

Geography of the Andes Mountains

• 9th largest economy in world. Brazil produces a lot of stuff!
• Petrobras – Govt. controlled oil industry in Brazil
• Key industry - Automobile Production
• Largest economy in Latin America by 1970, due to huge population and resources. Huge gap between rich and poor - major problem for Brazil.
• Brazil is #1 producer of sugarcane & coffee. Most sugar cane used to create ethanol fuel for Brazilian cars, instead of gasoline. About 40% of fuel in Brazil is ethanol.
• 12% of the world cattle supply. Pampas used for ranching cattle and growing crops
• Nearly 60% of the Amazon rainforest lies in Brazil

• From the Quechua word “pampa,” meaning plain
• Covers parts of Argentina and Brazil and most of Uruguay
• Mild climate, evenly dispersed precipitation
• Home of the gaucho, South American cowboy

• 2 of world’s top 15 cities
• Sao Paulo -3rd largest city in world - 22 million+
• Rio De Janeiro has 6 million.
• Urbanization - by 2000, 81% live in urban areas.
• Favelas – “Shantytowns” in Brazil

• Longest continental mountain range in the world
• Separated into 3 natural regions
• Northern: Closer to equator, hotter, humid, rainforests
• Central: Mild, semiarid climate, characterized by altiplano (high altitude plains)
• Southern: Closer to Antarctic, colder, not very populated
• Central plateaus of Peru and Bolivia – political and economic center of Inca Empire
• Most of the rural population is of indigenous heritage and calls the central altiplano region home

Population Distribution of Modern Latin America

Location

Place

Regions

Where nations and physical features are on the map

How are places categorized?

• Nine Traits of Culture:
• History, Religion, Language, Political, Economic

Historical Geography of Latin America

Linguistic Geography of Latin America

Religious Geography of Latin America

What are the main sub-regions of Latin America

• Spanish is the main language, plus Portuguese, French and many native languages

• Almost 600,000,000 people, of all different races.
• Christianity is widespread (90%) with Roman Catholicism dominating the region (70%).
• Remaining 10%: A mix of various world religions including Judaism, Islam, Afro-Latin American traditions (especially in the Caribbean), and indigenous creeds

Four main sub-regions:

• Mexico
• Central America
• Caribbean Islands
• Brazil
• Andes Mountains
• Pampas

• Pre-Columbian Civilizations (10,000BC – 1492): Olmecs, Teotihuacan, Maya, Aztec Empire, Inca Empire
• Spanish Conquest and Colonization (1500’s-1800’s): Columbus, Conquistadors (Cortez in Mexico, Pizarro in Peru),
• Independence and Wars (1800-1900): Padre Hidalgo in Mexico, Simon Bolivar in Venezuela, Wars between the new nations of South America.
• World Wars and the Cold War (1914-1990): Castro, Soviet Union, US interventions, Peron, Falklands War (UK v. Argentina)
• Modern Era (1991-Present): Hugo Chavez (died 2013), transition towards democracy

Urban Geography of Latin America

Economic Geography of Latin America

• NAFTA – North American Free Trade Agreement
• MERCOSUR – Economic alliance between various Latin American nations
• Maquiladoras – Foreign owned factories in Mexico
• State-owned oil companies – PEMEX (Mexico), Petrobras (Brazil)
• Tourism plays a huge role in regional economy

• Urbanization: The increasing role/importance that cities and their growth are playing globally.
• Every year, more people move from rural areas to urban areas seeking jobs.
• About half of Mexico's 105 million people (2002) now live in or near Mexico City and Guadalajara.

Mexico

Human-Environment Interaction

The First Cultures

Mexico

Demographics

• Olmecs – Lived in southern Mexico before 1000 BC. Developed calendar, human sacrifice, and the “Ball Game”.

Population is 110 million people – 65% Mestizo, 20-25% European, 10% Indian

75% live in cities.

Largest city is Mexico City, with almost 20 million people

Describing the physical environment and how humans change the environment

Teotihuacan –

200BC-400AD

Ancient city-state in Central Mexico. Source of many Aztec traditions, start of Mexican culture

Impact of Tourism

Central America and

the Caribbean

Amazon Deforestation

Climate and Vegetation

• Amazon is used to grow crops, rubber trees, new towns, and for livestock.
• Slash and Burn – technique used to clear forest land by cutting trees and burning ground vegetation.
• This allows the soil to be used for farming for a few years.

• Tourism is key to several Latin American countries.
• Positive effects include boosts to the local economy, and incentives to protect natural areas for eco-tourism. This includes the Amazon Rainforest.
• Negative effects include destruction of natural environments while improving infrastructure – airports, roads, resort areas.

Politics

History of Mexico

Who were the Aztec?

• Pre-colonial Period (3000BC to 1521)
• Olmecs, Maya, Aztecs
• New Spain (1521 to 1821)
• Part of Spain, Conquistadors under Hernan Cortez
• War of Independence from 1810 (Padre Hidalgo) to 1821
• Independent Mexico (1821 - 1910)
• Santa Ana 1830’s – 1850’s
• Mexican-American War (1846-48)
• Modern Mexico (1911 – Present)
• Mexican Revolution (1911-1920’s)
• PRI One Party Rule (1929-1989)
• War against Drug Cartels (2006 – 2012)

• Republic, with three branches of government
• 31 States, 1 Federal District
• Many political parties – largest/oldest is PRI, but PAN is in power currently.
• Biggest problem is corruption, due to international drug smuggling through Mexico

Where? Central Mexico – Capital city was Tenochtitlan, on Lake Texcoco

When? 1300AD to 1500AD.

What kind of people?

Empire for war and religious sacrifice, hierarchical society

1. Emperor

2. Nobles

3. Warriors

4. Farmers

5. Slaves

What happened to Aztecs?

Defeated by Hernan de Cortez (Spanish) in 1519, with native allies.

Most Aztecs died from diseases like Smallpox

Mestizo- Mixing made new Mexican “race”, ½ Indian ½ Spanish.

Terrace Farming

Panama Canal

• The West Indies consists of three main island chains—the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the Lesser Antilles. The Bahama Islands, in the N, form a southeasterly line.
• The Greater Antilles include: Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico, lie in the center.
• Lesser Antilles include: the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, Saint Martin, Aruba, and others are often considered part of this third chain.

• Method of farming in mountainous regions.
• Hillside is cut into flat steps, which are then surrounded by low walls.
• This allows irrigation and farming on slopes.

• 50 miles long
• Links Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
• Built 1904 -1914 , cost $300 million

Culture

Indigenous in Mexico

Economy

What is NAFTA?

North American Free Trade Agreement

• 1994 treaty
• Connects economies of USA, Mexico, and Canada
• reduce barriers to make trade easier
• Some benefits, but also some problems.

Caribbean - Human Geography

Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile Crisis

Indigenous in Central America

Central America - Human Geography

• 60% of the population has mixed ancestry (Mestizo)
• Southern parts are majority “Indio”, mostly Nahuatl, Maya, or Zapotec.
• Most live in rural poverty.
• Some indigenous people rebel against Mexican govt. 1994 “Zapatista” Revolt in Oaxaca.

Maquiladoras

• Mostly Catholic (89%), 2nd largest Catholic population in the world.
• Catholicism (Christianity) assimilated Aztec and Indian beliefs
• Rapid population growth, strong family values in Mexican culture
• Majority of the population speaks Spanish

• Border factories owned by foreign companies, with Mexican workers, managers
• Ship parts to Mexico, ship assembled products back to US for sale.
• Cheap Labor – Mexican workers get paid less money than Americans, for same kinds of work.
• Fewer Restrictions – Fewer laws about safety and pollution in Mexico. Cheaper to run a factory.

Benefits? Drawbacks?

• 11th largest in world. Shifting from agriculture to industry in north, less poverty. Farming areas in south still very poor.
• Oil largest part of GNP; #6 producer in world. PEMEX is government owned gas and oil company

Mexico's Drug War

• Mexico is the main smuggling route for cocaine, marijuana, and heroin into the USA. Worth billions of dollars every year to whoever controls the trade.
• There are several cartels, that form short alliances with each other. They are named after the cities they control or the families that run them.
• Mexican Gov. fought back in 2006, starting a war against the cartels. Since then, 50,000 civilians and soldiers have been killed in fighting.
• Violence has spilled over into the US, in TX, CA, and AZ. Cartels use US gangs to move drugs and enforce their rule.

• Colonized by Spain in 1500’s, many indigenous people (Maya, for example).
• Region is poor, economy centered on agriculture – fruit, sugar cane, coffee
• Troubled history, especially during the “Cold War” (1945-1992). Many countries had civil wars and military dictatorships.

• In 1961, CIA backs an invasion of Cuba by Castro’s enemies. The invasion fails at a place called the “Bay of Pigs”.
• In 1962, Soviet Union puts nuclear missiles in Cuba – “Cuban Missile Crisis” almost leads to war between USA and Soviet Union.
• USA imposes a blockade on Cuba, no trade with USA or allies.
• USA recently lifted its “embargo” against Cuba, that was severely limiting trade and tourism.

• Region settled by Spain, France, Great Britain, Netherlands during 1500’s.
• People are mixed – European, Indigenous, and African. Different mixes on different islands.
• Region is poor, economy centered on agriculture – fruit, sugar cane, coffee.
• Tourism also very important, especially for small islands.
• Hurricane season
• Devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010

• Mayans in the highlands, Miskito along the eastern coasts
• Panama, El Salvador, and Honduras are about 90% Mestizo.
• Guatemala is about 50% pure Maya.
• Indigenous people tend to live in rural poverty, isolated from education, wealth, or political power.

Focus on Cuba

Who were the Maya?

• Colonized by Spain, occupied by USA in 1898 after “Spanish-American War”.
• In 1959, Fidel Castro deposed USA-backed dictatorship, and established a Communist government in Cuba. Soviet Union supported them – “Cold War” with USA
• Many people try to escape to USA, due to oppression and poverty. Cuba still poor, refugees to USA. Castro stepped down due to age and health, brother Raul Castro now in charge.
• USA still has military base at Guantanamo, Cuba; used for holding terrorist prisoners.

Where? Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala

When? 1000BC to about 1000AD

What kind of people?

Small city states, farmers and traders. Chichen Itza, Tulum, Palenque

Mathematicians- Invented the 0 in 36BC

Astronomers- Maya calendar is still accurate, very complex.

What happened to Maya?

Overpopulation

Cities collapsed

Survivors dispersed in Central