Slide 1Slide 2Slide 3Slide 4Slide 5Slide 6Slide 7Slide 8Slide 9Slide 10Slide 11Slide 12Slide 13Slide 14Slide 15Slide 16Slide 17Slide 18Slide 19Slide 20Slide 21Slide 22Economic Development & the Debt CrisisSlide 24World Regional GeographyWorld Regional GeographyMarch 29, 2010March 29, 2010Reading: Marston Chapter 7 pages 322-370 (includes South America)Goode’s World Atlaspages 129-144 (includes South America) Week of 4/5: Papers Due in RecitationLooking north over the Panama Canal, NASA Visible Earth ImageryCentral America & The CaribbeanCentral America & The Caribbean1. Political Boundaries2. Key ConceptsA. Free Trade B. Neoliberalism3. Video: Life & Debt4. Physical Geography A. Physical Features & Topography B. Climate CharacteristicsC. Vegetation & Land UseD. Physiographic RegionsE. Environmental Issues5. Human GeographyA. Population CharacteristicsB. CultureC. EconomiesPhysical Features: SatellitePhysical Features: SatellitePhysical Features: TopographyPhysical Features: TopographyRainfall & TemperatureRainfall & Temperature•Average Temperatures•Central America, Caribbean, and Southern Mexico: 70° - 90°F (lower in highlands).•Northern Mexico•January: 32° - 50°F •July: 70° - 90°F •Temperatures vary more with elevation than by season.•Rainfall•Orographic•Seasonal – Trade Winds•Northern Mexican deserts (Sonoran, Chihuahua)Climate and Human PopulationClimate and Human PopulationClimateClimateVegetation & Land UseVegetation & Land UseSt. MartinSt. MartinEnvironmental HistoryEnvironmental History•Mayans•Slash and burn agriculture.•Raised fields in wetland areas.•Environmental degradation.•Overuse of soil – erosion.•Large-scale forest clearing led to less precipitation.•Aztecs•Dams, irrigation systems, and drainage canals.•Chinampa agriculture.•Environmental degradation.•Forest clearing led to drop in water table.•Domestication of plants and animals.•Maize, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, squash, avocadoes, pineapples, tobacco, vanilla, cacao, peanuts, coca•Llamas, alpacas, and dogsEnvironmental Dangers & IssuesEnvironmental Dangers & Issues•Tectonic activity: volcanoes and earthquakes•Threat to crops•Flooding & Landslides•Erosion resulting from torrential rainfall•Water pollution•Agricultural chemicalsPopulation Density• Mexico City / Central Mexico• Central American Pacific Coast• Greater AntillesPopulation CharacteristicsPopulation CharacteristicsRegionRegionPopulationPopulation(Millions)(Millions)Birth Birth RateRateDeath Death RateRateNatural Natural IncreaseIncrease(%)(%)Net Net MigratioMigration Raten RateProjected Projected Pop. Change Pop. Change (2050)(2050)MexicoMexico109.6109.62020551.61.6-4-4+18%+18%Central Central AmericaAmerica42.442.42727662.12.1-2-2+28%+28%CaribbeanCaribbean41411919881.21.2-3-3+19%+19%•Mexico’s relative level of development.•Negative net migration out of the region.•Quick demographic transition.Population CharacteristicsPopulation CharacteristicsRegionRegionIMRIMRTFRTFR% Pop % Pop <15<15% Pop% Pop>65>65Life Life ExpectancyExpectancyMaleMaleFemaleFemaleMexicoMexico19192.32.332326675757373 78Central Central AmericaAmerica25253.33.338385573736969 76CaribbeanCaribbean34342.52.528288871716969 74RegionRegionHIV/AIDS %HIV/AIDS %% Urban% UrbanGNI PPPGNI PPP(US$)(US$)MexicoMexico0.30.3777714,27014,270Central Central AmericaAmerica0.60.654546,9006,900CaribbeanCaribbean1.11.163636,2006,200MigrationMigration•Rapid Urbanization•Mexico City•Metropolitan population: 21 million•Urban PrimacyHistoryHistory•Mayans•Expansion: 3,000 B.C.•Peak: 600 B.C. – 800 A.D.•Decline: 1000 A.D. – Colonial Period•Peak Population: 8-10 Million•Individually ruled city-states with complex social and agricultural systems.•Aztecs•Settled Central Mexico in the 1300s.•Peak: 1400s.•Centrally ruled empireThe Colonial Period: 1500 – 1800sThe Colonial Period: 1500 – 1800s•Mexico and Central America: Spanish•Hernan Cortez – conquered Aztec empire•Caribbean: English, Spanish, French, Dutch•Land Tenure •Haciendas•Domestic consumption•Plantations•Exports•Monoculture•Labor •Encomienda•Slave trade•Commodities•Silver•Sugar•TobaccoIndependenceIndependence•Weakening of Spain•Subsequent colonial generations less loyal and increasing resentful of taxation and control of trade.•Occurred earlier in Central America & Mexico•Haiti (1804) is the exception.•1810: Hidalgo leads Mexico to independence.•Includes almost all of Central America.•Central American countries declare independence from Mexico in the following decades.•Caribbean •1844: Dominican Republic•Cuba and Puerto Rico became US possessions following Spanish-American War (1898). Cuban independence follows shortly after.•1958: West Indies Federation•1960 – 1980: Most British islands declare independence.•Many islands remain territorial possesions today.•The Monroe Doctrine (1823)•Called for European non-interference in Latin America.•U.S. War with Mexico (1848)•Large portions of current day lost by Mexico.•U.S. Political Interference•Cuba (1896-1922)•Haiti (1915-1934)•Nicaragua (1909-1933)•Panama (1903)•U.S. Economic Influence•Post-independence: multi-national agricultural firms.US Regional Dominance US Regional Dominance•Oligarchies•Banana Republics•Mexican Revolution (1910-1920)•Cuban Revolution (1959)•Bay of Pigs (1961)•Socialist Governments: Chile & Guatemala•U.S. implicated in overthrow of these governments•Nicaragua: Sandinistas (1989)•Contras supported by U.S.•Since 2000•Venezuela: Hugo Chavez•Bolivia: Evo MoralesRevolutions & Leftist Politics Revolutions & Leftist PoliticsCulture & EthnicityCulture & Ethnicity•Traditional culture•Influence of Mayan and Aztec art, language, and clothing•Mestizo populations•African influence•Music: Reggae, steel drums•Religion•Catholicism •Evangelicalism•“Mixed” religions•Voodoo•Santeria•RastafarianismLanguageLanguage•Mexico & Central America: Majority Spanish.•Caribbean: Colonial history dictates primary language.•Many Indigenous Languages Still SpokenEconomic Development & the Debt CrisisEconomic Development & the Debt Crisis•1929 – Great Depression•Import Substitution (1930s – 1960s)•Protectionist economies•Nationalization and government investment•Stimulated growth in local industry and labor•Lack of global integration•The Debt