GEO200_FA24_LCN_11 PDF Lecture 11

WELCOME TO GEO-200 World Regional Geography Dr. Fatmaelzahraa Hussein Visiting Faculty -CHSS ( A ssista nt Pro fe sso r) Lecture 11 Lecture-11 A Geographic Profile of Latin America  Lecture-11 Lecture Objectives Is To : 1...

WELCOME TO GEO-200 World Regional Geography Dr. Fatmaelzahraa Hussein Visiting Faculty -CHSS ( A ssista nt Pro fe sso r) Lecture 11 Lecture-11 A Geographic Profile of Latin America  Lecture-11 Lecture Objectives Is To : 1. Explore Latin America’s region and Sub regions 2. Explore Latin America’s Population, Climates and Biomes. 3. Understand Latin America’s Elevation and Land use. 4. Understand Latin America’s Culture, Languages and Ethnicity. 5. Understand Latin America’s Economic Geography 6. Understand Latin America’s famous countries and places. Mexico, Panama Canal and Brazil.  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Area and Location Extent of Latin America From Mexico south to Argentina and Chile, together with the islands of the Caribbean Sea. Comprised of 38 countries Spans more than 85° of latitude and 82° of longitude  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Sub-regions Latin America can be subdivided into several subregions based on geography, politics, democracy, demographics and culture. The basic geographical subregions are: 1) North America, 2) Central America 3) The Caribbean 4) South America  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Population Distribution Population of 644 million people (2017) Distributed mainly across ‘rim land’ and ‘highland’ Region is 76% urban  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Climates The dominant climate type in Latin America varies widely due to the region's diverse geography, but tropical climates are predominant, especially in the Amazon Basin and other lowland areas.  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Biomes The dominant biome in Latin America is the tropical rainforest biome, especially in the Amazon Basin, which spans across Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and several other countries.  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Elevation and Land Use Altitudinal zonation in Latin America refers to the different climate zones created by changes in elevation, where air temperature decreases as elevation increases. This phenomenon results in distinct temperature-based zones that support various types of vegetation, agriculture, and human activities at different altitudes.  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Land Use In Latin America, the dominant land uses are: 1. Agriculture (both Shifting cultivation and subsistence). 2. Livestock grazing. The most important crops in Latin America are Coffee, Cacao (Cocoa), Sugarcane, Soybeans, Corn (Maize) and Bananas. Coffee Crop in Tierra Templada of Mexico  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Natural Hazards Adjoins a large section of the Pacific Ring of Fire Violent history of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions Largest earthquake ever recorded on earth was the 9.5 quake in 1960 off the coast of southern Chile It fronts two seasonal hurricane regions Atlantic Ocean Pacific Ocean This region is the source of the El Nino climatic pattern Winds off the Pacific coast of Peru switch direction and blow from west to east, suppressing the upwelling of water and raising the surface temperature of the water Responsible for global climate disruptions resulting in unusually high/low precipitation/temperatures for various places  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Cultural & Historical Geographies Unfortunate that this region came to be known as Latin America, as there were no “Latins” among its inhabitants before the end of the 15th century. When the first Europeans arrived in 1492, the region was home to an estimated 50-100 million Native Americans Emergence of Early Cultural Hearths Andes region of South America Southern Mexico and adjacent Central America Native American Groups and Civilizations  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Civilizations Predating European Arrival Maya Teotihuacános Aztecs Tarascan Inca Nazca Chibcha Teotihuacan’s Pyramid of the Sun, Mexico Inca’s Machu Picchu, Peru  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Languages Indigenous Language Families (Mexico and Central America) Hokan-Siouan Aztec-Tanoan Oto-Manguean Totonac Penutian Mayan (South America) Quechu-Aymaran European Languages Spanish is most prevalent European language in region Portuguese in Brazil Some French, Dutch, and English in Caribbean  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: The European Conquest The arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 marked the beginning of profound changes in almost every aspect of life in what would become Latin America including: Death (deliberate and unintended) Settlement patterns and development of ports Development of agricultural districts Increased volume of trade products shipped overseas Introduction of horses, cattle, sheep, donkeys, wheat, sugarcane, coffee, and bananas Labor provided by the arrival of slave ships Discovery of gold and silver led to opening or reopening of mines Introduction of Catholicism  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Ethnicity in Latin America Majority of Latin Americans are of mixed heritage In addition to the Native Americans, there are four leading racial types: 1. Europeans 2. Blacks 3. Mestizos (mixture of Spanish and Native American) 4. Mulattoes (mixed African and European ancestry) Only Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica have significant white European ethnic groups  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Ethnicity in Latin America Latin America is generally a region of LDCs People do not enjoy a high standard of living One-third of population lives in poverty Large gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” Glitter of metropolises versus shantytowns Benefited from global boom in commodities Abundance of raw materials Poverty and unemployment have diminished in recent years Heavy borrowing from international banking community Shantytown of Belen in Iquitos, Peru Recent push to move away from commercial agriculture and raw materials toward manufactured exports  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Commercial Agriculture In many countries, more than half of all export revenue is still derived from farm products. Overreliance on a narrow range of exports makes these countries economically vulnerable to changes in market conditions. Banana republics (a politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the exportation of a limited-resource product, such as bananas or minerals).  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Minerals and Mining Latin America is a large-scale producer of a small number of key minerals Few nations gain large revenues from exporting minerals Chile (largest copper producer in the world) Venezuela and Brazil (iron ore) Venezuela was a founding member of OPEC in 1960 Some of the profits from mineral production has funded significant infrastructure including roads, power stations, water systems, schools, and hospitals  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Tourism in Latin America Tourism has become a major regional economic asset, generating critical foreign exchange Only oil exports are more valuable. Tourism revenues reflect distance-decay relationship Highest tourism receipts flow to Mexico, the nearest neighbor to the wealthy countries. Tourism revenues fall off for more distant destinations.  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Middle America-Mexico Largest, most complex, and most influential country in Middle America Most populated country where Spanish is the main language Mexico City is world’s fifth largest city in population with 27 million One of most urbanized countries in Middle America (78%) Ranks as world’s third most important megadiversity country Trade with the United States Mexico is the 3rd largest provider of imports to the U.S. (after China and Canada) U.S. exports more goods to Mexico than any other country but Canada Maquiladoras are factories built by American firms just inside of Mexico Oil is Mexico’s most important export, and 90% of it goes to the U.S., making it the second largest oil supplier to the U.S. (after Canada)  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Central America-Panama Canal The narrow Isthmus of Panama separates Pacific and Atlantic oceans by only 50 miles Best location for transcontinental shipment routes In 1855, the Panama Canal Railway became the 1st transcontinental railway and is still in use In 1878, a French firm was granted permission to build a canal near the railroad line This venture went bankrupt in 1889 In 1903, Panama broke away from Colombia The U.S. struck a deal with the new government to build the canal, and it was completed in 1914. It cost $380 million, and many lives were lost to disease. Thanks to growing trade, expanding ports, and residential/commercial development, Panama’s economy has boomed in recent years  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: Central America-Panama Canal (Cont.) Built between 1904 and 1914 by American contractors Intended to serve U.S. commercial and strategic interests For many decades, the canal zone was a U.S. territory Authority of the canal was handed over to Panama in 1999 One of the world’s most critical chokepoints 50-mile shortcut between Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Saves about 20 days and 7,800 miles on a voyage between New York City and San Francisco 14,000 ships per year traveling along 80 shipping routes 5% of the world’s cargo volume and 16% of the U.S. cargo volume  Lecture-11 ​Latin America: South America-Brazil Brazil is the largest Latin American country both in terms of area (3.3 million square miles) and population (197 million as of 2011). An increasingly important role in hemispheric and world affairs Candidate for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council Explosive urbanism has made São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro two of the world’s largest cities Rise of manufacturing and diversification of export agriculture Economy is the 10th largest in the world, and is projected to become the 4th largest by 2050 Brazil is one of the world’s major bread baskets and is the world leader in ethanol production Latin America’s most unequal distribution of national wealth  Lecture-11 Now you should be able to: 1. Mention Latin America’s region and Sub regions 2. Explain Latin America’s Population, Climates and Biomes. 3. Explain Latin America’s Elevation and Land use. 4. Explain Latin America’s Culture, Languages and Ethnicity. 5. Explain Latin America’s Economic Geography 6. Explain Latin America’s famous countries and places. Mexico, Panama Canal and Brazil. Thank You For any questions: [email protected]