Chapter Outline

Use this outline to increase your understanding of the important characteristics of Latin America.

1. From Periphery to Semi-Periphery -- Brazil and Mexico have developed into the semi-periphery and Argentina and Chile are close, but most of the rest of Latin America remains in the periphery.
1. Geographic Contrasts -- Many different contrasts, like between the rich and poor, exist in this region.
2. Geographic Cooperation -- Greater trade and other economic cooperation would be helpful, but a history of boundary and territory disputes is a problem.
2. Hispanic Cultures -- Colonialism greatly affected Native American cultures.
1. Pre-European Peoples -- The Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations eventually civilization developed.
2. Spanish Colonization -- Seeking riches, new lands, and converts to Christianity, Spain rapidly conquered and settled much of Latin America.
3. Portuguese Colonization -- Portugal was initially slow to colonize Brazil.
4. Other European Colonizations -- Some areas of Latin America came under British, French, or Dutch control.
5. Independence -- Many areas became independent around 1820 as Spain's and Portugal's power weakened. Often the new countries suffered from social divisions and political instability.
6. Continuing External Influences -- Trade links with Europe decline and are replaced by links with the U.S. Large international debts are found in this region.
3. Natural Environment -- This region extends farther in the north/south direction than any major world region.
1. Tropical and Southern Hemisphere Climates -- Warmth, humidity, mountain induced rainfall, hurricanes, and deserts characterize the climates of Latin America. The El Nino phenomenon is important in understanding global climate patterns.
2. High Mountains and Island Chains -- Plate tectonics has created a complex topography with the Andes Mountains being the most significant.
3. Broad Plateaus -- The plateaus are concentrated in Brazil and Argentina.
4. Major River Basins -- The significant rivers are the Orinoco, Amazon, and Parana-Paraguay.
5. Natural Vegetation and Soils -- Altitudinal zones have different plant communities. The world's largest area of tropical rain forest is centered on the Amazon Basin.
6. Natural Resources -- This region possesses a variety and an abundance of valuable natural resources, especially water.
7. Environmental Problems -- Soil erosion, air and water pollution, and cutting of rain forest are the main impacts of humans in this region.
4. World Issue: Tropical Rain Forest -- Tropical rain forests are valuable ecosystems containing great diversity. Logging, ranching, farming, mining, hydroelectricity, and highways have caused cutting of the rain forest. Americans and Europeans should realize that their cultures over the centuries have removed a lot of the original forest cover of the U.S. and Europe.
5. Mexico -- Containing about 100 million people, Mexico has had a growing economy, but economic problems in the middle 1990s were a concern. Ethnic tensions, especially in Chiapas State, are continuing.
1. Regions of Mexico -- Climate and economic activity vary across this country.
2. People -- The population is very urban with Mexico City dominating in numbers, politics, and economic activity. Most of the people are Roman Catholic.
3. Economic Development -- Mexico is a leader in Latin America. Closeness to the U.S. and NAFTA contribute to growth in northern areas. Manufacturing, oil and gas, and tourism are important parts of the economy.
6. Central America -- A relatively poor region with a variety of problems.
1. Countries -- Except for Costa Rica, over-reliance on a narrow range of agricultural exports, conflicts concerning land, and civil unrest hamper progress in these relatively small countries.
2. People -- Population growth puts pressure on limited resources. Native Americans often are ignored by the dominant European and mestizo groups.
3. Economic Development -- Each country has its own economic advantages and disadvantages. Panama contains the Panama Canal and Canal Zone, which is a trade center of global importance.
7. West Indies -- Most of the many islands in this region were colonized by European countries. The three Guianas on the mainland of South America are included.
1. Countries -- In colonial times, sugar cane was important. The influence and intervention of the U.S. grew and continues to the present.
2. People -- Unlike Middle America, this region has relatively fewer Native Americans and more people of African origin. Population growth and pressure on small land areas has been reduced by outmigration.
3. Economic Development -- The natural landscape was changed by plantations using slaves. In recent decades, manufacturing is limited, but tourism has grown rapidly. Efforts aimed toward economic integration have struggled. The different islands have different economic characteristics. Puerto Rico is the wealthiest; Haiti the poorest. Cuba, the largest island, stands aloof under a U.S. embargo.
8. Northern Andes -- Mountainous terrain creates isolated areas within this region.
1. Countries -- Mining, growing crops in upland basins, and the growth and processing of illegal drugs are important forms of economic activity.
2. People -- Population growth was high, but is now slowing. Rural to urban migration is creating shantytowns and other urban problems. Tensions between peoples of European and Native American origin exist.
3. Economic Development -- Although these countries try to diversify their economies, fish products from Peru, tin from Bolivia, and oil from Venezuela illustrate the dependence that these countries have on a limited range of export products. Peru, Bolivia, and Columbia are the largest producers of cocaine in the world. Efforts to curb drug traffic at source have not been very successful because of rising demand in Anglo America and Europe.
9. Living in Bolivia -- Before 1951 mining companies controlled Bolivia, but after the revolution in 1951 many changes occurred. For example, Native Americans now have much more power.
10. Brazil -- This is the most important country in Latin America. It was a Portuguese colony and has long established differences between the rich and the poor.
1. Regions of Brazil -- From the vast rain forest of the Amazon Basin to the massive urban and economic centers of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil contains many regional differences.
2. People -- Fertility is falling in this relatively urban and Catholic country. Brazil's shantytowns hold millions of poor people with little or no access to services like water supply.
3. Economic Development -- Having many natural resources and agricultural lands, sugarcane, rubber, gold, coffee, and iron ore have been/are important exports, but at times prices on world markets are low. Manufacturing has grown, but often under government control. How to properly develop the Amazon region and repaying a large international debt are two continuing economic issues.
11. Southern South America -- More temperate climates and people of European origin characterize this region.
1. Countries -- The Andes Mountains separate Chile from the others, whereas Argentina lost control of the areas that become Paraguay and Uruguay around 1815.
2. People -- Except for Paraguay, populations are growing relatively slowly. Immigration from Europe was quite substantial.
3. Economic Development -- Paraguay is relatively poor. Chile's economy is becoming diversified. The Argentine pampas produce meat products and Buenos Aires has growth in manufacturing. Uruguay is agricultural.
12. Landscapes -- Cities experience rapid growth that overwhelms the capacity to provide housing, roads, and basic services. Although some rural areas are highly developed for agriculture, many others are essentially empty.
13. Future Prospects -- Latin America has potential for considerable progress as the Mercosul customs union indicates, but political instability, too much government involvement in the economy, and large gaps between the rich and the poor are continuing problems.