Sriram1 GEOG 310 Middle America Sriram Khé Associate Professor of Geography

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GEOG 310

Middle America

Sriram KhéAssociate Professor of Geography

MIDDLE AMERICA

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INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE AMERICA

THE REALM– MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA,

CARIBBEAN ISLANDSMAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES– FRAGMENTED - PHYSICALLY AND

POLITICALLY– DIVERSE CULTURALLY– POVERTY IS ENDEMIC

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REGIONS OF MIDDLE AMERICA

Mexico

Central America

Greater Antilles

Lesser Antilles

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MIDDLE AMERICA

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Poverty

Home to the poorest countries of the Americas:– Haiti– Honduras– Nicaragua

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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

LAND BRIDGE

ARCHIPELAGO– GREATER AND LESSER ANTILLES

NATURAL HAZARDS– EARTHQUAKES– VOLCANOES– HURRICANES

I wonder why?

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WORLD TECTONIC PLATES

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DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES & VOLCANOES

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WORLD HURRICANE TRACKS

Hurricane Mitch devastated Central America in October 1998

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CULTURE HEARTHSOURCE AREAS from which radiated ideas, innovations, and ideologies that changed the world beyond.

Mesoamerica HearthsAztecsMayans

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MESOAMERICA

CULTURE HEARTHS– MAYA CIVILIZATION

• CLASSIC PERIOD 200-900 AD• HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, BELIZE, YUCATAN

PENINSULA• THEOCRATIC STRUCTURE

– AZTEC CIVILIZATION• 1300 AD• VALLEY OF MEXICO

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SPAINSPAIN

FRANCEFRANCE

BRITAINBRITAIN

COLONIAL HERITAGE

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THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM

Land was appropriated - colonial commercial interestsLands devoted to food crops for local consumption were converted to cash cropping for export

Land Alienation induces:– Famine– Poverty– Migration– Little agricultural diversity

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COLONIAL SPHERES

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MAINLAND/RIMLAND FRAMEWORK

MAINLAND– EURO-INDIAN INFLUENCE– GREATER ISOLATION– HACIENDA PREVAILED

RIMLAND– EURO-AFRICAN INFLUENCE– HIGH ACCESSIBILITY– PLANTATION ECONOMY

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MAINLAND vs RIMLAND

Location greater isolation greater accessibility

Climate altitudinal tropicalzonation

Physiography mountains islands

Culture Euro/Indian African-European

MAINLAND RIMLAND

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HACIENDA vs PLANTATION

HACIENDA– SPANISH INSTITUTION– NOT EFFICIENT BUT SOCIAL PRESTIGE– WORKERS LIVED ON THE LAND

PLANTATION– NORTHERN EUROPEAN ORIGINS– EXPORT ORIENTED MONOCROPS– IMPORTED CAPITAL AND SKILLS– SEASONAL LABOR– EFFICIENCY IS KEY

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AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS

PlantationPlantation•Production for exportProduction for export•Single cash cropSingle cash crop•Seasonal EmploymentSeasonal Employment•Profit motive $$$Profit motive $$$•““factory in the field” efficiency factory in the field” efficiency

NaturalResources

A major oilProducer:About 3.5 million barrels per daySaudia Arabia produces about 9 mil bpd

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Assembly plants that pioneered the migration of industries in the 1970s

Today

–>4,000 maquiladoras

–>1 million employees

MAQUILADORAS

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Modern industrial plants

Assemble imported, duty-free components/raw materials

Export the finished products

Mostly foreign-owned (U.S., Japan)

80% of goods reexported to U.S.

Tariffs limited to value added during assembly

MAQUILADORAS

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Maquiladora products

MAQUILADORAS

Electronic equipment

Electric appliances

Auto parts

Clothing

Furniture

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ADVANTAGES

– Mexico gains jobs.

– Foreign owners benefit from cheaper labor costs.

EFFECTS

– Regional development

– Development of an international growth corridor between Monterrey and Dallas - Fort Worth

MAQUILADORAS

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MAQUILADORASTijuana

NogalesCiudadJuarez

Matamoros

Reynosa

Monterrey

Chihuahua

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GDP PER CAPITA ALONG THE US-MEXICAN BORDER

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NAFTA

Effective 1 January 1994 Established a trade agreement between Mexico, Canada and the US, which:

–Reduced and regulated trade tariffs, barriers, and quotas between members

–Standardized finance & service exchanges

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NAFTA

How has Mexico benefited from NAFTA?

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MEXICO AND NAFTA

Foremost, it promises a higher standard of living.

NAFTA creates more jobs for Mexicans as US companies begin to invest more heavily in the Mexican market.

Mexican exporters increase their sales to the US and Canada.

Is that the entire story?

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U.S. TRADE WITH CANADA & MEXICO

Canada remains as the United States’ largest export market.Since 1977, Mexico has moved into second place (displacing Japan).85% of all Mexican exports now go to the United States.75% of Mexico’s imports originate in the United States.

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ECONOMIC TRENDS (Central America & the Caribbean)

Agriculture

Industry

Services– Tourism

Environmental Issues– Deforestation

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El Salvador– Agriculture accounts for 24% of GDP and 40%

of the labor force and contributes to 60% of exports.

– Economic losses because of guerrilla sabotage total $2 billion since 1979.

Honduras– Agriculture accounts for more than 25% of

GDP, employs 62% of the labor force, and produces two-thirds of exports.

– Economic loss because of natural disaster

PRIMARY SECTOR DEPENDENCE

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HIPC

Honduras and Nicaragua are on the HIPC list– Heavily indebted poor countries– The Initiative is designed to reduce debts to

sustainable levels for poor countries that pursue economic and social policy reforms,

– Used specifically in cases where traditional debt relief mechanisms will not be enough to help countries exit from the rescheduling process.

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The weight of debt

Nicaragua's external debt currently stands at 6.7 billion dollars.- 25% of the Nicaraguan budget is spent on debt payments – Contrast to … 14% on health care – 11% on education

Almost half the population falling below the poverty line. High levels of infant mortality and maternal mortality, and a high level of infectious and parasitic diseases. Malnutrition is widespread with around 20 per cent of children under five being chronically malnourished or stunted

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PRIMARY SECTOR DEPENDENCE

Dominican Republic (49% Agriculture)– Sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa,

and tobaccoJamaica (22.5% Agriculture)– Sugar, bananas, and rum (Hurricane

Gilbert -1988)Cuba (20% Agriculture)– Sugar, tobacco, citrus, and coffee

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ALTITUDINAL ZONATIONMiddle & South America’s Vertical Climate Zones

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ALTITUDINAL ZONATION

SeaLevel

SeaLevel

2500’ 750 m

TIERRA CALIENTE(Hot Land)

Bananas, Cocoa, Sugar, Rice

Middle & South America’s Vertical Climate Zones

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6,000’ 1800 m

ALTITUDINAL ZONATION

SeaLevel

2000’ 600 m

SeaLevel

TIERRA TEMPLADA (Temperate Land)

Coffee, Rice, Corn, Sugar

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ALTITUDINAL ZONATION

SeaLevel

6,000’

2000’

2,000 m

600 m

SeaLevel

12,000’ 3,600 m

TIERRA FRIA(Cold Land)

Corn, Wheat, Potato

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THE TOURISM OPTIONAntigua and Barbuda– Direct contribution of 13% to GDP and affects

growth in other sectorsThe Bahamas– Tourism alone provides 50% of GDP and

directly or indirectly employs 40% of the population.

Cuba– Growing industry

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ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Tropical Deforestation

3.5 million acres of woodland in Central America disappear each year!

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CAUSES OF TROPICAL DEFORESTATION

Clearing of rural lands to accommodate meat production and exportRapid logging of tropical woodlands to meet global demands for new housing, paper, and furniturePopulation growth: forests are cut to provide crop-raising space and firewood

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Internal Wars

Nicaragua– Sandinistas v. Contras

Panama– Remember Manuel Noriega?

Honduras– Drawn into conflicts in Nicaragua and El Salvador

El Salvador– 12-year civil war ends in 1992

Guatemala– A peace agreement in 1996 ends a 36-year civil war

Costa Rica?– The only stable country– Best standards of living in the region

• Intel comes to town …