SOUTH AMERICA
(CHAPTER 5
REGIONS OF THE REALM
NORTH
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA
GUYANA
SURINAME
FRENCH GUIANA
WEST
PERU
ECUADOR
BOLIVIA
BRAZIL
SOUTH
ARGENTINA
CHILE
URUGUAY
PARAGUAY
MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES



PHYSIOGRAPHY IS DOMINATED BY THE
ANDES MOUNTAINS AND THE AMAZON
BASIN.
POPULATION IS CONCENTRATED ALONG
THE PERIPHERY.
CULTURAL PLURALISM EXISTS IN MOST
COUNTRIES AND IS EXPRESSED
REGIONALLY.
PHYSICAL
ENVIRONMENT
PRECIPITATION
POPULATION
CARTOGRAM
Pg 253
THE INCA EMPIRE

CULTURE HEARTH-INTERMONTANE BASIN
AROUND CUZCO (1200-1535 A.D.)




ALTIPLANOS WERE KEY TO SETTLEMENT
PATTERNS (ELONGATED BASINS IN THE HIGH
ANDES). SEE PG 245.
20 MILLION SUBJECTS AT ITS ZENITH
TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS AND
INTEGRATION EFFORTS WERE MOST
IMPRESSIVE.
A HIGHLY CENTRALIZED STATE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
&
COLONIAL DOMAINS
SOUTH AMERICA’S
CULTURE SPHERES
SOUTH AMERICA’S CULTURE SPHERES
Tropical-plantation
European-commercial
Amerind-subsistence
Mestizo-transitional
Undifferentiated
CULTURE SPHERES
Tropical-plantation



Resembles Middle
America’s Rimland
Locations, soils, &
tropical climates favor
plantation crops,
especially sugar.
Initially relied on African
slave labor
CULTURE SPHERES
European-commercial




The most “Latin” part of
South America
Includes the Pampas temperate grasslands
Economically most
advanced
Transportation networks
and quality of life are
excellent.
CULTURE SPHERES
Amerind-subsistence



Correlates with the former
Inca Empire
Includes some of South
America’s poorest areas
Subsistence agriculture
must contend with difficult
environmental challenges.
CULTURE SPHERES
Mestizo-transitional


Surrounds the
Amerindiansubsistence region
A zone of mixtureculturally &
agriculturally
CULTURE SPHERES




Undifferentiated
Characteristics are
difficult to classify.
Sparsely populated
Isolation and lack of
change- notable
features
Development of
Amazonia may prompt
significant changes.
ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Supranational Organizations:

MERCOSUR
 LAUNCHED IN 1995
 INCLUDES BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, URUGUAY,
AND PARAGUAY
ANDEAN COMMUNITY
 INITIALLY FORMED IN 1969 (ANDEAN PACT)
 RESTARTED IN 1995
 MEMBERS ARE VENEZUELA, COLOMBIA,
PERU, ECUADOR, AND BOLIVIA

ECONOMIC INTEGRATION
(CONTINUED)

GROUP OF THREE (G-3)




FORMED IN 1995
INCLUDES MEXICO, VENEZUELA, AND COLOMBIA
A FREE TRADE ASSOCIATION WHICH AIMED TO
PHASE OUT ALL TARIFFS BY 2005
NAFTA


LAUNCHED BY THE US, MEXICO, AND CANADA IN
1994
SEEKING TO EXPAND INTO SOUTH AMERICA TO
INCLUDE CHILE
POLITICAL
DIVISIONS
URBANIZATION

THE MOVEMENT TO AND CLUSTERING OF PEOPLE
IN TOWNS AND CITIES

THE PERCENTAGE OF A COUNTRY’S POPULATION
LIVING IN CITIES

79% - CONTINENT-WIDE IN SOUTH AMERICA
(HIGHER THAN EUROPE’S 75%)

SOUTH AMERICA’S INCREASE BASED ON RATE OF
“NATURAL INCREASE” AND INTERNAL MIGRATION

THE “LATIN AMERICAN CITY” MODEL, PG 254. How
does it differ from American (U.S.)?
GENERALIZED MODEL OF
THE LATIN AMERICAN CITY
Commercial/Industrial
CBD
Commercial
Spine
GENERALIZED MODEL OF
THE LATIN AMERICAN CITY
Commercial/Industrial
Elite Residential Sector
CBD
GENERALIZED MODEL OF
THE LATIN AMERICAN CITY
Commercial/Industrial
Elite Residential Sector
CBD
Zone of Maturity
GENERALIZED MODEL OF
THE LATIN AMERICAN CITY
Commercial/Industrial
Elite Residential Sector
CBD
Zone of Maturity
Zone in Situ Accretion
GENERALIZED MODEL OF
THE LATIN AMERICAN CITY
Commercial/Industrial
Elite Residential Sector
CBD
Zone of Maturity
Zone in Situ Accretion
Zone of peripheral
squatter settlements
GENERALIZED MODEL OF
THE LATIN AMERICAN CITY
Commercial/Industrial
Disamenity
Disamenity
CBD
Elite Residential Sector
Zone of Maturity
Zone in Situ Accretion
Zone of peripheral
squatter settlements
Contrasts within
S/American cities –
rich versus poor