Middle American Realm
Questions
– Soviet Socialist Republics
– Cotton Production in Kazakhstan
Review
Middle America
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Overview
Natural hazards
Meso-American Culture Hearth
Mainland/Rimland Framework
Introduction to
Middle America
Defining the Realm
– Mexico, Central America, Caribbean islands
– North America
– Latin America - Iberian
Major Geographic Qualities
– Fragmented - physically and politically
– Diverse culturally, strong indigenous influence
• Asian, African, West European influence
– Colonial legacy, developing countries
Regions Of Middle America
Greater Antilles
Mexico
Lesser Antilles
Central America
Middle America
Physical Geography
Land Bridge
Ocean Barrier
Archipelago
Natural Hazards
– Earthquakes
– Volcanoes
– Hurricanes
Tectonic Plates
Distribution Of
Earthquakes & Volcanoes
Popocatépetl
World Hurricane Tracks
Hurricane Development
Typical Hurricane Life Cycle
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Tropical disturbance→ Tropical depression→
Tropical storm→ Hurricane (=typhoon=cyclone)→dissipation
Heat and moisture from warm water is the energy source
high relative humidities in the lower troposphere reduce evaporation
in clouds and maximizes the latent heat released by precipitation.
– Positive feedback process: low pressure, converging low level air,
which rises convectively in the eyewall, (condensing to yield
precipitation) further reduces air pressure, pulling in more humid air
– Concentration of latent heat is critical to sustain the hurricane
Culture Hearth
Origin of a cultural group: source of ideas,
innovations, and ideologies that diffuse outward,
creating a cultural landscape
Hearths
Aztecs
Mayans
Mesoamerica
Culture Hearths
– Maya Civilization – lowland tropics
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3000 Bp
Classic Period 200-900 Ad
Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Yucatan
Cotton exports, specialization
– Aztec Civilization-Valley of Mexico ~ 6,000 feet AMSL
• Teotihuacán →Toltecs →Aztecs
• 1300 Ad
• Valley Of Mexico, Tenochtitlán (>100,000)
– Mexico City