Chp 10: Human Geography of
Latin America
A Blending of Cultures
Take Five…Finish the diagram—which
countries (regions—make up Latin
America)
Latin America
Mexico--History

Native American groups (1200 AD)
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Spanish conquest

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Toltecs, Mayans, Aztecs, etc
Hernan Corte’s (1521)
Stealing the Aztec gold
Independence from Spain (1821)

Agustin de Iturbide
Hernan Cortes v Chief
Montezuma
Tenochtitlan
Mexico City
Take Five…Remembering the
Columbus Exchange…

What can you infer about the Latin
American relationship (regarding the
Columbus Exchange) from your
knowledge of the Exchange in North
America?
Mexico—Government
(Current)

Problem with land distribution

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Civil war

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Diaz vs. Madero, Villa & Zapata
PRI (Institutional Revolutionary Party)

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Wide gaps between rich and poor
Controlled government for 71 years
Executive (6 yr term), Bicameral legislature,
judiciary
Nation Action Party (2000)

Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa
Felipe de Jesus CALDERON Hinojosa
Lasting implications of
Spanish/Mexican interactions

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Language
Customs
Catholic church
Mestizo Population
Encomiendas systems
Architecture & art
Mexico-Economy

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Traditional agricultural economy
Tourism
Struggling industrial economy

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Movement to cities
Oil
Manufacturing (North)

Maquiladoras

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Assemble imported materials into finished products
NAFTA—reduces (eliminates) tariffs
Take Five…

Use your textbook (pg 220) to complete
the Skillbuilder questions.
Challenges facing Mexico
Today


Lack of jobs, education and land force
people to emigrate
Illegal drug markets
Drug Cartels
Central America


Central America is an isthmus between North
and South America
Mayan Empire

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Spread across entire region
Military alliance and trade
Abandonment and decline
Spanish conquest
United Provinces of Central America (1823)
1830’s: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica,
Guatemala & Honduras (Panama, Belize)
The Caribbean

Natives

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Taino
Settled by numerous European
countries

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Prosperous Sugar Cane (RUM)
Imported African labor

Slave revolt (Haiti 1790s)
Take Five…

Use your textbook (pg 224) to complete
the Skillbuilder questions.
Caribbean--Culture



Strong European and African influences
Catholic, Protestant, Native Religions as
well as Voodoo
Music


Reggae and Calypso
Various languages

Spanish, Dutch, English, French, Danish
Caribbean—
Economy

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Sugar Cane Farming
Bananas, citrus fruits,
coffee and spices
Trade

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Panama Canal
Tourism

Informal economy

Street vendors, shoe shiners, other services
But why is the rum gone?
Take Five…

What countries make up South
America?
South America--History

Natives

Incan empire

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Ecuador to Argentina
Cuzco
Spanish conquest

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Francisco Pizarro
Economic and political domination
Native rebellion

Simon Bolivar

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Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia
Jose de San Martin

Argentina, Chile and Peru
South America--Government

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Regional political instability
Military dictatorships
Oligarchies
Underdevelopment
Social class differences
South American--Culture

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Strong Spanish heritage
Literature, art and music

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Celebration of South American
independence
Craftsmanship
South America--Economy

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Agriculture—Argentina, Chile & Uruguay
Mining—Bolivia & Chile
Fishing—Peru & Ecuador
Oil--Colombia & Venezuela
South America—Challenges

Education—literacy is important

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Free public education
Higher education
Political instability
Military dictatorships

Ex: General Pinochet
The Great Divide…

The Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)

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Spain = West
Portugal = East
Brazil--History

Natives

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1.5 million native peoples
Portuguese conquest

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Sugar plantations
Portuguese colony until 1822

Dom Pedro (son of Portugal’s King)
Brazil--Culture

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Blended cultures: native, European &
African
Largest Catholic population in the world
Protestant as well as native religions
Brazil--Economy

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One of the most industrialized countries in
Latin America
Tourism
Abundant natural resources
Mining
Agriculture
Steel

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Automobile mfg.
Ethanol from sugar cane rather than fuel
Brazilian Push/Pull factors

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Migration to the cities
Migration to the interior
Take Five…

What common challenges do all areas
of Latin America face?
Chp 11: Today’s Issues: Latin
America

Social class differences

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Most people are illiterate
Most people cannot find jobs
Most people live in the slums
Poverty

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Ex: 45% of Brazilians are impoverished
$2.00 per day
Destroying our Rain Forest
Resources

Why do we care?

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Rainforest vegetation helps to clean the
earth’s atmosphere
Rainforest is home to numerous plant and
animal species
50 million acres destroyed every year
Destroying our Rain Forest
Resources

Why is the rainforest being destroyed?

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Timber—mahogany and cedar
Cutting down the rainforest leads to erosion
Livestock has been introduced into the rainforest
area
½ the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil


Population growth
Development of communities
Take Five…

Use your textbook to complete the
Skillbuilder questions on pg 245
Results of Rainforest
Destruction?

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Deforestation—long term damaging effects
Global warming—rainforests help to regulate
the earth’s climate

Absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen

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Slash and burn creates carbon dioxide
Endangering plant and animal species

Endangering medical research
Discussion of rainforest
resources…

Will “debt-for-nature-swap” work?
Political instability

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Oligarchies, Juntas and Caudillos
Seeking democratic reform

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Constitutional government
Free elections

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Need for education and prosperity
Seeking land ownership reform

Breaking up large estates of wealthy-often corrupt
political elite and giving land to the poor