Mexico
Population Patterns
Native Americans were the first people to settle the region.
- These Native Americans are now known as indigenous people.
• The People
– First inhabitants came from Asia 40,000 to 60,000 years ago.
• These groups thrived in different areas, but the majority lived in the
southern portion of the Mexican Plateau.
– When the European settlers began to arrive, they blended with the natives
and created a new ethnic group.
• Called the mestizo, they now make up the largest part of the population.
• Density and Distribution
– Mexico is the world’s most populous Spanish- speaking country with 107
million people.
– It has a population density of 142 people per square mile.
• Despite this number, Mexico is not an overcrowded country.
• Mexico City has a population of 19 million people and a population
density of 30,150.
Population Patterns
– Mexico’s population has been shaped by migration.
• Desire for job opportunities and improved economic conditions
drives external migration.
• The population distribution has been greatly changed by
internal migration.
– 75 percent of the population now lives in cities.
– People to move to cites because of the shortage of farm land
and lack of access to social services.
• Mexico City is the primary destination for those who move
within the country, but cities along the U.S- Mexican border are
also popular.
• Urban Areas
– Cities that have grown to absorb surrounding cities and suburbs are
referred to as megacities.
• These cities have more than 10 million people.
• Mexico City is the regions largest megacity.
– Mexico City is also considered a primate city because it dominates
the regions economy, culture and political affairs.
History and Government
• Native American Empires
– There were two Native American groups that flourished in this region.
• The Maya and the Aztec left enduring marks on history and culture.
– Maya
• From 250 A.D. to 900, the Maya dominated southern Mexico and
northern Central America.
• Priests and nobles ruled the cities and surrounding areas.
• Built terraces, courts and temples and established many cities.
• Economy and trade was the basis of their economy.
• The Maya were very skilled in mathematics.
– Developed accurate calendars and used astronomical
observations.
• To honor their gods and record history, the Maya made glyphs.
– Picture writings carved in stone
• For unknown reasons, the Maya eventually abandoned their cities,
however there are descendants who live in Mexico and Central
History and Government
– Aztec
• Arose in central Mexico around 1300.
• Their capital, Tenochtitlan, was built on an island in the middle of a
large lake.
– The site of present day Mexico City.
• Aztec farmers cultivated all available land, in order to feed their
growing population.
– Even grew crops on floating “islands” called chinampas.
– Large rafts covered with mud from the lake bottom.
• Had a highly structured class system that was headed by an emperor
and military officials.
– To win the favor of the gods, high- ranking priests performed
rituals.
– Farmers, laborers and soldiers were at the bottom of society.
History and Government
• An Independent Nation
– The Aztec Empire was still expanding when the Spanish arrived in 1519.
– They landed on the Yucatan Peninsula in search of silver and gold.
• By 1521, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes had defeated the Aztec
Empire.
• Cortes claimed Mexico for Spain.
• For the next three centuries, Mexico was part of viceroyalty of New
Spain.
– Governed by royal appointed officials known as viceroys.
– Resentment against European rule spread throughout Mexico in the late
1700s.
• Mexico was the first Spanish ruled Latin American country to win its
independence.
• In 1810, Father Miguel Hidalgo led the Mexican independence
movement.
• Mexico achieved its independence in 1821.
History and Government
• An Independent Nation
– Small groups of wealthy landowners, army officers and clergy controlled the
economic powers of Mexico despite its independence.
• The new republic was in a chaotic situation because of the power struggles,
public dissatisfaction and revolts.
• Caudillo or dictators, emerged as the emerged as the kind of leader during
this time.
– Became absolute rulers with the backing of the military and landowners.
– Was established as a federal republic in 1917 when a new constitution was
issued.
• Separated powers into three branches- executive, legislative and judiciary.
• Established presidency as a single six year term.
• The Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI) party dominated the
presidency for 70 years, beginning in 1929.
• Vicente Fox of the Partido Accion Nacional (PAN) party ended the PRI’s
control.
• The PAN party secured its controlled when Felipe Fox was declared the
president- elect.
Culture
• Language and Religion
– Spanish is the official language of Mexico.
• Spoken by over 95 percent of the population.
– Roman Catholicism is the dominate religion in the region.
• Practiced by 90 percent of the population.
• Many indigenous religious beliefs have been retained and are blended with
Roman Catholicism. This blending is called syncretism.
• Education and Health Care
– Education varies greatly in Mexico
• Majority of public schools are found in rural areas, but lack funding and
teachers.
• The Mexican Government has promoted adult literacy and funding for
education which has created gains.
– Health problems such as poverty, lack of sanitation and malnutrition have
decreased as education and employment improves.
• Health care is available to all citizens because of federal subsidizes.
• However, many people seek treatment in cities or other countries because of
the poor quality of public medicine.
Culture
• Arts
– Mexico’s are greatly influenced by indigenous cultures and the Spanish
colonial period.
• Maya pyramids and Aztec temples are examples of Native American
architecture.
– They are decorated with murals and mosaics.
• Churches and other building reflecting classic European architecture
were built by the Spanish.
– The twentieth century brought about a renewed interest in pre-colonial
history and culture.
• Diego Rivera was one of many artists who used this time period as their
inspiration.
• Family Life
– The family is highly valued in Mexican culture, and each person is part of
an extended family that consists of several generations.
– Compadres are selected by the parents to watch over their new baby’s
upbringing.
– The Mexico displays elements of a society dominated by males.
Culture
• Sports and Leisure
– Bullfighting is Mexico’s national sport.
– Soccer is also a national passion.
• Baseball and Jaialai also have a large following.
– Celebrating maybe the most popular leisure
activities Mexicans participate in.
• From friendly gatherings to religious feasts, almost any
special occasion is a festival.
Central America and the
Caribbean
Population Patterns
• The People
– Indigenous people were the first inhabitants of this region.
• In some parts, such as Guatemala, Maya descent make up a
large portion of the population.
• However, in places such as Costa Rica, 2/3 of the population
is from European descent.
• Mestizos make up more than 2/3 of the total population in
Central America.
– Africans first arrived as enslaved people, brought forcibly by
Europeans.
• Although slavery ended in the late 1800’s, many Africans
remained in here. The majority of the populations in the
Bahamas is of African descent.
• People of mixed African and European descent form a large
part of the population.
Population Patterns
• Density and Distribution
– The highlands along the Pacific coast are where the majority of the
population in Central America resides.
– Population density of Central America contrasts sharply with that
of the Caribbean.
• The Caribbean countries are some of the most densely
populated in Latin America because of there small areas and
large populations.
– People seeking economic opportunities and an escape from war
have increased external migration for the region.
– There has been an urban growth due primarily to the internal
migration throughout the region
• Approximately 60 percent of the population now lives in cities,
the majority of which live in capital and port cities.
Population Patterns
• Urban Challenges
– Due to the rapid population growth in cities, many of the regions cities resources
have been exhausted.
• Housing and jobs have become scarce as people flock to cities to find a
better life. The intense pressure can cause city’s vital infrastructure to
collapse leaving people without electricity and drinking water.
• However, many people are forced to remain in the cities because they are
too poor to return to their villages.
• European Conquest
– Spanish exploration and colonization of the Caribbean Islands followed the
voyages of Christopher Columbus.
• It was the island of Hispaniola that the European first settled in 1493.
• The Spanish arrived in large numbers seeking gold.
– After quickly and easily defeating the Native Americans, the Spanish
put them to work in their gold mines.
– The Spanish were forced to find a new source of labor as the native
population quickly disappeared. To meet this labor shortage, the
European colonists imported enslaved Africans.
History and Government
• European Conquest
– Columbian Exchange
• This was the movement of plants, animals and infectious disease
from Europe to the Americas.
– Europeans brought goods in an attempt to “Europeanize” the
region. However, the Europeans also took crops back across the
Atlantic.
– Passage Through Panama
• Balboa was the first to discover the unique features of what would
become Panama. He discovered there was another body of water as
vast as the Atlantic.
• Centuries later nearly 75,000 workers constructed the Panama Canal.
• The final construction began in 1904on this engineering wonder.
History and Government
• Gaining Independence
– By the late 1700s, Native Americans and Africans wanted their freedom.
• 1804, following a revolt of enslaved Africans led by Francois ToussaintLouverture, Haiti gained its independence from France.
• Despite the success of Haiti, the Caribbean countries were the last territories
in the region to gain its independence.
– After gain its freedom from Spain in 1898, Cuba remained under the
United States until 1902.
– It wasn’t until late into the 1900s that the British- rules islands achieved
their independence.
– Spain continued to rule in Central America until the 19th century.
– There are islands that still have not achieved their full independence.
• These struggles for independence brought a period of political and
economical instability.
• The United Provinces of Central America was formed in 1823 by a group of
independent provinces.
• However, the powerful elites opposed this federation so the United
Provinces broke up into five separate countries.
– Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
History and Government
• Movements for Change
– Central America and the Caribbean experienced political, social and
economic change during the 1900s.
– The U.S. and Panama signed a treaty that created the Panama Canal
Zone following Panama’s independence in 1903.
– The upper classes gained new wealth with the formation of industries,
building or railroads and the expansion of trade.
• However, for the majority progress was limited and demands were
often ignored.
– In Cuba reform did occur, when a communist state was set up in 1959
under Fidel Castro.
– In 1990s several countries got rid of there military dictatorships and
established democratically elected governments.
– Many Central America and Caribbean countries are still fighting to
bring an end to corrupt politics and violence.
South America
Population Patterns
With over 373 million people, South America is the world’s fourth- largest
continent.
• The People
– Region is home to an ethnically diverse population.
– Many parts are inhabited by various indigenous cultures.
• There are more than 350 indigenous groups in the region, the
majority of which live in the Andes mountains.
– Spanish and Portuguese were first Europeans.
• Enslaved Africans were brought along with the arrival of other
European nations.
– Vast amounts of Asian immigrants have also settled the area.
• Density and Distribution
– Most of the population lives of the continent’s edges, an area that is
referred to as the “populated rim.”
• The challenges presented by the continent's interior geography make
it difficult to settle anywhere else.
Population Patterns
– People are drawn to the coastal regions because of their climates, fertile
lands and easy transportation.
• Brazil moved its capital to the interior city of Brasilia, In an effort to
encourage migration away from the coasts.
– With their large land masses, most South American countries have low
population densities.
• Ecuador is the most densely populated country with an average of
119 people.
• Brazil has a population of 184 million, but only has a population
density of 56 people.
– Many people are motivated to leave the region to escape violence and
find a better way of life.
– South America has experienced a shift to urbanization, with more than
80 percent of the population living in cities.
• However, the flow of immigrants to the U.S. is relatively small
compared to that of Mexico’s.
• Some countries are experiencing a “brain drain” – the loss of their
skilled workers and highly educated citizens.
• Urban Challenges
– South America has 3 megacities that rank in the top 15 in the world in
total population.
• Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
– All three cities experience extreme discrepancies between the wealthy
and poor.
• For example, 20 percent of Sao Paulo’s population lives in slums
on the outskirts of the city.
– Housing, employment, maintaining infrastructure, crime and traffic
are some of the major challenges these megacities face.
History and Government
• Early Cultures
– The Moche, Mapuche and Aymara developed societies based
primarily on agriculture.
– The Inca’s would later establish a highly developed civilization in the
Andes Mountains.
• Their empire stretched from Ecuador to Chile at its height.
• Their capital city was Cuzco, which they built in what is now
Peru.
• They ruled through a central government which was headed by
emperor.
History and Government
• Early Cultures
– In this hierarchical society the emperor, high priest and army had
complete authority.
– They used their engineering skills to build temples, fortresses and
lay a network of roads.
• They also cut terraces in the mountains and built irrigation
systems.
– Despite their other skills, they had no written language to
communicate.
• Used storytelling to pass knowledge on to the next generation.
• Also used quipu to keep financial and historical records.
– Their great wealth came with their vast supply of gold and silver.
• However, it was this great wealth that led the Europeans to their
shores.
History and Government
• European Conquests
– As Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro set sail for Peru, the Inca had
been already weakened by civil war.
• The Spanish quickly destroyed the Inca and expanded into other parts
of South America.
• Meanwhile the Portuguese, British, French and Dutch also began
settling parts of South America.
– These conquerors established highly structured political systems, and
used Catholicism as a unifying force.
• These colonies became a source of wealth for the home countries
• The Spanish prospered from the mining of gold and silver, while the Portuguese
from precious metals and Brazilian wood.
• They also established plantations where they grew coffee, sugarcane and cotton to
export back to Europe.
– The Native American population was greatly reduced by epidemic
diseases and the hardships from physical labor.
• The colonists began importing enslaved Africans to meet the new shortage of labor.
History and Government
• Independence
– Many South American countries began seeking their own independence
after the success of the American and French Revolution.
– Many of these countries achieved their goal by the mid- 1800’s.
• Simon Bolivar and Jose da San Martin led Venezuela and Argentina
respectively to independence.
• However, Brazil was the only one who achieved independence
without a violent upheaval.
• Such countries as French Guiana have yet to gain their freedom.
– Although they achieved independence, many countries experienced
political and economical turmoil.
• They lacked the tradition of self- government, and they power usually
remained in the hands of the elite.
• Movements for Change
– Democratically elected governments replaced dictatorships in many
countries.
• However, these countries still struggle to stop violence and end
corrupt politics.
– The gap between the rich and the poor, create jobs and indigenous
rights are other issues these governments are dealing with.
– South Americans have expressed their demands through their right
to vote.
• Chile elected their first female president and Bolivia elected an
Aymara Indian as their first indigenous president.
Culture
South America is one of the most cultural diverse areas in the world.
• Language and Religion
– Throughout the region, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and French are
all spoken.
• Many people in the region are even bilingual.
– Native American languages blended with European languages to
form a new language.
– Many native languages have survived and are still spoken today.
– Catholicism is the primary language in the region, but many
practice religions that are mixed between West African religions
and Catholicism.
Culture
• Education and Health Care
– The education in South America varies greatly throughout the region.
– Many countries in the region have began devoting more funds to public
schools.
• Some universities offer higher education for little or no cost.
– In some countries, education is seen as a luxury for the wealthy.
• Many poor children dropout of school to help support their families.
– In the countries with stable economies and higher standards of living, the
health care is better and people are living longer.
• Poverty, lack of sanitation, disease and malnutrition continue to
create problems in the rural areas of the region.
• These issues also create problems in the slums in large cities.
• The Arts
– The mastery of stone and engineering and traditional crafts such as
weaving, ceramics and metalwork are forms of Native American arts that
still survive today.
– Music is another area that has ancient ties.
• Panpipes is one form of pre- Columbian musical instruments in the
region.
• The Brazilian samba and the Argentine tango are musical traditions that
are a mixture of Native American, African and European styles.
– The Spanish inspired various art forms including painting and architecture.
• Spanish and Portuguese Catholic churches still stand in the area.
– Many South American writers have won substantial international
recognition.
• Family Life and Leisure
– In the urban upper and middle classes, families usually consist of a nuclear
household.
• However, extended families remain very strong and important.
– Soccer is the passion for most people in South America
– People in South America spend their leisure time celebrating with family
and recognizing religious feast days.
• They celebrate carnival in the week before Lent
• Rio de Janeiro is home to one of the world’s largest Carnival
celebrations.
The Economy
Economic Activities
• Agriculture
– Although a large portion of the Latin American population lives in cities, there is
still a large dependency on agriculture to supply incomes.
• Much of what their farms produce is exported to other countries. Such things
as bananas, sugarcane and coffee.
– Latifundia and Minifundia
• Latin American farmland is unevenly distributed between wealthy
landowners and much larger group of campesinos- rural farmers or workers.
• Most latifundia are highly mechanized commercial operations. They have
low labor investment, but maintain high yield returns.
• The remainder of the farmland is referred to as minifundia, and these small
plots are farmed by campesinos.
– They rarely own these plots of land, instead, they are usually held by
wealthy landowners or the government.
• Government laws to distribute land more fairly and farmhands leaving to
find work else were, has caused this system to gradually breakdown.
• Agricultural cooperatives are becoming more common as campesinos
combine their farmland into large, jointly run farms.
Economic Activities
• Agriculture
– Cash Crops and Livestock
• This region’s physical geography makes it very easy to grow cash crops.
– Among the worlds leading coffee producers are Brazil, Mexico,
Guatemala and Colombia.
– Central American countries are also the leading producers of
bananas, sugarcane and soybeans.
• In some Latin American countries large ranches raise cattle for export.
• However, it is very risk for countries to depend on just one or two export
products.
– Droughts, floods or other natural disasters can destroy a country’s
cash crop.
– This can destroy a country’s economy and create hardship for the
population.
– Honduras’s main export, bananas, was wiped out by Hurricane
Mitch in 1998.
Economic Activities
• Industry
– Many Latin American countries are developing countries that are working
towards greater manufacturing and technology use.
• The region is able to industrialize more rapidly because of its skilled
workforce, energy supplies, transportation networks and abundant
resources.
– The service industries have grown rapidly in most of Latin American.
• Tourism is crucial to this regions economy, especially in the Caribbean.
• Many have expanded and diversified their service industries to include
telecommunications and information technology.
– Industrial Growth
• There are several factors that have limited the growth of industry in Latin
America.
– The Amazon rain forest and the high Andes mountains are two physical
features that have restricted access to resources.
– The link between Latin America and more developed regions has also
limited growth because they drain local resources and profits.
– Investors have also been wary to invest because of the political
instability of the region.
Economic Activities
• Industry
– Industrial Growth
• By combining the necessary resources with a stable government a few Latin
American countries have been able to grow.
– Maquiladoras
• A manufacturing plant that is established by a foreign firm in Mexico.
– Most are established along the U.S.- Mexico border mainly by
American or Japanese firms. The cities of Tijuana and Ciudad Juarez
are especially popular for maquiladors.
– There are over 3,200 maquiladors in Mexico and they employ more
than a million people.
• These plants are located in free trade zones.
– Benefit foreign corporations because it allows them to pay low wages
and produce exports that are duty free.
• One benefit to the host country is that they offer employment and investment
opportunities.
• However, maquiladors often ignore labor and environmental protection
laws.
Transportation and Communications
The physical geography of Latin America often makes transportation and
communication very difficult.
• Transportation
– Rugged mountains, dense rain forests and arid deserts are obstacles that the
regions roads and railroads have to cross.
– Despite these difficulties, the region does boast many good roads.
• Pan- American Highway is the region’s major road system. It stretches from
northern Mexico to southern Chile.
• More than a dozen of the regions capital cities are connect by this system.
• Are several other smaller road systems throughout the region that have been
developed.
• Brazil has built one major highway, and is in the process of developing
another that will allow them to get their products to the world market.
– Mexico, Panama, Argentina and Brazil have established well developed rail
systems despite any physical barriers.
• However, many other countries railroads have fallen into disrepair.
– The Amazon River, Parana- Paraguay Rivers and the Panama Canal are just a
few of the inland waterways that are important for the region.
Transportation and Communications
– Air travel is becoming more affordable and more popular, as all the capital cities
and other major cities receive international and domestic flights.
• Private and military landing strips do provide air travel for remote locations.
• Communication
– Include: newspaper, radio and television
– They are usually censored by the government during times of political unrest.
– Very few have telephones in their homes, but millions do have access to them
and use them.
• Countries cannot afford the necessary equipment for residential phone
service.
• However, in most of the larger cities a large portion of the population does
use cellular phones.
– As technology advances so does the amount of communication in Latin
America.
– A new hub in the Dominican Republic is expected to create a rapid growth in
internet use in the region.
– It will provide faster more reliable access.
Trade and Independence
• In order to obtain the natural resources, manufactured goods and food that
are needed, the Latin American countries depend on trade.
• NAFTA and CAFTA
• NAFTA was created in 1992 and went in to effect in 1994.
• Trade restrictions were gradually decreased as goods, services and
people began to flow into the region.
• Trade between the three countries has increased annually by 10 to 15
percent.
• However, the overall impact on employment and GDP has been small.
• This agreement has been controversial in both countries.
– Loss of jobs and investment for Americans
– The Mexican government feels that the agreement has boosted
exports, increased international investment and created new jobs.
– However, some Mexican citizens feel that they have not benefitted
like they should have, and poor are not seeing any of the benefits.
Trade and Independence
• NAFTA and CAFTA
• CAFTA was signed between the U.S., Costa Rica, El
Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the
Dominican Republic in 2005.
• Its purpose is to lower trade barriers between the U.S.
and these 6 Central American countries.
• Representatives hope that other countries will also join
the agreement.
• There are many critics of the agreement.
– Fear job losses for Americans, and there is a fear
that exploitation of the lower- paid workers.
» Especially in the textile and sugar industries.
Trade and Independence
• Foreign Debt
– In order to finance their industrial development in the 1960s and 70s,
many Latin American countries borrowed funds from foreign banks.
– An economic slowdown in the 1980s, drastically diminished the need
for Latin American goods.
– As their incomes fell, many Latin American governments
threatened to default on their loans.
– In response, the lenders rescheduled these countries loans.
They lengthened the amount of time they had to pay them
back and reduced the monthly payments.
– As a result to their large foreign debts, many countries have halted
some domestic programs.
– International agencies are exploring ways to offer debt relief
– However, there are Latin American countries that have been able to
pay back their debts and been able to fund improvements in social
services.
People and Their Environment
Managing Resources
• Many of Latin America’s rain forests are disappearing due to
deforestation.
– The strategies for preserving these forests are hotly debatable.
• Farm Versus Forests
– The Amazon basin is an area where it is common for rain forests to
be cleared for more farm land.
– The slash and burn farming technique is the process most
commonly practiced to remove the trees.
– Unfortunately, after only a few years, the soil loses its fertility and
farmers move on to clear new parts of the forest.
– Deforestation has been accelerated in recent years because of the
pressure from large corporation farms.
• Want to expand their farm land to meet global needs for
soybeans.
– Commercial logging operations also contribute to deforestation.
• Harvest the wood for timber and other products.
• However, it is estimated that 2/3 of tree is not used or burned.
Managing Resources
• Biodiversity at Risk
– Over half of all animal and plant species on earth live in rain forests
– However, these biologically rich ecosystems are being severely threatened
by deforestation.
– Brazil harbors the largest remaining rain forests on the plant.
• Nearly 20 percent of the Amazon rain forest has already been destroyed.
• Brazil’s other rain forest, the Atlantic forest, now covers less than 7
percent of its original area.
• This forest is one of the planet’s richest, but it is also one of the most
threatened.
• Scientist are working to find ways to prevent the extinction of this forest.
– Deforestation also threatens the rain forests resources.
• Key medicines that may have the potential to treat cancer and other diseases.
– This can also speed up the process of global warming as less carbon dioxide
is being absorbed by the rain forests.
Managing Resources
• Planting for the Future
– Brazil, Costa Rica and other countries with forests
must listen to the advice of environmentalists, but
must also be aware of the social and economic
realities.
– With time rainforests will regenerate on their
own.
– Reforestation laws will also help.
– New farming, mining and logging methods are
being developed to help conserve the methods.
Human Impact
• Rapid Urban Growth
– Latin American cities are experiencing environmental challenges due to
rapid urban growth.
– As more workers migrate to the cities, the population is exceeding the
available resources.
• Many are not able to find adequate housing and are forced to live in
slums or shantytowns.
• Usually located on dangerous slopes or wetlands that can be destroyed
by natural disasters.
• Widespread disease is common because of the lack of running water and
underground sewage.
– People who live in cities without adequate clean-air laws are often effected
by air pollution.
• Vehicle exhaust combined with industrial smokestacks release large
amounts of pollution into the air.
– The needs of Latin America’s urban areas are beginning to be addressed by
governments, agencies and grassroots groups.
Human Impact
– Industrial Pollution
• Environmental laws have not kept pace with the rapid industrial growth
in the region.
– Risks of pollution that is associated with industrial growth has
increased.
• Runoff from chemical fertilizers and pesticides used on farms may
damage health or endanger lives.
• Future Challenges
– Disputed Borders
• Over the past 150 years, Latin America has faced several territorial
conflicts.
– Occur for strategic locations and rights to valuable natural
resources.
– Many resources that could have been used for development are
diverted to focus on border wars.
– However, countries can be encouraged to resolve differences due to
economic incentives.
» Peru and Ecuador are a prime example. The two countries
ended a 60 year old border dispute.
» International investors offered over 3 billion in aid to help
develop the area.
Future Challenges
• Disaster Preparedness
– Latin America is vulnerable to natural disasters due to its physical
geography.
• During 2005, Central America and the Caribbean experienced several
devastating hurricanes.
– Latin American governments are working together to forecast the
direction and severity of hurricanes.
• They are using sophisticated technology such as satellite imaging and
computer modeling.
– Volcanic eruptions in the Caribbean are being studied to gather detailed
information.
• A series of volcanic eruptions began in 1995 and destroyed twothirds of the island of Montserrat.
• The volcano is being monitored for future activity.
• Because this volcanoe is similar to many others around the world,
these studies will help forecast and predict volcanoes world-wide.