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Geography and Economy of Latin America and the Caribbean

Explore the physical geography, economic trends, and cultural diversity of Latin America and the Caribbean. Learn about the region's diverse landscapes, colonial legacy, agricultural practices, and the impact of tourism. Discover how the primary sector, including agriculture and industry, influences the economies of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Gain insights into the environmental concerns and the unique challenges these countries face.

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Geography and Economy of Latin America and the Caribbean

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  1. Latin America: Middle America and Caribbean

  2. INTRODUCTION • DEFINING THE REGION • MEXICO • CENTRAL AMERICA • CARIBBEAN ISLANDS • MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES • FRAGMENTED - PHYSICALLY AND POLITICALLY • CULTURALLY DIVERSE

  3. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY • LAND BRIDGE- ISTHMUS • ARCHIPELAGO • GREATER AND LESSER ANTILLES • NATURAL HAZARDS • EARTHQUAKES • VOLCANOES • HURRICANES

  4. THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM • LANDS DEVOTED TO FOOD CROPS FOR LOCAL CONSUMPTION (subsistence farming) WERE CONVERTEDTO CASH CROPPINGFOR EXPORT (i.e. sugar) • LAND ALIENATIONINDUCES: • FAMINE AND POVERTY • MIGRATION • LITTLE AGRICULTURAL DIVERSITY

  5. MAINLAND v. RIMLAND • MAINLAND • EURO-INDIAN INFLUENCE • GREATER ISOLATION • HACIENDA PREVAILED • RIMLAND • EURO-AFRICAN INFLUENCE • HIGH ACCESSIBILITY • PLANTATION ECONOMY

  6. Agriculture: Plantation v. Hacienda PLANTATION HACIENDA • PRODUCTION FOR EXPORT • SINGLE CASH CROP • SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT • PROFIT MOTIVE $$$ • MARKET VULNERABILITY • DOMESTIC MARKET • DIVERSIFIED CROPS • YEAR ROUND JOBS • SMALL PLOT OF LAND • SELF-SUFFICIENT

  7. Mexico- Population • Largest, most populated, and economically most developed of the Middle American nations • Population - more than 100 million • Also the most populated Spanish speaking country in the world.

  8. MAQUILADORAS Tijuana Ciudad Juarez Nogales Chihuahua Reynosa Matamoros Monterrey

  9. MAQUILADORAS • Initiated in the 1960s as coupon houses • Assembly plants that pioneered the migration of industries in the 1970s • Today • >4,000 maquiladoras • >1.2 million employees

  10. MAQUILADORAS • Modern industrial plants • Assemble imported, duty-free components/raw materials • Export the finished products • Mostly foreign-owned (U.S., Japan) • 80% of goods re-exported to U.S.

  11. MAQUILADORAS • 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

  12. 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.

  13. CENTRAL AMERICA • Guatemala • Belize • Honduras • El Salvador • Nicaragua • Costa Rica • Panama What type of export products do we get from these countries?

  14. THE CARIBBEAN BASIN • The Greater Antilles • Cuba • Hispaniola (consists of Haiti/Dominican Republic) • Jamaica • Puerto Rico • The Lesser Antilles

  15. Central America Mountainous with small coastal plain. Caribbean Basin Volcanic islands, mountainous with reef formation around them. Physical Geography

  16. ECONOMIC TRENDS(Central America & the Caribbean) • Agriculture- varies with elevation • Industry • Services • Tourism • Environmental Issues • Deforestation, Hurricane Damage

  17. PRIMARY SECTOR DEPENDENCE • 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

  18. PRIMARY SECTOR DEPENDENCE • Dominican Republic (49% Agriculture) • Sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, and tobacco • Jamaica (22.5% Agriculture) • Sugar, bananas, and rum • Cuba (20% Agriculture) • Sugar, tobacco, citrus, and coffee

  19. THE TOURISM OPTION • Antigua and Barbuda • Direct contribution of 13% to GDP and affects growth in other sectors • The Bahamas • Tourism alone provides 50% of GDP and directly or indirectly employs 40% of the population.

  20. TOURISM: A MIXED BLESSING? • Advantages • State and regional economic options • A clean industry • Educational • Disadvantages • Disjunctive development • Degrades fragile environmental resources • Inauthentic representations of native cultures

  21. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS • Tropical Deforestation • 3 million acres of woodland in Central America disappear each year!

  22. CAUSES OF TROPICAL DEFORESTATION • Clearing of rural lands to accommodate meat production and export • Rapid logging of tropical woodlands to meet global demands for new housing, paper, and furniture • Population explosion: forests are cut to provide crop-raising space and firewood

  23. Middle America and Caribbean: Conclusions • The landscape is mountainous with some coastal regions. • Climate is tropical, varies with elevation, and dependent upon windward/leeward sides. • Economic activity is dependent upon primary sector, although tourism is profitable. • Population is primarily found in temperate areas. • Culture is a mix of European, Indigenous and African populations.

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