Latin America Today

1. Latin America Today Mrs. Killian

2. L.A. todayAir pollutions • Mexico City is the 2nd largest populated city in the world • Population and location contribute to bad air pollution. (Mexican Cat) • Mountains around the city trap the polluted air.

3. What’s Being Done • The government promotes public transportation to help reduce air pollution • There are restrictions on car use and workshops to teach people about the environment. • This is also happening in smaller and lower Santiago (it’s because of the mountains)

4. Destruction of the Amazon Rainforest • One valued resource of the rainforest is its large hardwood trees. • In the 1950s, the Brazilian government began building major a highway system. • Opened more of the forest to loggers • Increasing amounts of the rainforest are cut down to make croplands and pastures for the growing population.

5. Oil Pollution • Oil was discovered in the part of the Amazon basin that enters Ecuador’s eastern region. • oil production results in toxic wastes, air pollution, and occasional oil spillage. Streams and rivers are polluted, along with the animals that live there. • The people of high oil producing regions suffer from high levels of cancer, skin problems, breathing problems, and digestive tract problems. • The people have asked for better healthcare, water, and environ services but the government has done little to help them. • The government instead has planned to drill for oil in more regions of the Amazon basin. • Mexico is one of the world’s major oil producers. • Money for oil makes a large chunk of the country’s budget.

6. Oil Pollution continued • Most of the oil is found in the Yucatan Peninsula • People protested the oil industry directly. • Destroyed the rainforests located there and harmed the people who fish and farm • Venezuela has been producing oil for over 90 years. • One of the largest lakes in Latin America, Lake Maracaibo, is polluted as is the coast along the Caribbean. • Burns more energy, and puts out more carbon dioxide, than any other country in Latin America. • Main source of income comes from oil, so they keep producing it • Various groups of citizens are calling for renewable every sources and the clean up and prevention of pollution caused by their country

7. Natural Disasters • Earth’s colliding plates cause volcanoes, earthquakes, and mountain formation. • Active volcanoes exist in the mountain ranges of Mexico, Central America, and the Andes • Earthquakes occur all along this mountain region. • Haiti was hit with an earthquake on 1/12/10 • The Caribbean Islands are created from an under water mountain range. This mountain range is created from these plates rubbing together. • Because the earthquake was only 6 miles deep it created more damage (The deeper it is the less we feel it on the surface) • Tropical storms and hurricanes occur often in the Caribbean Islands and the Gulf of Mexico. • Late summer and autumn • Strong winds and heavy rains of these storms and hurricane damage crops, forests, and buildings • Heavy rains also cause severe flooding and mudslides in deforested areas ex. Nicaragua and Honduras

8. Latin American and Caribbean Culture • Ethnic Groups way of life includes its customs, traditions, and religion. • Latin American Languages • Spanish- Mexico, all of Central America, most of South America, Dominican Republic • Portuguese- Brazil • English- Belize, Guyana, Jamaica and most Caribbean Islands • French- French Guiana, Haiti • Dutch- Suriname

9. Religions • Main= Catholicism • In English speaking countries many are Protestant

10. Ethnic Groups • Mestizo- Mexico, Central America, Chile, Paraguay, and Venezuela • Mostly Spanish Catholic with some Native traditions • Mulatto- ½ of the Cuban population • Majority of Haitians and Jamaicans are of European descent • Native Americans still form the majority of the population in Bolivia, Peru, Guatemala, Mexico, Ecuador, Belize Panama, and Honduras • In Costa Rica, more than ¾’s of the people claim Spanish ancestry.

11. Literacy Rate • Struggled a long time with illiteracy. • Chile has a high literacy rate (high percentage of 15 years and older who can read and write) • Mexico and Brazil have a low literacy rate, and the cities cannot handle the growing population. • In both countries there has been a drop in illiteracy. • governments of these countries are encouraging children to stay in school and colleges offer more courses.

12. Latin American GovernmentsBrazil • Form of leadership- Representative Democracy, Each Brazilian state has its own constitution and legislature. • Role of citizens- The people in each state of Brazil is broken up into smaller units called municipalities.

13. Brazil government continued • At the national level Brazilians vote every 4 years for their country’s president. Residents vote for the mayor and deputies of their municipality.

14. Brazil government continued… • At 16 all Brazilians are required by law to vote. • Personal Freedoms- Brazil had a poor record during the dictatorship of the 1960s, and still has many problems today. These include the use of police brutality, corruption, torture and summary executions by civil and military police and prison authorities.

15. Mexico • Form of leadership- Federal Republic • Role of citizens- Mexicans are required to vote at the age of 18. They vote for their country’s president every 6 years, and vote for state governors and city mayors. • Personal freedoms- have been an issue for years. The problems include torture, police repression and more recently, news reporter assassinations.

16. Cuba • Form of leadership- Dictatorship. “Unitary Socialist Republic” Cubans did not vote for President Fidel Castro who became Cuba’s president in 1959. The Communist Party and the Council of State plan and control Cuba’s economy at the national and regional level. • Role of citizens- Cubans must vote in elections at 16. Every 5 years, Cubans vote for the 600 members of the island’s only house of legislature, the National Assembly of People’s Power.

17. Cuba continued…. • Personal freedoms- Cuban law limits freedom of expression, association, assembly, movement, and the press. Concerns have also been expressed about the operation of due process.

18. Economies of Latin AmericaCuba • Has a planned economy; it uses a central authority to plan economic activities that adhere to socialist principles. • Most industry and means of production are owned and run by the govt.

19. Brazil • Moderate free market and export-oriented economy. • Its gross domestic product surpasses $1.6 trillion dollars, the eighth in the world and the second in the Americas in the World Bank ranking