1/7/2010. Aztec civilization. Maya Civilization. European Conquest (1492) A Global Exchange of Crops and Animals. New urban Settlements

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1 3000 years ago Classic period A.D. Honduras, Guatemala, Belize Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico Theocratic structure Maya Civilization Aztec civilization Aztec Civilization Pinnacle of a long sequence of civilizations in the Valley of Mexico Tenochtitlán Founded about 1300 A.D. Population > 100,000 at Conquest Site of modern Mexico city Elizabeth J. Leppman Culture hearth - altiplano. around Cuzco by A.D million subjects at its zenith. Terraced hillsides and sediment-filled valleys Impressive transportation networks and integration efforts Inca European Conquest (1492) Within 40 years of Columbus, all population centers in region subjugated Superior military technology Vulnerability to disease Smallpox, measles Within 150 years, total population of Americas reduced by 90% Beginning of slave trade Mixing of populations A highly centralized state Spanish and Portuguese Trade Routes, Major conquest centers; circa 1600 A Global Exchange of Crops and Animals Figure ) Spanish settlement in the Caribbean; Mexico 2) Spanish settlement of the Inca empire 3) Portuguese settlement of Brazil 4) Northern European settlements in the Guiana s New urban Settlements Church and State Mercantilism 1

2 Colonial Heritage of Middle and South America Figure 3.11 The Legacy of Colonialism Land alienation Appropriated for colonial commercial interests Converted to cash cropping for export Results: Famine Poverty Migration Decreasing agricultural diversity Underdevelopment Population Patterns Major migration Rural to urban Population Distribution No relationship between population and physical landforms Population Growth Fast, but some countries are going through demographic transition (contraception) Percent Urban Population Percent Urban by Region Overurbanization Figure 3.16 AP Photo/Silvia Izquirdo 2

3 CURRENT GEOGRAPHIC ISSUES Power and wealth in the region was concentrated in colonial elites Remains so today despite: Economic modernization Urbanization Assumption of huge government debts during 1970s and 1980s No economic benefit Supported by taxes on the poor Income Disparity Table 3.2 The 3 Phases of Economic Development The Early Extractive Phase Colonialism Haciendas Plantations The Import Substitution Industrialization Phase Nationalization of industry; land reform The Current Structural Adjustment Phase Free Trade Zones, maquiladoras The Informal Economy Causes: Canceled subsidies Positive effects: Workers support their families Negative effects: Workers pay bribes instead of taxes 3

4 Regional Trade and Trade Agreements NAFTA Mercosur FTAA Mixed result: increases income inequality, yet helps economies achieve more economic independence Is Democracy Rising? All democracies except Cuba Some threatened with coups d état Democracy fragile and not necessarily transparent First Indigenous President in South America Geography of Cocaine Figure 3.26 Figure 3.27 Reuters/David Mercao Human Impacts on Middle and South America Figure 3.32 Environmental Issues Tropical Forestlands in the Global Economy Threats: logging, clearing for agriculture or mining Promoted by Brazil s government Funded by Asian investors Increasing regulation Implications for global warming Amazon = Lungs of the World 4

5 The Environment and Economic Development Past: Governments argued that environmental regulation too expensive Present: New focus on sustainable development Eco-tourism: natural and cultural experiences in unfamiliar environments Most rapidly growing segment of tourism The Status of Women Rural Women: poor, illiterate Urban Women Smaller families, urban life, education Active organizers in politics, business, unions Women Presidents: Nicaragua, Panama, Chile, Argentina First world region to be fully colonized Racial and cultural mixing Majority live in cities Formal and informal economy Abundant natural resources Increase in trade Environmental concerns Uneven development Emigration, remittances Negative effects of globalization Emerging of new political actors 5