Our World

3/3/06

1. Trivia

2. Finish Chloroplath Maps

3. Latin America Notes


Economic and Social Development: Dependent Economic Growth

Most Latin American countries are "middle income"

-Development Strategies
*Import substitution: Support for domestic industry by imposing inflated tariffs on all imported goods

* Industrialization, Manufactuing emphasized since 1960's
- Growth poles: Planned industrial centers

-Maquiladoras and Foreign Investment
*Maquiladoras: Mexican assembly parts lining US border
*Other Latin American Countries attracting foreign companies

-Primary Exports
*Latin America specialized in commodities into 1950's
- Bananas, coffee, cacao, grains, tin, rubber, petroleum, etc.

-Agricultural Production
* Since 1960's agriculture has become more diversified and mechanized
* Machinery, hybrid crops, chemical fertilizers, pestecides, making agriculture very productive

-Mining and Forestry
* Poducts: Silver, zinc, copper, iron ore, gold, oil, gas
* Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador export oil
* Mining becoming mechanized, laying off workers
* Logging:
- Exportation of wood pulp provide short-term cash infusion
- Plantation forests of introduced species replace diverse native forests

- Latin America in the Global Economy
*Dependency theory holds that expansion of European capitalism created Latin America condition of underdevelopment
- Creates prosperous cores and dependent, poor peripheries
- Increased economic integration within Latin America and ominance of U.S. market

-Neoliberalism as Globalization
* Neoliberal policies: Stress privatization, export prodcution, and few restrictions on imports
- Benefits include increased trade and more favorable terms for debt payment, political leaders embrace it

-Dollarization: Process in which country adopts (whole or part) US dollar as official currency
* Full dollarization - U.S. Dollar becomes only currency
- Until 2000, Panama was only fully dolarized Latin American Country
- Ecuador also became fully dollarized in 2000
- El Salvador considering
- Limited dollarization more common strategy
- U.S. dollar circulate with countries nation currency
* Tends to reduce inflation, eliminate fears of currency devaluation, and reduce costs of trade

-Social Developmemt
* Improvements since 1960
- Declining child mortality rate, along with higher rates for life expentancy and educational attainment
` Most countries had cuts of 50% or in child mortality
` Important role for non-governmental organization (NGO's)
` Still regional social differences with in countries
` Humanitarian organizations, churches, community activists

- Race and Inequality
* Relative tolerance, but Americanindians and blacks over-represented amon the poor
- Hard to ignore ethnicity and race when explaining contrasts in income and availablitly of services

Mapping Poverty and Prosperity ( 4.29)

-Social Development
* The Status of Women
- Many women work outside the home (30%-40%)
` Lower thatn rate in U.S. but comparable to many Euopean countries
- Legally, woman vote, own property and sign loans, but less likey thenment to do so
` Reflective tendencies
- Lower illiteracy rates
` Highest rates in Central America
- Trend toward smaller families
` Related to education adn work fo participation

Conclusion
- Lain America is the first region fuller colonized by Europe
- Demographic recovery slow after early population decline
- Latin America is rich in natural resources
* But will resources be exploited for short-term gain or sustainablility?
- Active informal economy, rapid development

4. Political Maps

posted by Anonymous @ 3/03/2006 05:10:00 PM