Chapter 2: Latin America

Learning Objectives- After studying this chapter you should be able to:
•	Explain the relationships among elevation, climate, and agricultural production, especially in tropical highland areas
•	Identify the major environmental issues of Latin America and how countries are addressing them
•	Summarize the demographic issues impacting this region, such as rural-to-urban migration, urbanization, smaller families, and emigration
•	Describe the cultural mixing of European and Amerindian groups in this region and indicate where Amerindian cultures thrive today
•	Explain the global reach of Latino culture through immigration, sport, music, and television
•	Describe the colonial settlement of the region and how it affected the formation of today’s modern states
•	Identify the major trade blocs in Latin America and how they are influencing development
•	Summarize the significance of primary exports from Latin America, especially agricultural commodities, minerals, wood products, and fossil fuels
•	Describe the neoliberal economic reforms that have been applied to Latin America and how they have influenced the region’s development

Terms-  You should understand these terms and be ready to identify them:
agrarian reform A popular but controversial strategy to redistribute land to peasant farmers.
Altiplano The largest intermontane plateau in the Andes, which straddles Peru and Bolivia.
altitudinal zonation The relationship between elevation, temperature, and changes in vegetation.
Bolsa Familia A Brazilian conditional cash transfer program created to reduce extreme poverty.
Central American Free Trade Association (CAFTA) A trade agreement between the US and Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic to reduce tariffs and increase trade between member countries.
dependency theory A popular theory to explain patterns of economic development premised on the idea that underdevelopment was created by the expansion of capitalism to develop “core” countries in Europe at the expense of development in “periphery” countries.
Dollarization An economic strategy in which a country adopts the US dollar as its official currency.
El Nino An abnormally large warm current that appears off the coast of Ecuador and Peru, disrupting seasonal temperature and rainfall over large areas.
Grassification The conversion of tropical rainforest into pasture for cattle ranching.
informal sector Self-employed, low-wage jobs that are usually unregulated and untaxed. Some scholars include illegal activities such as smuggling or prostitution.
latifundia A large estate or landholding in Latin America.
maquiladora Assembly plants on the Mexican border with the US built by foreign capital.
megacity An urban conglomeration of more than 10 million people.
Mercosur The Southern Common Market, established in 1991, which calls for free trade among South American member states and common tariffs for non-member states.
mestizo A person of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry.
minifundia A small landholding farmed by peasants in Latin America for subsistence or local markets.
Neoliberalism Economic policies widely adopted in the 1990s that stress privatization, export-oriented production, and few restrictions on imports.
neotropics Tropical ecosystems of the Americas that evolved in relative isolation and support diverse and unique flora and fauna.
Organization of American States (OAS) Founded in 1948 and headquartered in Washington, DC, an organization that fosters hemispheric cooperation and dialogue. Most states in the Americas, belong, excluding Cuba.
remittance Money sent my immigrants working abroad to their families and communities in their countries of origin.
shield A large upland area of very old exposed rocks.
squatter settlements Makeshift housing on land not legally owned or rented by urban immigrants, usually in unoccupied open spaces within or on the outskirts of a rapidly growing city.
subnational organization Groups that form along ethnic, ideological, or territorial lines that can induce serious internal tensions within a state.
supranational organization Governing bodies that include several states, such as trade organizations, and often involve a loss of some state powers to achieve organizational goals.
syncretic religion Religions that feature a blending of different beliefs systems.
Treaty of Tordesillas A treaty signed in 1494 between Spain and Portugal that drew a north-south line that divided South America between the two countries.
UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) A supranational organization, created in 2008 and modeled after the European Union, that seeks to integrate trade and population movements within South America.
urban primacy A state in which a disproportionately large city (For example, London, or Bangkok) dominates the urban system of a country and is the center of economic, political, and cultural life.