envierment
ardam
MiddleandSouthAmericaParts1_4.pdf
The region comprises nearly 13% of the Earth’s total land surface area. Latin America includes
all the Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking nations located to the south of the United States.
The countries share significant similarities because they were colonized either by Spain or
Portugal. The region includes one country in North America (Mexico) and other countries in
Central and South America. ... Between 1808 and 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Spain
and Portugal and dethroned the Spanish King. The Spanish Empire consequently crumbled
and its position in Latin America was weakened. The first uprisings were unsuccessful and
happened in Mexico and Venezuela. The wave of independence movements started in 1816,
led by Simon Bolivar, and defeated the Spanish army with decisive victories. By 1825, some of
the present-day Latin American countries were independent.
“Latin American" Countries Roman (Latin-speaking) origins of the former
colonial powers of Spain and Portugal It ignores the region’s large indigenous groups, its African, Asian, and Northern European populations, as well as many mixed cultures.
The Middle and South American Realm
Simón Bolívar (July 24, 1783
-December 17, 1830),
Venezuelan soldier and
statesman who led the
revolutions against Spanish
rule in the Viceroyalty of
New Granada. He was
president of Gran
Colombia, a short-lived
republic (1819–30), formerly
the Viceroyalty of New
Granada, including roughly
the modern nations of
Colombia, Panama,
Venezuela, and Ecuador, and
dictator of Peru (1823–26).
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios
The Louisiana Purchase of 1803 The Florida Purchase Treaty of 1819 The Texas annexation of 1845 The Mexican Cession of 1848 The Gadsden Purchase of 1854
Dutch Guiana at its greatest extent, 1649 Today part of Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela
Political map of the Americas in 1794
Middle (Central) America The U.S. Department of Homeland Security
https://www.dhs.gov/geographic-regions
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/geographic-regions
The West Indies is often interchangeable with the term Caribbean, although the latter may also include some Central and South American mainland countries which have Caribbean coastlines.
Countries (16) [b]: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize[a], Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana[a], Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname[a], Trinidad and Tobago Dependencies (24) [b]: Amapá (BR)[a], Anguilla (UK), Aruba (NL), Bermuda (UK)[a], Bonaire (NL), British Virgin Islands (UK), Caribbean region of Colombia (CO)[a], Cayman Islands (UK), Curaçao (NL), Guadeloupe (FR), French Guiana (FR)[a], Martinique (FR), Montserrat (UK), Navassa Island (US), Puerto Rico (US), Quintana Roo (MX)[a][4], Saba (NL), Saint Barthélemy (FR), Saint Martin (FR), Sint Eustatius (NL), Sint Maarten (NL), Turks and Caicos Islands (UK), U.S. Virgin Islands (US), Venezuelan Caribbean (VE)[a] a. Sometimes included. b. The Lucayan Archipelago is sometimes excluded from the definition of the "Caribbean" and instead classified as a part of North Atlantic; this is primarily a geological rather than cultural or political distinction.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security https://www.dhs.gov/geographic-regions
South America Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
Physical Geography■ Land bridge
• A link between two major continental masses (isthmus: a
narrow strip of land with sea on either side, forming a link
between two larger areas of land).
• A shortcut between two major oceans. ■ Archipelago
• Group of islands, many part of the same country.
• Caribbean has about 7,000 islands.
• Greater Antilles:
• The four large islands; Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico
and Jamaica.
• Lesser Antilles:
• Numerous small islands; Bahamas, Martinique, etc.
• The crests and tops of ocean floor mountain chains that
formed out of tectonic plate collisions.
Landscape of Contrast:
Patagonia: lakes, penguins, continental ice
Andes, Macchu Pichu
Pico de Orizaba (Volcano Citlaltépetl), México's highest peak and North
America's highest volcano.
World’s Driest Desert:
Atacama, Chile
Rainforest canopy, and Amazon River
Continuous
Fields Tree
Cover
Project
>5000 m0 m
1000 2000 3000
lowlands
Mountains
Plateaus or
highlands
Latin America and the Caribbean can be divided in three topographic zones:
Lowlands ( less than 500
meters)
Highlands (500-2000
meters)
– Plateaus: flat top
highland regions
Mountains (greater than
2000 meters)
Mexico to Tehuantepec Cordilleran system of North
America continues in Mexico
with Sierra Madre Oriental and
Occidental forming an
intermontane plateau of 4,000 to
8,000 feet.
Tehuantepec to Panama
Highlands of volcanic origin
containing high plateaus.
Narrow coastal lowlands.
The intermontane basins may contain lakes as Lake Nicaragua
Middle America
Physiography
Mexican plateau and the Central American volcanic arc
– Mexican Plateau
lower (4,000’) in the north (near Juarez) and higher (8,000’) in the south (near Mexico City)
This region is home to rich deposits of silver, copper & zinc
– Central American Highlands
Volcanic chain runs from Tehuantepec Isthmus, southern Guatemala, Costa Rica to Panama
The volcanic eruptions has resulted in rich volcanic soil throughout much of Central America
Between the mountain ranges lie fertile valleys that are suitable for the raising of livestock and for the production of coffee, tobacco, beans and other crops. Most of the population of Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala lives in valleys.
Amazonian Basin
Andes
Pampas
Brazilian
Highlands
The Pampas (meaning "plain") are fertile South American
lowlands that cover more than 750,000 km2 (289,577 sq mi) and
include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa,
Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil's
southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul.
The climate is temperate, with precipitation of 600 to 1,200 mm
(23.6 to 47.2 in) that is more or less evenly distributed through
the year, making the soils appropriate for agriculture.
Brazilian Plateau
Largest and more important in terms
of natural resources and settlement
Runs from the southern edge of the
Amazon Basin to the Rio de la
Plata
Major population centers of Brazil are
located along the coastal fringe of the
Brazilian plateau.
Patagonian Plateau
Much of this area is steppe (dry
grasslands)
Guiana Plateau
A sparsely settled region
River Basins and Lowlands
Within the major river basins there are
vast interior lowlands
Most of these lowlands are sparsely settled
and offer little agricultural activity, with the
exception of grazing livestock
Patagonian Plateau
Continental Divide in South
America is close to the Pacific.
Amazon system
Orinoco system
Continental divide
3 Major Rivers in
South America
1. Amazon
– Drains an area of approx.
2.4 million sq. miles – the
largest river in the world
2. Rio de La Plata
– S. America’s second largest
watershed
3. Orinoco River
– Third largest river basin in
South America
Rio de la Plata system
Physiography: Myriad
Climates and Habitats
■ Variety of environments
• Latitudinal span: longest realm north to south: • The example of Chile (150 km in width, 4,000 km in length).
• Combine with substantial variation in relief.
• Contains enormous range of climate and vegetation.
• Natural diversity contributes to considerable cultural
differences as well.
Winter in the Caribbean usually settles somewhere in the mid-80 degree weather mark. This is what makes it such an appetizing destination for snow birds during those normally chilly months. The winter is usually dryer, while the summer is wetter, but very rarely does the weather change. https://www.redbookmag.com/about/g32476327/caribbean-facts/
Rowntree, Lewis, and Price. Diversity and Globalization: World Regions, Environment, Development, 2nd edition (2002).
Dallas
USA
P re
c ip
it a ti o n
(i n )
Most of Latin America is located in the tropics
– Land located between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5o N) and the Tropicof Capricorn (23.5o S)
– In the tropics there is not much seasonal variation in temperature; seasonal differences are manifested in rainfall variations.
Sea Level
Tierra Caliente
Tierra Templada
Tierra Fria
Tierra Nevada
Physical Geography:
Altitudinal Zonation of
Environments in Middle
and South America
– Much of the temperature variation in the tropics is seen with changes in elevation rather than changes in latitude
• As elevation increases, temperature decreases at an average rate of 3.5oF/1,000 ft.
• Five climate zones: Caliente (hot), Templada (warm), Fria (cold), Helada (frozen), and Paramos.
Páramo is a unique, high- altitude ecosystem located only in the Andes of Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia, along with a few small areas in Central America. Páramo is found above timberline (~10,000 feet) and below the snow line (~16,000 feet} with average rainfall at about 80 inches per year.
Physical Geography: Dangerous Landscapes
■ Hurricanes
• Violent tropical storms.
• Season lasts June to December, with peak in
August and September.
• Spiral shape and curved paths:
• Caused by the Coriolis effect.
• Formed 5 degrees north and south of the equator.
• In the north, storms follow clockwise paths.
• In the south, storms follow a counterclockwise path.
• Heat is the critical factor in the formation of tropical storms:
• Warm ocean water that evaporates into rapidly rising
moist air.
• Generated from the coast of West Africa and carried by
the trade winds.
• “Hurricane Alley”: the westward pathway across the
Caribbean Basin.
The Earth contains five major wind zones: polar easterlies, westerlies, horse latitudes, trade winds, and the doldrums. Polar easterlies are dry, cold prevailing winds that blow from the east. They emanate from the polar highs, areas of high pressure around the North and South Poles. Nov 15, 2012
Hurricane Alley: Sea Surface Temperature Above 28oC (82oF)
All North Atlantic and Eastern North Pacific major hurricanes
Hurricane Alley (at least Category 3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale) http://trackthetropics.com/hurricane-season-statistics/
Last Updated - 10.10.23 (Routine)
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/ghazards/
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/ghaz/index.php
Physical Geography
■ Natural hazards
• Earthquakes (e.g. Haiti earthquake of 2010; 300,000 deaths) • Volcanoes
• Hurricanes
■ Volcanism
• Eruption of lava and rock fragments and gas explosions.
• Path of least resistance to the surface.
• Often corresponds to borders between tectonic plates.
• Magma bursts forth as lava in volcanic eruptions.
• Yields the classic cone-shaped or composite volcanoes
that frequently associated with volcanic eruptions.
Recent Earthquakes in Haiti https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Haiti
Date Region Mag. MMI Fatalities Injuries Comments 2022-03-23 Grand'Anse 5.1 Mw VIII 5 Minor damage 2022-01-24 Nippes 5.3 Mw VII 2 52 Moderate damage 2021-12-21 Grand'Anse 4.4 Mw V 150 Additional damage/Aftershock 2021-08-14 Nippes, Les Cayes 7.2 Mw VIII 2,248 12,763 Severe damage 2018-10-07 Port-de-Paix 5.9 Mw VI 18 580 Moderate damage 2017-09-02 Hinche 4.3 Mw IV 1 Minor damage 2011-06-24 Port-au-Prince 3.5 Mw III 7 Injuries caused by stampede. 2010-01-12 Port-au-Prince 7.0 Mw X 100,000–316,000 300,000 Extreme damage
Seismicity of the Earth Maps 1900-2013
Seismicity and tectonic setting of Central America. Dots
indicate earthquakes larger than magnitude 5.0 at shallow (red),
intermediate (yellow) and deep (green) depths.
Latin American Earthquakes 1970-2007 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-peru-earthquake-factbox/timeline-latin-american-earthquakes-since-1970-idUSN1633320120070816
Following is a chronology of some major earthquakes in South America, Central America and Mexico since 1970:
May 31, 1970 - PERU - An earthquake of 7.9 magnitude destroys the towns of Yungay, Huaraz and Chimbote and surrounding villages, leaving
more than 50,000 dead and 600,000 homeless.
December 23, 1972 - NICARAGUA - An earthquake of 6.5 magnitude strikes Managua, killing between 5,000 and 7,000 people. February 4, 1976 -
GUATEMALA - A rash of quakes of up to 7.5 magnitude just north of Guatemala City kills 23,000 people, injures 80,000 and leaves 1.5 million
homeless.
December 12, 1979 - COLOMBIA - An undersea earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 to 8.1 strikes the coast of Colombia, killing 600 people and
leaving over 80,000 homeless when the Port of Tumaco is devastated by the temblor and resulting tidal wave. March 31, 1983 - COLOMBIA - The
city of Popayan is devastated by a quake of 5.5 magnitude as at least 500 people are killed and 3,000 families left homeless.
March 3, 1985 - CHILE - Santiago is struck by an earthquake of 7.4 magnitude. One hundred seventy-seven people die and thousands lose
their homes.
September 19, 1985 - MEXICO - An earthquake of 8.1 magnitude hits Mexico City and the adjoining region, killing between
6,000 and 12,000 people.
October 10, 1986 - EL SALVADOR - A quake with a magnitude of 7.5 hits San Salvador. The death toll is about 1,500 with 20,000 people
injured and more than 300,000 homeless.
March 5, 1987 - ECUADOR - A quake with a magnitude of 7.0 hits El Reventador, 50 miles east of Quito. More than 1,000 people are killed.
May 29, 1990 - PERU - An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude strikes 80 miles north of the town of Moyobamba, killing 101 people. September 1, 1992
- NICARAGUA - An earthquake of 7.0 magnitude strikes the Pacific coast and kills 120 people. More than 16,000 are made homeless.
June 6, 1994 - COLOMBIA - A 6.0 magnitude quake and resulting mudslides kill 1,000 people in the Paez River valley in southwestern
Colombia.
January 26, 1999 - COLOMBIA - At least 938 people are killed and more than 4,000 injured when an earthquake of 6.0
magnitude hits the central coffee-growing region.
January 13, February 13, 2001 - EL SALVADOR - Earthquakes of 7.6 magnitude on January 13 and 6.6 magnitude on February
13 kill more than 1,150 people and leave about 1 million homeless.
August 15, 2007 - PERU - An earthquake of 7.9 magnitude hits Peru and officials say at least 337 people died and 1,300 are injured.
Source: Reuters; US Geological Survey (earthquake.usgs.gov)
Date Region Mag. Fatalities Injuries Comments
2021-08-14 Nippes, Les Cayes 7.2 Mw 2,248 12,763 Severe Damage
2018-10-07 Port-de-Paix 5.9 Mw 18 580 Moderate damage
2010-01-12 Port-au-Prince 7.0 Mw 100,000–316,000 300,000 Extreme damage
Recent Earthquakes in Haiti https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes_in_Haiti
Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics
January 2001, massive landslide as a result of an earthquake in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
Map Of Active Volcanoes
Natural Resources Because of its tropical location,
there is a high degree of
biodiversity in the region
– Many varieties of plants and
animals found nowhere else
on earth
– The region is home to the
world’s largest rain forest
There are also massive
reserves of natural
resources
– natural gas and oil (South
America as well as Mexico)
– copper (Chile), silver (Mexico
and Peru), Iron (Brazil).
The World’s Largest Oil Reserves By Country https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-largest-oil-reserves-by-country.html
Rank Country Proven Oil Reserves in 2020 in millions of barrels
1 Venezuela 302,809
2 Saudi Arabia 267,026
3 Canada 167,896
4 Iran 155,600
5 Iraq 145,019
6 Kuwait 101,500
7 United Arab Emirates 97,800
8 Russia 80,000
9 Libya 48,363
10 United States 47,053
11 Nigeria 36,972
12 Kazakhstan 30,000
13 China 25,620
14 Qatar 25,244
15 Brazil 12,999
16 Algeria 12,200
17 Angola 8,273
18 Ecuador 8,273
19 Mexico 7,300
20 Azerbaijan 7,000
21 Norway 6,611
22 Oman 5,373
23 India 4,600
24 Egypt 4,400
25 Vietnam 4,400
https://rainforests.mongabay.com/
•Tropical forests presently cover
about 1.84 billion hectares or
about 12% of Earth's land surface
(3.6% of Earth's surface).
•The world's largest rainforest is
the Amazon rainforest
•Brazil has the largest extent of
rainforest cover, including nearly
two-thirds of the Amazon.
•Rainforests also exist outside
the tropics, including temperate
North America, South America,
Australia, and Russia.
•An estimated 50% of terrestrial
biodiversity is found in
rainforests
•Rainforests are thought to store
at least 250 billion tons of carbon
•Deforestation and degradation of
tropical forests account for
roughly 10% of global
greenhouse emissions from
human activities
• Clearing and destruction of forests for
settlement and economic opportunity
• Only 10% of the original forest cover remains.
• Relates to systemic problems in
disadvantaged countries:
• Pasture
• Logging
• Subsistence living
• Contributes to soil erosion and flooding
PUBLISHED JUNE 27, 2018
… Every minute of every day over the last two years, a tract the size of 40 football fields was clear-cut or burned to increase production of soy, cattle, palm oil, and wood products. Despite efforts to reduce tropical deforestation, tree cover loss has nearly doubled over the past 15 years. In 2017, 39 million acres (15.8 million hectares) disappeared — an area close to the size of Washington State — according to new data released Wednesday by the research group World Resources Institute (WRI)... The latest total was second only to 2016, the worst- ever year of tropical forest loss with 41.7 million acres (16.9 million hectares). Fires, droughts, and tropical storms are also playing an increasing role in forest loss, especially as climate change makes them more frequent and severe, according to the report. The regions that lost the most forest in 2017 were in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Central Africa.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2018/06/tropical-deforestation-forest-loss-2017/
Tropical forest destruction increases, despite the pandemic Tree coverage loss in the tropics went up 12% in 2020 compared with 2019 31 MAR 2021BYSOFIA MOUTINHO https://www.science.org/content/article/tropical-forest-destruction-increases-despite-pandemic
Physical Geography: Tropical Deforestation
Tropical Forest Loss Slowed in 2017—To the Second Worst Total Ever
A breakdown of the new UMD data shows Brazil experienced by far the most tree cover loss in 2017. Indonesia, while currently in the top three, nearly halved its tree cover loss between 2016 and 2017.
https://news.mongabay.com/2018/06/the-world-lost-an-area-of-tropical-forest-the-size-of-bangladesh-in-2017/
Deforestation in Brazilian Amazon hits highest annual level in a decade https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/20/brazil-amazon-deforestation-report-bolsonaro-climate
Between August 2020 and July 2021, the rainforest lost 10,476 square kilometers – an area nearly seven times bigger than greater London and 13 times the size of New York City, according to data released by Imazon, a Brazilian research institute that has been tracking the Amazon deforestation since 2008. Aug 20, 2021
Across the tropics, the study registered the destruction in 2020 of 4.2 million hectares (10.4 million acres) of primary forest – 12 percent higher than the year before. Ecosystems straddling the equator shelter abundant biodiversity and store vast amounts of carbon. Mar 31, 2021
At the beginning of the present decade, there were approximately 1,800 million ha of tropical forests of which
Latin America has more than 900 million ha. Of these, approximately 675 million ha are of dense humid
forests, of which more than half are located in the Amazon Basin. In addition there are another 100 millionha
of secondary forest.
Forty-nine percent of the total area of Latin America and the Caribbean is covered by forests: they extend
for 891 million hectares, representing approximately 22% of the forest area existing in the world.
The region is home to 57% of the world's primary forests, which are the most important from the
viewpoint of biodiversity and conservation.
The total carbon stored in the forest biomass amounts to 104 gigatons.
According to FAO studies the annual loss of forests in the region during the period 2000-2005 was 4.7 million
hectares, corresponding to 65% of global losses.
subregion # of countries land area forest cover
1980 1990
annual deforestation
1981–1990
million ha million ha million ha Annual %
Central America and Mexico 7 239.6 79.2 68.1 1.1 1.5
Caribbean 19 69 48.3 47.1 0.1 0.3
Tropical South America 7 1 341.6 864.6 802.9 6.2 0.7
total/average 33 1 650.2 992.1 918.1 7.4 0.7
The annual deforestation in Latin America between 1981 and 1990 was 7.4 million ha/year; a rate of 0.7 percent per year for the decade of the 1980s, the highest of any region in the world. In almost all the countries of the continent, forest resources have continued to be affected by overgrazing, wood extraction, forest fires, mining exploitations and the building of infrastructure such as roads and hydroelectric dams. This has led to wind and water erosion and serious problems of flooding and sedimentation in rivers, among other effects.
An Overview of the Forestry Situation in Latin America and the Caribbean http://www.fao.org/3/X6953E/X6953E06.htm http://www.fao.org/americas/prioridades/bosques/en/
Deforestation in Haiti Haiti's land area is less than 11,000 square miles—one-ninth the size of Oregon—but it holds nearly 11 million people, roughly 1,000 per square mile.
The rapid deforestation of Haiti began during the colonial period facilitated by slavery of captive Africans, and was intensified when coffee was introduced in 1730. Upland forests were cleared and fifty years later, a quarter of the colony's land was under coffee.
Following the Haitian revolution (1791–1804), the government was forced to export timber throughout the 19th century (1826-1947) to pay off a 90 million franc indemnity to France (French rule: 1625–1804) for the "loss" equivalent to the 'value' of the formerly enslaved population. The timber installments had to be made for over a century to cover the original amount plus interest.
It has been widely reported that in 1923 over 60% of Haiti's land was forested; the source of this assertion remains unknown but may be linked to the U.S. Marine Occupation in Haiti.
Forested land was estimated in 1940 at approximately 30 percent of Haiti’s total area, and dropped to 10 percent by 1970. Current estimates lie between 1.4 and 2 percent (Michel, 2001).
Likely the world's most deforested nation, Haiti saw its primary forest cover decline from 4.4 percent of total land area in 1988 to 0.32 percent in 2016.
In 2006, the country was claimed to have less than 2% forest cover. Recent in-depth studies of satellite imagery and environmental analysis regarding forest classification conclude that Haiti has approximately 30% tree cover.
IF CURRENT DEFORESTATION RATES CONTINUE, HAITI MAY
LOSE ITS FORESTS WITHIN TWO DECADES
Haiti's deforestation is largely driven by small-scale farming and charcoal
production, which involves harvesting wood and heating it to remove water and
volatile compounds. Haitians produce and consume charcoal as their primary
source of domestic energy.CARINYA SHARPLES & MORGAN ERICKSON-DAVIS NOV 14,2018
https://psmag.com/environment/haiti-is-set-to-lose-its-forests-in-twenty-years
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestation_in_Haiti
https://projects.ncsu.edu/project/cnrint/Agro/PDFfiles/HaitiCaseStudy041903.pdf
Christopher Columbus left Castile in August 1492 with three ships, and after a stopover in the Canary Islands made landfall in the Bahamas on October 12th. They subsequently visited Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing a colony in what is now Haiti — the first European settlement in the Americas.
Cultural Geography: Mesoamerican Legacy Don Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and was part of the generation of Spanish colonizers who began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.
■ Culture hearths • Pre-Columbian Latin America was a combination of a few
urban-based federations ruled by the Mayas, Incas or Aztecs. • Maya civilization:
• Founded around 3000 BC: – Agriculture and animal domestication. – Basic industry and trade.
• Classic period 200-900 AD with a population of 2-3 million. • Lowlands: Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Yucatan peninsula. • Theocratic structure; collapsed by the 9th century (several theories). • Maya languages still in use.
• Aztec civilization: • Tribute empire emerging around 1400 AD. (1428–1521) • Highlands: centered around the Valley of Mexico. • Teotihuacán (Mexico City) with a population of more than 200,000 people. • Overthrown by Cortes between 1519-21 with 508 soldiers.
Pre-Columbian
Civilizations in
Middle America
Olmec
Early Preclassic Maya
Middle Preclassic Maya
Late Preclassic Maya
Early Classic Maya
Late Classic Maya
Post Classic Maya
Colonial period
Independent Mexico
1200-1000 B.C.
1800-900 B.C.
900-300 B.C.
300 B.C. - A.D. 250
A.D. 250-600
A.D. 600-900
A.D. 900-1500
A.D. 1500-1800
A.D. 1821 to the present
The Aztec Empire (1428–1521) or the Triple Alliance,
was an alliance of three Nahua altepetl city/states:
Mexico-Tenochtitlan, Texcoco, and Tlacopan. These
three city-states ruled the area in and around the Valley
of Mexico from 1428 until the combined forces of the
Spanish conquistadores and their native allies under
Hernán Cortés defeated them in 1521.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec_Empire
The Olmecs flourished
during Mesoamerica's
formative period,
dating roughly from as
early as 1500 BCE to
about 400 BCE.
A prehistoric people inhabiting the coast of Veracruz and western Tabasco on the Gulf of Mexico ( c. 1200–400 BC), who established what was probably the first Meso-American civilization
Mesoamerica and
its cultural areas
The Coxcatlan caves in the Valley of Tehuacán (eastern Central Mexico) provide evidence for agriculture in components dated between 5000 and 3400 BC.
Olmec
Early Preclassic Maya
Middle Preclassic Maya
Late Preclassic Maya
Early Classic Maya
Late Classic Maya
Post Classic Maya
Colonial period
Independent Mexico
1200-1000 B.C.
1800-900 B.C.
900-300 B.C.
300 B.C. - A.D. 250
A.D. 250-600
A.D. 600-900
A.D. 900-1500
A.D. 1500-1800
A.D. 1821 to the present
Maya chronology Period Division Dates Archaic 8000–2000 BC
Early Preclassic 2000–1000 BC Preclassic Middle Preclassic Early Middle Preclassic 1000–600 BC
Late Middle Preclassic 600–350 BC Late Preclassic Early Late Preclassic 350–1 BC
Late Late Preclassic 1 BC – AD 159 Terminal Preclassic AD 159–250
Classic Early Classic AD 250–550 Late Classic AD 550–830 Terminal Classic AD 830–950
Postclassic Early Postclassic AD 950–1200 Late Postclassic AD 1200–1539
Contact period AD 1511–1697
Pre-Olmec cultures had flourished since about 2500 BCE, but by 1600– 1500 BCE, early Olmec culture had emerged, centered on the San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán site near the coast in southeast Veracruz. They were the first Mesoamerican civilization.
The earliest evidence of
agriculture in the Andean
region dates to around 4700
BC at Huaca Prieta and
Paredones.
States Ancient and Modern ■ Amerindians
• Migrated into the realm from North and Middle America.
• Founded societies in the many diverse environments.
• Adaptations overtime created distinct regional cultures.
• Some were established in high-altitude valleys of the Andes Mountains,
called altiplanos.
■ The Inca • An altiplano society centered at Cuzco (a city in the Peruvian Andes, was
once capital of the Inca Empire).
• The Inca civilization arose from the Peruvian highlands sometime in the
early 13th century. Its last stronghold was conquered by the Spanish in
1572.
• Made up of expert builders, farmers, herders, manufacturers, and scholars
• Unified by network of roads and bridges.
• Rigid class-structure and highly centralized.
• Easily taken over by small army of Spanish invaders.
Christopher Columbus (before 31 October 1451 – 20 May 1506) was an Italian explorer and colonizer
who completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that opened the New World for conquest and permanent European colonization of the Americas. His expeditions, sponsored by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, were the first European contact with the Caribbean, Central America, and South America.
Though largely self-educated, Columbus was widely read in geography, astronomy, and history. He
formulated a plan to seek a western sea passage to the East Indies, hoping to profit from the lucrative spice trade. Following persistent lobbying, Queen Isabella I and King Ferdinand II agreed
to sponsor a journey west, in the name of the Crown of Castile. Columbus left Castile in August 1492 with three ships, and after a stopover in the Canary Islands made landfall in the Americas on 12 October (later celebrated as Columbus Day). His landing place was an island in the Bahamas, known by its native inhabitants as Guanahani; its exact location is uncertain. Columbus subsequently visited the islands now known as Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing a colony in what is now Haiti—the first European settlement in the Americas since the Norse colonies nearly 500 years earlier. He arrived back in Castile in early 1493, bringing a number of captive natives with him. Word of his voyages soon spread throughout Europe.
Columbus made three further voyages to the New World, exploring the Lesser Antilles in 1493, Trinidad and the northern coast of South America in 1498, and the eastern coast of Central America in 1502. He continued to seek a passage to the East Indies, and the extent to which he was aware that the Americas were a wholly separate landmass is uncertain. He never clearly renounced his belief that he had reached the Far East and gave the name indios ("Indians") to the indigenous peoples he encountered. Columbus's strained relationship with the Spanish crown and its appointed colonial administrators in America led to his arrest and removal from Hispaniola in 1500, and later to protracted litigation over the benefits that he and his heirs claimed were owed to them by the crown. Columbus's expeditions inaugurated a period of exploration, conquest, and colonization that lasted for centuries, helping create the modern Western world. The transfers between the Old World and New World that followed his first voyage are known as the Columbian exchange, and the period of human habitation in the Americas prior to his arrival is referred to as the Pre-Columbian era.
San Salvador Island (known as Watling's
Island from the 1680s until 1925) is an
island and district of the Bahamas. It is
widely believed that during Christopher
Columbus' first expedition to the New World,
San Salvador Island was the first land he
sighted and visited on 12 October 1492; he
named it San Salvador after Christ the
Saviour. Columbus' records indicate that
the native Lucayan inhabitants of the territory,
who called their island Guanahani, were
"sweet and gentle".
From Alain Manesson Mallet (French cartographer and engineer, 1630- 1706)'s five-volume world atlas - circa 1685 - The Islet Guanahani or San Salvador
Topographic map of Hispaniola
Satellite pictures, from NASA World Wind Globe, version 1.4
Hispaniola is an island in the Caribbean archipelago known as the Greater Antilles. It is the most populous island in the West Indies and the region's second largest after Cuba.
The 76,192-square-kilometre (29,418 sq mi) island is divided into two sovereign nations: the Spanish- speaking Dominican Republic and the French/Haitian Creole-speaking Haiti. The only other shared island in the Caribbean is Saint Martin, shared between France (Saint Martin) and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten).
Hispaniola is the site of the first European settlement in the Americas, La Navidad (1492–1493), as well as the first proper town, La Isabela (1493–1500), and the first permanent settlement and current capital of the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo (est. 1498). These settlements were founded successively in each of Christopher Columbus' first three voyages.
Columbus left Castile in August 1492 and made landfall in the Americas on 12 October. His landing place was an island in the Bahamas, known by its native inhabitants as Guanahani; its exact location is uncertain. Columbus subsequently visited the islands now known as Cuba and Hispaniola, establishing a colony in what is now Haiti—the first European settlement in the Americas since the Norse colonies nearly 500 years earlier.
Columbus made three further voyages to the New World, exploring the Lesser Antilles in 1493, Trinidad and the northern coast of South America in 1498, and the eastern coast of Central America in 1502.
Recognizing and Naming America 1507
In 1513, Vasco Núñez de Balboa (1475–1519) led an expedition from Darién, Panama to search for a new sea reportedly to the south and for gold. While he didn't find the precious metal, he did see the Pacific Ocean, and claimed it and all of its shores for Spain. Francisco Pizarro González (c. 1471-1476 – 26 June 1541) accompanied Vasco Núñez de Balboa in his crossing of the Isthmus of Panama, where they
became the first Europeans to reach the Pacific Ocean.
Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 world map grew out of an ambitious project in St. Dié, near Strasbourg, France, during the first decade of the sixteenth century, to
document and update new geographic knowledge derived from the discoveries of the late fifteenth and the first years of the sixteenth centuries. Waldseemüller’s
large world map was the most exciting product of that research effort, and included data gathered during Amerigo Vespucci’s voyages of 1501–1502 to the
New World. Waldseemüller christened the new lands "America" in recognition of Vespucci ’s understanding that a new continent had been uncovered as a result
of the voyages of Columbus and other explorers in the late fifteenth century. This is the only known surviving copy of the first printed edition of the map, which, it is
believed, consisted of 1,000 copies.
Waldseemüller’s map supported Vespucci’s revolutionary concept by portraying the New World as a separate continent, which until then was unknown to the
Europeans. It was the first map, printed or manuscript, to depict clearly a separate Western Hemisphere, with the Pacific as a separate ocean. The map
represented a huge leap forward in knowledge, recognizing the newly found American landmass and forever changing the European understanding of a world
divided into only three parts—Europe, Asia, andAfrica.
Martin Waldseemüller (1470–1521) Universalis Cosmographia Secundum Ptholomaei Traditionem et Americi Vespucii Alioru[m]que Lustrationes, [St. Dié], 1507
Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress
Amerigo Vespucci (March 9, 1454 – February 22, 1512) was an Italian explorer from the Republic of Florence. Sailing for Portugal around 1501–1502, Vespucci demonstrated that Brazil and the West Indies were not Asia's eastern outskirts (as initially conjectured from Columbus' voyages) but a separate continent described as the "New World".
Iberian invasion
• Pizzarro overthrew the Inca empire in 1533.
• Process of land alienation and forced labor.
Francisco Pizarro González (c. 1471-1476 – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish conquistador, best known for his expeditions that led to the fall of the Inca
Empire and the Spanish conquest of Peru.
Born in Trujillo, Spain to a poor family, Pizarro chose to pursue fortune and adventure in the New World. He went to the Gulf of Urabá, and accompanied Vasco Núñez de Balboa in
his crossing of the Isthmus of Panama, where they became the first Europeans to reach the Pacific Ocean. He served as mayor of the newly founded Panama City for a few years,
and undertook two failed expeditions to Peru. In 1528, Pizarro obtained permission from King Charles V and went on his third expedition to Peru.
When hostile natives along the coast threatened the expedition, Pizarro moved inland and founded the first Spanish settlement in Peru, San Miguel de Piura. After a series of
maneuvres, Pizarro captured the Incan emperor Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca in November 1532. A ransom for the emperor's release was demanded and Atahualpa filled a
room with gold, but Pizarro charged him with various crimes and executed him in July 1533. The same year, Pizarro entered the Inca capital of Cuzco and completed his conquest of
Peru. In January 1535, Pizarro founded the city of Lima, a project he considered his greatest achievement.
Quarrels between Pizarro and his longtime comrade-in-arms Diego Almagro culminated in the Battle of Las Salinas, after which Almagro was executed. In June 1541, a party led by
Almagro's son assassinated Pizarro in Lima. He was laid to rest in the Lima Cathedral.
Colonial Experience ■ Conquista
• Began in the early 1500s.
• First in the Caribbean (Hispaniola).
• Region divided into numerous individual colonial territories.
• Military phenomenon (muskets and horses).
• Lack of unity among indigenous groups (Aztecs, Incas) that the
Spanish encountered.
Don Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, Marquis
of the Valley of Oaxaca (1485 – December 2, 1547) was a
Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall
of the Aztec Empire in 1521 and was part of the generation of
Spanish colonizers who began the first phase of the Spanish
colonization of theAmericas.
Lima
• Coastal city.
• Capital of the Viceroyalty of Peru.
• Became one of the richest cities in the world.
• Viceroyalties of La Plana and New Grenada.
• Urbanization along the coast.
Spanish territories in the New World around 1515
Territories appointed to the Council of Castile. Territories appointed to the Council of Aragon. Territories appointed to the Council of Portugal. Territories appointed to the Council of Italy. Territories appointed to the Council of the Indies. Territories appointed to the Council of Flanders comprising the disputed territories of the United Provinces.
Map of the territories of Philip II, King of Spain in 1598
Cultural Geography: Collision of Cultures
■ European Competition
• Spain’s focus on Panama, Pacific Central
America, and Mexico
• British foothold on mainland.
• Caribbean islands were fought over by Spain,
Britain, France, and the Netherlands:
• Cane sugar trade & molasses.
• Later, American presence on mainland.
• Culture changed again when Africans were
brought in to work in plantations.
Map of North America (1656-1750)
The Spanish and Portuguese people were the first to colonize many parts of South America and Central America in the 16th century. They also won many parts of North America. In the next century, people from many countries of Europe reached the Americas. They settled mostly in North America since the Spanish and Portuguese already had the warm countries. France and England were the most successful in these later colonies. England took the middle of eastern North America, and the French took what they could further north.
Spanish colonialization in the Americas.
Spanish America XVIII Century (Most Expansion)
Political map of the Americas in 1794
European
Colonization of the
Americas
The Caribbean
Culture Realm
Independence of the
Caribbean Countries
Some islands gained independence in 1960s, others later. Some not yet independent: Guadeloupe/Martinique (French Administrative Regions)
Indigenous peoples of Central America
Mexico 25.7 million Guatemala 5.8 million Honduras 520,000 Panama 460,000 Nicaragua 444,000 Costa Rica 118,000 El Salvador 70,000 Belize 40,000 (Maya)
Indigenous peoples of North America
United States 5.2 million (2010) Canada 2.13 million (2016) Greenland 51,000
Indigenous peoples of South America
Bolivia 9.8 million Peru 5.9 million Ecuador 4.5 million Chile 2.1 million Colombia 1.9 million Brazil 550,000 Argentina 955,000 Venezuela 524,000 Uruguay 160,000 Paraguay 116,000 Guyana 80,000 France (French Guiana) 19,000 Suriname 20,300
Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean
Dominica 2,000 Trinidad and Tobago 1,500 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2,000 Cuba 4,000
Colonial Experience■ Impact on the indigenous population
• Diseases brought by the Europeans:
• Decimated the indigenous populations to levels drastically lower those
prior to the beginning of the invasion.
• Latin American population fell from about 60 million in 1500 to 15 million
in 1650.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas
Total current population: 70 million+)
Total population 10/18/2021
~54 million
Regions with significant populations
Mexico 25.7 million [1]
Guatemala 6.4 million [2]
Peru 5.9 million [3]
Bolivia 4.1 million [4]
United States 2.9 million [5]
Chile 2.1 million [6]
Colombia 1.9 million [7]
Canada 1.6 million [8]
Ecuador 1 million [9]
Argentina 955,032 [10]
Brazil 817,963 [11]
Venezuela 724,592 [12]
Honduras 601,019 [13]
Nicaragua 443,847 [14]
Panama 417,559 [15]
Paraguay 117,150 [16]
Costa Rica 104,143 [17]
Guyana 78,492 [18]
Uruguay 76,452 [19]
Greenland 50,189 [20]
Belize 36,507 [21]
Suriname 20,344 [22]
French Guiana ~19,000 [23]
El Salvador 13,310 [24]
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
3,280 [25]
Dominica 2,576 [26]
Cuba ~1,600 [27]
Trinidad and Tobago 1,394 [28]
Grenada 162 [29]
Colonial Experience
■ Land appropriation
• Colonial commercial interests.
• Deforestation.
• Introduction of livestock, new crops, and equipment.
• Lands devoted to food crops for local consumption were
converted to cash cropping for export.
• A primarily subsistence agricultural economy would
produce very little surplus to exploit. ■ Forced urbanization
• Relocation of the population in nucleated towns and
villages.
• Favored control and conversion to Catholicism.
Colonial Experience
• Major concern of the Europeans, especially of the Spanish.
• Reconquista (1492): • Driving the last of the Moors from Spain.
• Religious struggle as well as a nationalist one.
• Religious fervor carried over into colonial activity as well.
• Combination of religious activity with colonial expansion.
• Religious conversion to Catholicism: • Occurred on a massive scale.
• Religious infrastructure was among the early priorities of the colonial powers:
churches, convents, cathedrals.
• Presence of the Church is felt virtually everywhere in Latin America today.
The Reconquista (Portuguese
and Spanish for "reconquest"),
the campaign by the medieval
Christian states of Spain to
drive out the Moors, was the
period in the history of the
Iberian Peninsula of about 780
years between the Umayyad
conquest of Hispania in 711 and
the fall of the Nasrid kingdom of
Granada to the expanding
Christian kingdoms in 1492.
The term "Moors" refers primarily to the Muslim
inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula,
Sicily, and Malta during the Middle Ages.
In 711 C.E., the Moors invaded Spain under the leadership of
Tariq ibn-Ziyad. In an eight year campaign, most of the Iberian
Peninsula was brought under Islamic rule.
The Battle of Granada was a siege of the city of Granada
fought over a period of months leading up to its surrender on
January 2, 1492 and its fall brought to an end 780 years of
Muslim control in the Spanish peninsula.
■ Religion
Countries % Roman Catholicism
(2010)
% Protestantism
(2010)
% Non-affiliated
(2010)
% Other
(2010)
Belize 40% 31% 15% 14%
Costa Rica 69% 17% 11% 3%
El Salvador 46% 29% 24% 1%
Guatemala 47% 39% 12% 2%
Honduras 52% 35% 10% 3%
Nicaragua 58% 23% 13% 4%
Panama 70% 21% 6% 3%
The predominant religion in Central America is Christianity (95.6%). Beginning with the Spanish colonization of
Central America in the 16th century, Roman Catholicism became
the most popular religion in the region until the first half of the 20th
century. Since the 1960s, there has been an increase in other
Christian groups, particularly Protestantism, as well as other
religious organizations, and individuals identifying themselves as
having no religion.
Religion in South America
Countries Christians Roman
Catholics Other
Christians No religion (atheists and
agnostics)
Argentina 88% 77% 11% 11%
Bolivia 96% 74% 22% 4%
Brazil 88% 64% 22% 8%
Chile 70% 57% 13% 25%
Colombia 92% 80% 12% 7%
Paraguay 96% 87% 9% 2%
Peru 94% 81% 13% 3%
Suriname 51% 29% 22% 5%
Uruguay 58% 47% 11% 41%
Venezuela 88% 71% 17% 8%
An estimated 90% of South Americans are Christians (82% Roman Catholic, 8% other
Christian denominations mainly traditional Protestants and Evangelicals but
also Orthodox), accounting for c. 19% of Christians worldwide.
Christianity is the predominant religion in the Caribbean (84.7%). Other religious groups in the
region are Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Rastafarianism, Buddhism, Chinese folk
religion (Taoism and Confucianism), Bahá'í, Jainism, Sikhism, Zorastrianism, Kebatinan, Traditional
African religions, Afro-American religions, Yoruba (Santería, Trinidad
Orisha, Palo, Umbanda, Brujería, Hoodoo, Candomblé, Quimbanda, Orisha, Xangô de Recife, Xangô
do Nordeste, Comfa, Espiritismo, Santo Daime, Obeah, Candomblé, Abakuá, Kumina, Winti,
Sanse, Cuban Vodú, Dominican Vudú, Louisiana Voodoo, Haitian Vodou, and Vodun).
Quinta is a traditional term for an estate, primarily used in Portugal and
the Portuguese-speaking world, but the term has also become popular
in non-Portuguese speaking countries of Ibero-America.
The Cultural Mosaic: Amerindian Reawakening
■ Liberation theology • Blend of Christianity and socialist
thinking.
• Read Christian teachings as a quest
to liberate impoverished masses.
Juan Evo Morales Ayma is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th President of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to come from its indigenous population, his administration focused on the implementation of leftist policies and combating the influence of the United States and multinational corporations. Ideologically a socialist, he has led the Movement for Socialism (MAS) party since 1998.
Liberation theology is a synthesis of Christian theology and socio-economic analyses, based in far-left politics, particularly Marxism, that emphasizes "social concern for the poor and political liberation for oppressed peoples."
■ Amerindian majorities gaining political strength
■ Changing religious practices • 90% of the population Roman Catholic.
• Secularization of South Americans. From 1900 through the 1960s, at least 90% of Latin America’s population was Catholic. Today,
the Pew Research survey shows, 69% of adults across the region identify as Catholic.
• Amerindians loss of popular support for Catholic Church.
Socialism of the 21st century is an interpretation of socialist principles
first advocated by German sociologist and
political analyst Heinz Dieterich and taken
up by a number of Latin American
leaders. Dieterich argued in 1996 that
both free-market industrial capitalism and
20th-century socialism have failed to
solve urgent problems of humanity such
as poverty, hunger, exploitation of
labour, economic oppression, sexism,
racism, the destruction of natural
resources and the absence of true
democracy. Socialism of the 21st century
has democratic socialist elements, but it
also resembles revisionism.
Fernando Lugo (President of Paraguay), Evo Morales
(President of Bolivia), Lula da Silva (President of
Brazil), Rafael Correa (President of Ecuador) and Hugo Chávez (President of Venezuela) on 29 January 2009
Leaders who have advocated for this form of socialism include Hugo
Chávez of Venezuela, Néstor Kirchner of Argentina, Rafael Correa of Ecuador, Evo
Morales of Bolivia and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil. Because of the local unique
historical conditions, socialism of the 21st century is often contrasted with previous
applications of socialism in other countries, with a major difference being the effort
towards a more effective economic planning process.
Official languages in South America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_America
The languages of the Caribbean reflect the region's diverse history and culture. There are six official
languages spoken in the Caribbean. The six languages are:
Spanish (official language of Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Bay Islands (Honduras), Corn Islands (Nicaragua), Isla
Cozumel, Isla Mujeres (Mexico), Nueva Esparta (Venezuela) the Federal Dependencies of Venezuela and San Andrés, Providencia
and Santa Catalina (Colombia)
French (official language of Guadeloupe, Haiti, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, French Guiana and Saint-Martin)
English (official language of Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman
Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sint Maarten, Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines, San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina (Colombia), Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos
Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands)
Dutch (official language of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, and Suriname)
Haitian Creole (official language of Haiti)
Papiamento (a Portuguese and Spanish-based Creole language) (official language of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao)
States Ancient and Modern: Independence and Isolation
■ Isolation
• Product of distance and physiographic barriers.
• Limited contact between viceroyalties.
• Iberian conquerors had no interest in developing the New
World, only to extract riches. ■ Independence
• Those Europeans that made the New World their home
eventually rebelled.
• In the Spanish colonies, took advantage of the isolation of
some territories from central control.
• Three Viceroyalties split into nine independent states:
• Argentina (1816) and Chile (1818).
• Rest of South America (1824; Simon Bolivar).
When French forces of Napoleon Bonaparte
invaded the Iberian peninsula in 1808, Napoleon
ousted the Spanish Bourbon monarchy, placing
his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the Spanish
throne. There was a crisis of legitimacy of crown
rule in Spanish America, leading to the Spanish
American wars of independence (1808-1826) saw
virtually all of Spain's overseas empire gaining
its independence.
Independence of Latin American Countries
Argentina
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Puerto Rico
Uruguay
Venezuela
9 July 1816 (from Spain)
21 September 1981 (from UK)
6 August 1825 (from Spain)
7 September 1822 (from Portugal)
18 September 1810 (from Spain)
20 July 1810 (from Spain)
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
20 May 1902 (from Spain 10 December 1898; administered by the US from 1898 to 1902)
27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
16 September 1810 (from Spain)
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
3 November 1903 (from Colombia; became independent from Spain 28 November 1821)
14 May 1811 (from Spain)
28 July 1821 (from Spain)
territory of the US with commonwealth status
25 August 1825 (from Brazil)
5 July 1811 (from Spain)
Political and Economic Fragmentation: Independence
■ Early nineteenth-century geopolitics
• 1820s independence for Mexico and Central America.
• Monroe Doctrine and U.S. sphere of influence:
• Deter any further European efforts to colonize parts of the
Americas.
• America’s right to intervene in the internal affairs of states in
matters deemed of concern to US security:
– 1898 Spanish-American War.
– Panama Canal construction.
• U.S. banana plantations in Central America. ■ Caribbean Basin independence
• Some islands gained independence in 1960s, others later.
• Some not yet independent.
• Guadeloupe / Martinique: French departments.
The Monroe Doctrine was articulated in President James Monroe's seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. The European powers, according to Monroe, were obligated to respect the Western Hemisphere as the United States' sphere of interest.
The Monroe Doctrine was articulated in President James Monroe's
seventh annual message to Congress on December 2, 1823. The
European powers, according to Monroe, were obligated to respect the
Western Hemisphere as the United States' sphere of interest.
President James Monroe’s 1823 annual message to Congress contained the Monroe Doctrine, which warned
European powers not to interfere in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere.
Understandably, the United States has always taken a particular interest in its closest neighbors – the nations of
the Western Hemisphere. Equally understandably, expressions of this concern have not always been favorably
regarded by other Americannations.
The Monroe Doctrine is the best known U.S. policy toward the Western Hemisphere. Buried in a routine annual
message delivered to Congress by President James Monroe in December 1823, the doctrine warns European
nations that the United States would not tolerate further colonization or puppet monarchs. The doctrine was
conceived to meet major concerns of the moment, but it soon became a watchword of U.S. policy in the Western
Hemisphere.
The Monroe Doctrine was invoked in 1865 when the U.S. government exerted diplomatic and military pressure in
support of the Mexican President Benito Juárez. This support enabled Juárez to lead a successful revolt against
the Emperor Maximilian, who had been placed on the throne by the French government.
Almost 40 years later, in 1904, European creditors of a number of Latin American countries threatened armed
intervention to collect debts. President Theodore Roosevelt promptly proclaimed the right of the United States to
exercise an “international police power” to curb such “chronic wrongdoing.” As a result, U. S. Marines were sent
into Santo Domingo in 1904, Nicaragua in 1911, and Haiti in 1915, ostensibly to keep the Europeans out. Other
Latin American nations viewed these interventions with misgiving, and relations between the “great Colossus of
the North” and its southern neighbors remained strained for many years.
In 1962, the Monroe Doctrine was invoked symbolically when the Soviet Union began to build missile-launching
sites in Cuba. With the support of the Organization of American States, President John F. Kennedy threw a naval
and air quarantine around the island. After several tense days, the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw the missiles
and dismantle the sites. Subsequently, the United States dismantled several of its obsolete air and missile bases
in Turkey. (Information excerpted from Milestone Documents [Washington, DC: The National Archives and Records Administration, 1995] pp. 26–29.) https://www.ourdocuments.gov › doc
# Country (or dependency) Population (2023)
Yearly Change
Net Change
Density (P/Km²)
Land Area (Km²)
Migrants (net)
Urban Pop % World Share
3 United States 339,996,563 0.50 % 1,706,706 37 9,147,420 999,700 83 % 4.23 % 7 Brazil 216,422,446 0.52 % 1,108,948 26 8,358,140 6,000 88 % 2.69 % 10 Mexico 128,455,567 0.75 % 951,442 66 1,943,950 -50,239 88 % 1.60 % 28 Colombia 52,085,168 0.41 % 211,144 47 1,109,500 -175,051 81 % 0.65 % 33 Argentina 45,773,884 0.58 % 263,566 17 2,736,690 3,718 94 % 0.57 % 38 Canada 38,781,291 0.85 % 326,964 4 9,093,510 249,746 81 % 0.48 % 45 Peru 34,352,719 0.89 % 303,131 27 1,280,000 -61,442 79 % 0.43 % 52 Venezuela 28,838,499 1.90 % 536,803 33 882,050 321,106 N.A. 0.36 % 65 Chile 19,629,590 0.13 % 25,857 26 743,532 -71,205 85 % 0.24 % 68 Ecuador 18,190,484 1.05 % 189,484 73 248,360 -21,525 64 % 0.23 % 70 Guatemala 18,092,026 1.39 % 248,118 169 107,160 -9,110 55 % 0.22 % 80 Bolivia 12,388,571 1.35 % 164,461 11 1,083,300 -3,000 69 % 0.15 % 81 Haiti 11,724,763 1.21 % 139,767 425 27,560 -31,811 60 % 0.15 % 84 Dominican Republic 11,332,972 0.93 % 104,151 235 48,320 -29,099 85 % 0.14 % 85 Cuba 11,194,449 -0.16 % -17,742 105 106,440 -6,000 80 % 0.14 % 88 Honduras 10,593,798 1.54 % 160,938 95 111,890 -5,034 58 % 0.13 % 106 Nicaragua 7,046,310 1.41 % 97,918 59 120,340 -8,000 56 % 0.09 % 108 Paraguay 6,861,524 1.19 % 80,780 17 397,300 -12,499 67 % 0.09 % 112 El Salvador 6,364,943 0.45 % 28,551 307 20,720 -23,249 78 % 0.08 % 124 Costa Rica 5,212,173 0.60 % 31,344 102 51,060 3,750 82 % 0.06 % 128 Panama 4,468,087 1.35 % 59,506 60 74,340 7,262 70 % 0.06 % 135 Uruguay 3,423,108 0.01 % 314 20 175,020 -1,500 99 % 0.04 % 136 Puerto Rico 3,260,314 0.24 % 7,907 368 8,870 19,835 N.A. 0.04 % 139 Jamaica 2,825,544 -0.06 % -1,833 261 10,830 -10,999 59 % 0.04 % 153 Trinidad and Tobago 1,534,937 0.25 % 3,893 299 5,130 -800 48 % 0.02 % 164 Guyana 813,834 0.63 % 5,108 4 196,850 -3,900 27 % 0.01 % 170 Suriname 623,236 0.84 % 5,196 4 156,000 -1,000 63 % 0.01 % 177 Bahamas 412,623 0.64 % 2,639 41 10,010 1,000 85 % 0.01 % 178 Belize 410,825 1.37 % 5,553 18 22,810 600 48 % 0.01 % 184 French Guiana 312,155 2.49 % 7,598 4 82,200 1,200 90 % 0.00 % 185 French Polynesia 308,872 0.85 % 2,593 84 3,660 -100 59 % 0.00 % 186 New Caledonia 292,991 1.05 % 3,041 16 18,280 500 74 % 0.00 % 187 Barbados 281,995 0.13 % 360 656 430 -80 32 % 0.00 % 188 Sao Tome & Principe 231,856 1.97 % 4,476 242 960 -600 77 % 0.00 % 189 Samoa 225,681 1.48 % 3,299 80 2,830 -1,500 16 % 0.00 % 190 Curaçao 192,077 0.48 % 914 433 444 515 77 % 0.00 % 191 Saint Lucia 180,251 0.22 % 394 295 610 0 19 % 0.00 % 193 Kiribati 133,515 1.74 % 2,283 165 810 -400 56 % 0.00 % 194 Grenada 126,183 0.59 % 745 371 340 -200 32 % 0.00 % 196 Seychelles 107,660 0.51 % 542 234 460 -200 53 % 0.00 % 197 Aruba 106,277 -0.16 % -168 590 180 157 45 % 0.00 % 198 St. Vincent & Grenadines 103,698 -0.24 % -250 266 390 -200 58 % 0.00 % 199 U.S. Virgin Islands 98,750 -0.72 % -715 282 350 -450 N.A. 0.00 % 200 Antigua and Barbuda 94,298 0.57 % 535 214 440 0 28 % 0.00 % 202 Andorra 80,088 0.33 % 264 170 470 200 85 % 0.00 % 203 Dominica 73,040 0.42 % 303 97 750 -40 75 % 0.00 % 204 Cayman Islands 69,310 0.88 % 604 289 240 400 95 % 0.00 % 205 Bermuda 64,069 -0.18 % -115 1,281 50 0 94 % 0.00 % 206 Greenland 56,643 0.31 % 177 0 410,450 -100 89 % 0.00 % 209 Saint Kitts & Nevis 47,755 0.21 % 98 184 260 20 38 % 0.00 % 210 Turks and Caicos 46,062 0.79 % 359 48 950 200 79 % 0.00 % 211 Sint Maarten 44,222 0.11 % 47 1,301 34 0 97 % 0.00 % 218 Saint Martin 32,077 0.90 % 286 605 53 0 0 % 0.00 % 219 British Virgin Islands 31,538 0.74 % 233 210 150 200 53 % 0.00 % 220 Caribbean Netherlands 27,148 0.45 % 122 83 328 100 74 % 0.00 % 223 Anguilla 15,899 0.26 % 42 177 90 0 98 % 0.00 % 227 Saint Barthelemy 10,994 0.25 % 27 524 21 0 0 % 0.00 % 228 Saint Pierre & Miquelon 5,840 -0.38 % -22 25 230 0 N.A. 0.00 % 230 Montserrat 4,386 -0.09 % -4 44 100 0 11 % 0.00 % 231 Falkland Islands 3,791 0.29 % 11 0 12,170 0 62 % 0.00 %
Countries in the world by population (2023) https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/ Updated on July 16, 2023 with the latest July 2023-July 2024 estimates from the 2022 U.N. Revision
The Cultural Mosaic in South America:
The Population Map—Then and Now
■ Pre-Colombian population • Amerindian societies
inhabited highlands (Andes), lowlands, riverbanks, and harsh environments.
■ Contemporary population • Amerindians eradicated by
European warfare and disease.
• Majority of European settlers stayed near the coasts.
• Andes settlements legacy of Incas.
Mestizo means someone of mixed
European/indigenous heritage
Tropical-
plantation
European-
commercial
Mestizo-
transitional Amerind-
subsistence
The Cultural Mosaic in South America: African Descendants ■ Portuguese South America
• Similar strategy to the one followed in the Caribbean.
• Development of sugar plantation economy.
• Imported workforce of African slaves. ■ Brazil’s slave legacy
• South America’s largest black population.
• About half of the population of 205 million.
• Found in Brazil’s northeast:
• Half the African workforce brought to the Americas.
• Mainly along the tropical coast of Brazil.
• Climate and proximity to Africa. During the Atlantic slave trade era, Brazil received more African slaves than any
other country (about 40% of the total number of slaves brought to the Americas)
and was the last country in the Western world to abolish slavery. An estimated 4.9
million slaves from Africa were brought to Brazil during the period from 1501 to 1866.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery_in_Brazil
Distribution of slaves (1519–1867)
Destination Percentage
Portuguese America 38.5%
British America (minus North America) 18.4%
Spanish Empire 17.5%
French Americas 13.6%
British North America 6.45%
English Americas 3.25%
Dutch West Indies 2.0%
Danish West Indies 0.3%
Note: The number of the Africans who arrived in each region is calculated from the total number of slaves imported, about 10,000,000. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade
The Portuguese, in the 16th century, were the first to engage in the Atlantic slave
trade. In 1526, they completed the first transatlantic slave voyage to Brazil.
The major Atlantic slave trading nations, ordered by trade volume, were
the Portuguese, the British, the French, the Spanish, and the Dutch Empires.
…Current estimates are that about 12 million to 12.8 million Africans were
shipped across the Atlantic over a span of 400 years, although the number
purchased by the traders was considerably higher, as the passage had a high
death rate. Near the beginning of the 19th century, various governments acted to
ban the trade, although illegal smuggling still occurred.
History of the enslaved African people in the Americas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_slave_trade The first slaves to arrive as part of a labour force in the New World reached the island
of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in 1502. Cuba received its first
four slaves in 1513. Jamaica received its first shipment of 4000 slaves in 1518. Slave
exports to Honduras and Guatemala started in 1526.
The first enslaved Africans to reach what would become the United States arrived in
July, 1526 as part of a Spanish attempt to colonize San Miguel de Gualdape. By
November the 300 Spanish colonists were reduced to 100, and their slaves from 100 to
70. The enslaved people revolted in 1526 and joined a nearby Native American tribe,
while the Spanish abandoned the colony altogether (1527). The area of the
future Colombia received its first enslaved people in 1533. El Salvador, Costa
Rica and Florida began their stints in the slave trade in 1541, 1563 and 1581,
respectively.
The 17th century saw an increase in shipments. Africans arrived in the English colony
of Jamestown, Virginia in 1619. The first kidnapped Africans in English North America
were classed as indentured servants and freed after seven years. Virginia law
codified chattel slavery in 1656, and in 1662 the colony adopted the principle of partus
sequitur ventrem, which classified children of slave mothers as slaves, regardless of
paternity. Irish immigrants took slaves to Montserrat in 1651, and in 1655 slaves were
shipped to Belize.
By 1802, Russian colonists noted that "Boston" (U.S.-based) skippers were trading
African slaves for otter pelts with the Tlingit people in Southeast Alaska.
• Most in middle altitudes (Tierra Templada). • Along the Pacific Coast. • The Atlantic coast is less settled:
• Lowlands. • Tropical rainforest; infertile soils. • Tropical storms.
Population distribution
The Cultural Mosaic: Ethnic Landscapes in Brazil
■ Differential ethnic layers
• Amerindians, Europeans, Africans and
Asians (Japanese in Peru and Brazil).
■ Changing ethnic patterns
• Internal migrations.
• Ethic mixing: some peoples have single
ethnic origin while others have
mixed ancestry.
• Plural societies: peoples from various
cultural backgrounds cluster but
usually do not mix.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil
Pardo: triracial descendants of Southern Europeans, Amerindians, and West Africans.
According to the National Research by Household Sample (PNAD) of 2008, 48.43% of the
population (about 92 million) described themselves as White; 43.80% (about 83 million) as
Pardo (brown: mixed race), 6.84% (about 13 million) as Black; 0.58% (about 1.1 million) as
Asian; and 0.28% (about 536 thousand) as Amerindian (officially called indígena,
Indigenous), while 0.07% (about 130 thousand) did not declare their race.
In 2007, the National Indian Foundation estimated that Brazil has 67 different uncontacted
tribes, up from their estimate of 40 in 2005. Brazil is believed to have the largest number of
uncontacted peoples in the world.
Tropical-
plantation
European-
commercial
Amerind-
subsistence Mestizo-
transitional
Mestizo: mixed European/indigenous heritage
GDP (Nominal) in US$ Million by Country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal) GDP (USD million) by country
World Ranking Country/Territory UN region
IMF[1][13] World Bank[14] United Nations[15]
Forecast Year Estimate Year Estimate Year World — 104,476,432 2023 100,562,011 2022 96,698,005 2021
1 United States Americas 26,949,643 2023 25,462,700 2022 23,315,081 2021 9 Brazil Americas 2,126,809 2023 1,920,096 2022 1,608,981 2021
10 Canada Americas 2,117,805 2023 2,139,840 2022 1,988,336 2021 12 Mexico Americas 1,811,468 2023 1,414,187 2022 1,272,839 2021 24 Argentina Americas 621,833 2023 632,770 2022 487,227 2021 43 Colombia Americas 363,835 2023 343,939 2022 314,464 2021 45 Chile Americas 344,400 2023 301,025 2022 317,059 2021 50 Peru Americas 264,636 2023 242,632 2022 223,252 2021 63 Cuba Americas — 107,352 2020 126,694 2021 64 Dominican Republic Americas 120,629 2023 113,642 2022 94,243 2021 65 Ecuador Americas 118,686 2023 115,049 2022 106,166 2021 66 Puerto Rico Americas 117,515 2023 113,435 2022 106,526 2021 70 Guatemala Americas 102,765 2023 95,003 2022 85,986 2021 72 Venezuela Americas 92,210 2023 — 111,813 2021 75 Costa Rica Americas 85,590 2023 68,381 2022 64,282 2021 77 Panama Americas 82,348 2023 76,523 2022 63,605 2021 84 Uruguay Americas 76,244 2023 71,177 2022 59,318 2021 95 Bolivia Americas 46,796 2023 43,069 2022 40,408 2021 98 Paraguay Americas 44,142 2023 41,722 2022 40,458 2021
104 El Salvador Americas 35,339 2023 32,489 2022 28,737 2021 105 Honduras Americas 33,992 2023 31,718 2022 28,489 2021 114 Trinidad and Tobago Americas 27,887 2023 27,899 2022 24,460 2021 116 Haiti Americas 25,986 2023 20,254 2022 19,044 2021 132 Jamaica Americas 18,761 2023 17,098 2022 14,658 2021 133 Nicaragua Americas 17,353 2023 15,672 2022 14,013 2021 136 Guyana Americas 16,329 2023 15,358 2022 8,044 2021 146 Bahamas Americas 13,876 2023 12,897 2022 11,209 2021 159 Bermuda Americas — 7,551 2022 7,231 2021 164 Barbados Americas 6,220 2023 5,638 2022 4,844 2021 166 Cayman Islands Americas — — 5,809 2021 171 Aruba Americas 3,827 2023 — 3,126 2021 173 Suriname Americas 3,539 2023 3,621 2022 3,224 2021 175 Greenland Americas — — 3,273 2021 176 Belize Americas 3,218 2023 2,824 2022 2,492 2021 179 Curaçao Americas — — 2,700 2021 182 Saint Lucia Americas 2,469 2023 2,065 2022 1,765 2021 191 Antigua and Barbuda Americas 1,949 2023 1,758 2022 1,421 2021 193 Sint Maarten Americas — 1,572 2022 1,154 2021 194 British Virgin Islands Americas — — 1,539 2021 196 Grenada Americas 1,306 2023 1,256 2022 1,115 2021 198 Turks and Caicos Islands Americas — 1,139 2022 943 2021 199 Saint Kitts and Nevis Americas 1,069 2023 962 2022 861 2021 200 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Americas 1,039 2023 949 2022 881 2021 202 Dominica Americas 697 2023 612 2022 548 2021 207 Anguilla Americas — — 303 2021 212 Montserrat Americas — — 72 2021
GDP (Purchasing Power Parity, US$ million) by Country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)
World Ranking Country (or territory) Region
IMF[1][5] World Bank[6] CIA[7][8][9]
Forecast Year Estimate Year Estimate Year
World — 174,789,867 2023 164,155,327 2022 127,800,000 2017 2 United States Americas 26,830,180 2023 25,462,700 2022 19,846,720 2020 8 Brazil Americas 4,270,128 2023 3,837,261 2022 2,989,430 2020
12 Mexico Americas 3,492,604 2023 2,742,903 2022 2,306,320 2020 16 Canada Americas 2,638,293 2023 2,273,489 2022 1,742,790 2020 30 Argentina Americas 1,239,515 2023 1,225,435 2022 893,310 2020 32 Colombia Americas 1,016,124 2023 1,052,389 2022 683,940 2020 44 Chile Americas 597,520 2023 592,205 2022 445,880 2020 45 Peru Americas 548,465 2023 512,362 2022 371,290 2020 64 Dominican Republic Americas 273,703 2023 227,500 2021 184,450 2020 67 Ecuador Americas 242,579 2023 208,601 2021 182,240 2020 73 Venezuela Americas 211,926 2023 506,339 2011 269,068 2018 75 Guatemala Americas 201,365 2023 167,149 2021 141,500 2020 78 Panama Americas 190,306 2023 138,809 2021 109,520 2020 87 Costa Rica Americas 141,527 2023 120,188 2021 100,250 2020 89 Cuba Americas — — 137,000 2017
Puerto Rico Americas 132,052 2023 112,668 2020 106,820 2020 93 Bolivia Americas 125,428 2023 106,856 2021 92,590 2020 94 Paraguay Americas 117,349 2023 100,901 2021 87,980 2020 96 Uruguay Americas 103,372 2023 85,823 2021 75,060 2020
105 Honduras Americas 75,030 2023 62,920 2021 50,890 2020 106 El Salvador Americas 74,505 2023 63.026 2021 52,260 2020 122 Nicaragua Americas 51,022 2023 42,437 2021 34,980 2020 126 Guyana Americas 48,514 2023 19,358 2021 14,690 2020 130 Trinidad and Tobago Americas 43,658 2023 37,706 2021 33,210 2020 137 Haiti Americas 38,952 2023 36,096 2021 31,620 2020 141 Jamaica Americas 35,690 2023 29,812 2021 25,890 2020 153 Bahamas Americas 18,146 2023 13,538 2021 12,100 2020 160 Suriname Americas 11,435 2023 9,869 2021 9,460 2020
Aruba Americas 5,502 2023 3,329 2020 4,158 2017 173 Barbados Americas 5,436 2023 4,263 2021 3,700 2020
Bermuda Americas — 5,441 2021 5,230 2019 176 Belize Americas 5,032 2023 2,803 2021 2,430 2020
Cayman Islands Americas — 4,763 2020 4,780 2019 U.S. Virgin Islands Americas — — 3,872 2016
178 Saint Lucia Americas 3,452 2023 2,591 2021 2,250 2020 Curaçao Americas — 3,205 2020 3,860 2019
181 Antigua and Barbuda Americas 2,601 2023 1,959 2021 1,760 2020 Greenland Americas — — 2,413 2015
182 Grenada Americas 2,307 2023 1,885 2021 1,700 2020
183 Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines Americas 1,980 2023 1,560 2021 1,340 2020
185 Saint Kitts and Nevis Americas 1,760 2023 1,406 2021 1,240 2020 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Americas — 1,471 2018 1,440 2018
187 Dominica Americas 1,069 2023 864 2021 710 2020 Turks and Caicos Islands Americas — 918 2021 820 2020 Saint Martin (French part) Americas — — 562 2005 British Virgin Islands Americas — — 500 2017
194 Marshall Islands Oceania 263 2023 249 2021 240 2019 Saint Pierre and Miquelon Americas — — 261 2015 Falkland Islands Americas — — 206 2015 Anguilla Americas — — 175 2009 Montserrat Americas — — 167 2011
territory
GDP (Nominal) in US$ Per Capita by Country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita
World Ranking Country/Territory UN Region IMF[5][6] World Bank[7] CIA[8][9][10]
Estimate Year Estimate Year Estimate Year Bermuda * Americas — 95,837 2022 80,300 2021
9 United States * Americas 80,412 2023 76,399 2022 63,700 2021 Cayman Islands * Americas — 74,155 2021 67,500 2021 Falkland Islands * Americas — — 70,800 2015
23 Guyana * Americas 61,099 2023 40,642 2022 21,900 2021 26 Canada * Americas 59,813 2023 58,400 2022 47,900 2021
Aruba * Americas 51,352 2023 42,698 2021 38,900 2021 Saint Pierre and Miquelon * Americas — — 46,200 2006
43 Bahamas * Americas 44,950 2023 40,379 2022 30,200 2021 Puerto Rico * Americas 41,682 2023 40,498 2022 32,600 2021 Greenland * Americas — — 41,800 2015 U.S. Virgin Islands * Americas — — 37,000 2016 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) * Americas — 41,812 2022 35,300 2018 British Virgin Islands * Americas — — 34,200 2017 Montserrat * Americas — — 34,000 2011
46 Panama * Americas 42,738 2023 39,280 2022 29,000 2021 59 Trinidad and Tobago * Americas 30,719 2023 27,778 2022 23,000 2021 60 Chile * Americas 29,935 2023 30,209 2022 25,400 2021 61 Saint Kitts and Nevis * Americas 29,893 2023 34,052 2022 26,500 2021 63 Uruguay * Americas 28,984 2023 28,842 2022 22,800 2021 65 Costa Rica * Americas 26,809 2023 24,923 2022 21,200 2021 66 Argentina * Americas 26,506 2023 26,505 2022 21,500 2021 68 Dominican Republic * Americas 25,523 2023 22,834 2022 18,600 2021 69 Antigua and Barbuda * Americas 25,449 2023 25,337 2022 19,100 2021 70 Mexico * Americas 24,976 2023 21,512 2022 19,100 2021
Curaçao * Americas — 22,832 2021 20,800 2021 Turks and Caicos Islands * Americas — 22,915 2022 18,500 2021
77 Grenada * Americas 20,195 2023 16,987 2022 13,700 2021 78 Brazil * Americas 20,079 2023 17,822 2022 14,100 2020 84 Colombia * Americas 19,482 2023 20,287 2022 14,600 2021
Saint Martin (French part) * Americas — — 19,300 2005 87 Saint Lucia * Americas 18,973 2023 17,756 2022 13,000 2021 88 Barbados * Americas 18,738 2023 17,837 2022 13,800 2021 91 Suriname * Americas 18,311 2023 17,620 2022 14,800 2021 92 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines * Americas 17,840 2023 17,207 2022 13,700 2021 97 Peru * Americas 15,894 2023 15,048 2022 12,500 2021
100 Paraguay * Americas 15,533 2023 15,977 2022 13,700 2021 103 Dominica * Americas 14,348 2023 13,573 2022 10,900 2021 109 Ecuador * Americas 13,285 2023 12,822 2022 10,700 2021 111 Jamaica * Americas 12,995 2023 11,822 2022 9,600 2021
Cuba * Americas — — 12,300 2016 Anguilla * Americas — — 12,200 2008
116 El Salvador * Americas 11,717 2023 11,096 2022 9,100 2021 120 Belize * Americas 11,166 2023 11,451 2022 8,800 2021 121 Guatemala * Americas 10,595 2023 10,818 2022 8,900 2021 123 Bolivia * Americas 10,340 2023 9,684 2022 8,100 2021 129 Venezuela * Americas 7,985 2023 17,402 2011 7,704 2018 130 Nicaragua * Americas 7,642 2023 6,875 2022 5,600 2021 132 Honduras * Americas 7,163 2023 6,741 2022 5,600 2021 166 Haiti * Americas 3,186 2023 3,305 2022 2,900 2021
Country/Economy Total GDP(PPP)(US$MM) Agricultural Industrial Service Agricultural Industrial Service World 127,800,000 6.4% 30.0% 63.6% 8,179,200 38,340,000 80,514,000 United States 19,490,000 0.9% 19.1% 80.0% 175,410 3,722,590 15,592,000 Brazil (ranked 8th) 3,248,000 6.6% 20.7% 72.7% 214,368 672,336 2,361,296 Mexico (ranked 11th) 2,463,000 3.6% 31.9% 64.5% 88,668 785,697 1,588,635 Argentina 922,100 10.8% 28.1% 61.1% 99,587 259,110 563,403 Colombia 711,600 7.2% 30.8% 62.1% 51,235 219,173 441,904 Chile 452,100 4.2% 32.8% 63.0% 18,988 148,289 284,823 Peru 430,300 7.6% 32.7% 59.9% 32,703 140,708 257,750 Venezuela 381,600 4.7% 40.4% 54.9% 17,935 154,166 209,498 Ecuador 193,000 6.7% 32.9% 60.4% 12,931 63,497 116,572 Dominican Republic 173,000 5.6% 33.0% 61.4% 9,688 57,090 106,222 Guatemala 138,100 13.3% 23.4% 63.2% 18,367 32,315 87,279 Cuba 137,000 4.0% 22.7% 73.4% 5,480 31,099 100,558 Puerto Rico 130,000 0.8% 50.1% 49.1% 1,040 65,130 63,830 Panama 104,100 2.4% 15.7% 82.0% 2,498 16,344 85,362 Paraguay 88,910 17.9% 27.7% 54.5% 15,915 24,628 48,456 Costa Rica 83,940 5.5% 20.6% 73.9% 4,617 17,292 62,032 Bolivia 83,720 13.8% 37.8% 48.2% 11,553 31,646 40,353 Uruguay 78,160 6.2% 24.1% 69.7% 4,846 18,837 54,478 El Salvador 51,170 12.0% 27.7% 60.3% 6,140 14,174 30,856 Honduras 46,300 14.2% 28.8% 57.0% 6,575 13,334 26,391 Trinidad and Tobago 42,850 0.4% 47.8% 51.7% 171 20,482 22,153 Nicaragua 36,400 15.5% 24.4% 60.0% 5,642 8,882 21,840 Jamaica 26,060 7.0% 21.1% 71.9% 1,824 5,499 18,737 Haiti 19,970 22.1% 20.3% 57.6% 4,413 4,054 11,503 Bahamas, The 12,060 2.3% 7.7% 90.0% 277 929 10,854 Suriname 8,688 11.6% 31.1% 57.4% 1,008 2,702 4,987 Guyana 6,301 15.4% 15.3% 69.3% 970 964 4,367 Bermuda 6,127 0.9% 5.3% 93.8% 55 325 5,747 Barbados 5,218 1.5% 9.8% 88.7% 78 511 4,628 Aruba 4,158 0.4% 33.3% 66.3% 17 1,385 2,757 Belize 3,218 10.3% 21.6% 68.0% 331 695 2,188 Curacao 3,128 0.7% 15.5% 83.8% 22 485 2,621 Saint Lucia 2,542 2.9% 14.2% 82.8% 74 361 2,105 Cayman Islands 2,507 0.3% 7.4% 92.3% 8 186 2,314 Antigua and Barbuda 2,398 1.8% 20.8% 77.3% 43 499 1,854 Grenada 1,634 6.8% 15.5% 77.7% 111 253 1,270 Saint Kitts and Nevis 1,550 1.1% 30.0% 68.9% 17 465 1,068 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1,265 7.1% 17.4% 75.5% 90 220 955 Dominica 783 22.3% 12.6% 65.1% 175 99 510 Turks and Caicos Islands 632 0.5% 8.9% 90.6% 3 56 573 Saint Martin 562 1.0% 15.0% 84.0% 6 84 472 British Virgin Islands 500 0.2% 6.8% 93.1% 1 34 466 Sint Maarten 366 0.4% 18.3% 81.3% 1 67 298 Anguilla 175 3.0% 10.5% 86.4% 5 18 151 Montserrat 167 1.9% 7.8% 90.3% 3 13 151
GDP (PPP) sector composition, 2017 (in percentage and in millions of dollars) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_sector_composition
Country/Economy Total natural resources
(% of GDP) Oil
(% of GDP) Natural gas (% of GDP)
Coal (% of GDP)
Mineral (% of GDP)
Forest (% of GDP)
Antigua and Barbuda 0 .. .. .. 0 .. Argentina 6.1 4.1 1.2 0 0.8 0.1 Bahamas, The 0 .. .. .. 0 0 Barbados 0 .. .. .. 0 .. Belize 0.3 .. .. .. 0 0.3 Bolivia 20.6 5.4 8.6 .. 6.3 0.3 Brazil 5.7 2.6 0.1 0 2.8 0.3 Chile 19.2 0.1 0.1 0 18.6 0.4 Colombia 12.1 8.8 0.4 1.8 1 0.1 Costa Rica 0.3 .. .. .. 0 0.3 Dominica 0 .. .. .. 0 0 Dominican Republic 0.7 .. .. .. 0.6 0 Ecuador 26 25.6 0.1 .. 0 0.3 El Salvador 0.5 .. .. .. 0 0.5 Grenada 0 .. .. .. 0 .. Guatemala 2.8 0.8 .. .. 1.2 0.8 Guyana 16.2 .. .. .. 14.9 1.3 Haiti 0.7 .. .. .. 0 0.7 Honduras 2 .. .. .. 0.9 1.1 Jamaica 1.7 .. .. .. 1.6 0.1 Mexico 9 7.2 0.6 0.1 1.1 0.1 Nicaragua 2.3 .. .. .. 0.9 1.4 Panama 0.8 .. .. .. 0.7 0.1 Paraguay 1.1 .. .. .. 0 1.1 Peru 13.6 1.9 1 0 10.6 0.1 St. Kitts and Nevis 0 .. .. .. 0 .. St. Lucia 0 .. .. .. 0 .. St. Vincent and the Grenadines 0 .. .. .. 0 0
Suriname 11.7 .. .. .. 11.5 0.2
Trinidad and Tobago 37.6 13.2 24.5 .. 0 0 Uruguay 0.9 .. .. .. 0.1 0.7 Venezuela 32.5 30 1.5 0.1 1 0
World 5.7 3.1 0.5 1 1 0.2
GDP from Natural Resources Source: World Development Indicators: Contribution of natural resources to gross domestic product (2011)
Natural Resources There are also
massive reserves of
natural resources
– natural gas and oil (South
America as well as Mexico)
– copper (Chile), silver (Mexico
and Peru), Iron (Brazil).
The World’s Largest Oil Reserves By Country https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-largest-oil-reserves-by-country.html
Rank Country Proven Oil Reserves in 2020 in millions of barrels
1 Venezuela 302,809
2 Saudi Arabia 267,026
3 Canada 167,896
4 Iran 155,600
5 Iraq 145,019
6 Kuwait 101,500
7 United Arab Emirates 97,800
8 Russia 80,000
9 Libya 48,363
10 United States 47,053
11 Nigeria 36,972
12 Kazakhstan 30,000
13 China 25,620
14 Qatar 25,244
15 Brazil 12,999
16 Algeria 12,200
17 Angola 8,273
18 Ecuador 8,273
19 Mexico 7,300
20 Azerbaijan 7,000
21 Norway 6,611
22 Oman 5,373
23 India 4,600
24 Egypt 4,400
25 Vietnam 4,400
# Country forest Area (hectares) Population (2017) Sqare meters per capita 1 Russia 814,848,460 145,530,082 55,992 2 Brazil 491,570,000 207,833,823 23,652 3 Canada 346,975,800 36,732,095 94,461 4 United States 310,645,000 325,084,756 9,556 5 China 211,405,700 1,421,021,791 1,488 9 Peru 73,637,800 31,444,298 23,418
11 Mexico 65,856,800 124,777,324 5,278 12 Colombia 58,448,300 48,909,839 11,950 14 Bolivia 54,186,000 11,192,855 48,411 16 Venezuela 46,354,200 29,402,484 15,765 22 Argentina 26,518,400 43,937,140 6,036 33 Chile 18,336,600 18,470,439 9,928 35 Guyana 16,506,000 775,222 212,920 37 Suriname 15,324,400 570,496 268,615 39 Paraguay 14,672,200 6,867,061 21,366 43 Ecuador 12,390,420 16,785,361 7,382 61 French Guiana 8,126,800 275,191 295,315 73 Panama 4,584,200 4,106,769 11,163 76 Honduras 4,352,000 9,429,013 4,616 84 Guatemala 3,467,200 16,914,970 2,050 87 Cuba 3,307,200 11,339,254 2,917 92 Nicaragua 3,114,000 6,384,846 4,877 95 Costa Rica 2,816,400 4,949,954 5,690
104 Dominican Republic 2,049,400 10,513,104 1,949 109 Uruguay 1,890,480 3,436,641 5,501 115 Belize 1,356,260 375,769 36,093 137 Bahamas 515,000 381,755 13,490 138 Puerto Rico 502,570 3,163,667 1,589 147 Jamaica 334,440 2,920,848 1,145 151 El Salvador 256,200 6,388,126 401 152 Trinidad and Tobago 237,720 1,384,059 1,718 162 Haiti 95,400 10,982,366 87 167 Guadeloupe 72,560 399,672 1,815 172 Martinique 48,500 375,948 1,290 173 Dominica 42,790 71,458 5,988 178 Turks and Caicos 34,400 37,115 9,268 180 St. Vincent & Grenadines 27,000 109,827 2,458 182 Saint Lucia 20,180 180,954 1,115 185 U.S. Virgin Islands 17,380 104,751 1,659 186 Grenada 16,990 110,874 1,532 190 Cayman Islands 12,700 63,382 2,004 193 Saint Kitts & Nevis 11,000 52,045 2,114 194 Antigua and Barbuda 9,800 95,426 1,027 198 Barbados 6,300 286,232 220 202 Anguilla 5,500 14,584 3,771 204 British Virgin Islands 3,620 29,577 1,224 207 Montserrat 2,500 4,984 5,016 209 Bermuda 1,000 63,049 159 213 Aruba 420 105,366 40
Forest Area by Country https://www.worldometers.info/food-agriculture/forest-by-country/
RANK COUNTRY EXPORT SALES (US$) 2021-2 1. China $3,593,601,450,000 +6.9% 2. United States $2,062,937,261,000 +17.6% 3. Germany $1,658,442,825,000 +1.7% 4. Netherlands $770,306,572,000 +10.5% 5. Japan $752,071,999,000 -0.7% 6. Italy $700,314,893,000 +13.7% 7. South Korea $683,584,759,000 +6.1% 8. Belgium $636,424,483,000 +15.8% 9. Hong Kong $611,481,903,000 -9% 10. France $606,853,494,000 +6.3% 11. Canada $597,184,953,000 +18.5% 12. Mexico $578,281,629,000 +16.9% 13. Russia $565,168,039,000 +14.8% 14. United Kingdom $530,481,545,000 +13.2% 15. Singapore $515,077,895,000 +12.5% 16. Taiwan $478,252,341,000 +6.9% 17. Vietnam $469,548,577,000 +39.8% 18. India $452,684,214,000 +14.7% 20. Spain $424,286,055,000 +8.4% 19. Australia $402,166,083,000 +16.4% 21. Switzerland $402,112,025,000 +5.7% 22. Saudi Arabia $378,261,732,000 +41.4% 23. Malaysia $353,149,561,000 +18% 24. Poland $342,844,658,000 +7.9% 25. Brazil $334,463,079,000 +19.1% 26. United Arab Emirates $311,313,710,000 -26.8% 27. Indonesia $291,979,103,000 +26.1% 28. Thailand $284,106,705,000 +6.2% 29. Norway $271,667,221,000 +69.3% 30. Türkiye $254,171,899,000 +12.8% 31. Czech Republic $241,132,362,000 +6.1% 32. Ireland $219,304,152,000 +11.9% 33. Austria $210,279,459,000 +8% 34. Sweden $197,574,754,000 +4.2% 35. Hungary $149,580,879,000 +6% 36. Qatar $130,964,473,000 +50.2% 37. Iraq $129,864,681,000 +48.5% 38. Denmark $129,059,446,000 +3.2% 39. South Africa $123,614,816,000 -0.1% 40. Slovakia $108,012,832,000 +3.1% 41. Chile $102,625,791,000 +10.5% 42. Romania $96,829,602,000 +9.5% 43. Kuwait $90,476,501,000 +43.3% 44. Argentina $88,268,232,000 +13.4% 45. Finland $86,062,131,000 +5.6% 46. Kazakhstan $84,391,615,000 +39.9% 47. Portugal $82,353,899,000 +9.5% 48. Oman $80,325,311,000 +80.1% 49. Philippines $78,929,719,000 +5.8% 50. Israel $73,583,359,000 +22.3%
51. Algeria $66,736,178,000 +72.2% 52. Bangladesh $65,971,088,000 +20.3% 53. Nigeria $63,338,596,000 +33.1% 54. Peru $58,172,424,000 +3.4% 55. Greece $57,568,025,000 +21.9% 56. Slovenia $55,478,922,000 +18.8% 57. Angola $51,268,600,000 +51.9%
World’s Top Export Countries by Daniel Workman
Globally, export products from all countries were worth a total US$24.487 trillion in 2022.
That dollar amount reflects a 26.7% increase compared to $19.328 trillion five years earlier in 2018.
Year over year, the overall value of worldwide exports appreciated 10.6% from $22.139 trillion for 2021.
As assessed by total value, the top 10 export countries are China, United States of America, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, Italy, South Korea, Belgium, Hong Kong and France. Combined, those leading exports-based economies represent about half (49.3%) of global exports by all countries, islands or territories.
Based on statistics from the International Monetary Fund, the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on a Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis for all exporting geographies totaled $163.5 trillion in 2022. That global economic benchmark rose 10.5% compared to $147.9 trillion one year earlier for 2021.
Based on the above metrics, exported goods account for 14.98% of overall worldwide economic output during 2022 as measured against GDP in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms. That percentage compares to 14.97% one year earlier, suggesting the relatively stagnant importance of exported goods in terms of global economic performance.
As of July 2023, the earth’s population was roughly 8 billion. Applying that metric, the $21.513 trillion in total exports translates to approximately $3,050 for every person on the planet in 2022. That per capita estimate is higher that the average $2,700 one year earlier.
Top Export Countries Below are the world’s top export countries that shipped the highest dollar value in exports during 2022. Also shown is the change in the total value of exported products for each country from 2021 to 2022.
https://www.worldstopexports.com/worlds-top-export-countries/
South America relies less on the export of both manufactured goods and natural
resources than the world average; merchandise exports from the continent were 16% of
GDP on an exchange rate basis, compared to 25% for the world as a whole. Brazil (the
seventh largest economy in the world and the largest in South America) leads in terms of
merchandise exports at $251 billion, followed by Venezuela at $93 billion, Chile at $86
billion, and Argentina at $84 billion.
The export of agricultural products is essential for the balance of trade in most
countries.
The main agrarian crops are export crops, such as soy and wheat.
Livestock raising for meat exports is important in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and
Colombia. In tropical regions the most important crops are coffee, cocoa and bananas,
mainly in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador. Traditionally, the countries producing sugar for
export are Peru, Guyana and Suriname, and in Brazil, sugar cane is also used to
make ethanol.
The most industrialized countries in South America are Brazil, Argentina, Chile,
Colombia, Venezuela and Uruguay respectively. These countries alone account for
more than 75 percent of the region's economy and add up to a GDP of more than US$3.0
trillion.
The main industries are: electronics, textiles, food, automotive, metallurgy, aviation,
naval, clothing, beverage, steel, tobacco, timber, chemical, among others. Exports
reach almost US$400 billion annually, with Brazil accounting for half of this.
The economic gap between the rich and poor in most South American nations is larger
than on most other continents. The richest 10% receive over 40% of the nation's
income in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay, while the poorest 20%
receive 4% or less in Bolivia, Brazil, and Colombia.
Economic Geography: Industrial Development
■ Rapid growth of manufacturing
• Uneven development as concentration in and around major urban
centers.
• Some struggle to modernize and improve standard of living.
• Development of the high tech sector, such as aircraft
manufacturing (Ambraer: a Brazilian multinational aerospace
manufacturer).
■ Brazil as one of the world’s emerging markets
• Part of the BRICS: along with Russia, India, China, and South
Africa.
• Due to its massive growth and rapid economic
diversification.
• A growing consumer base, but the middle class is rather weak.
Economic Geography: Agricultural Land Use and Deforestation ■ Land-use contrasts
• Large-scale commercial (for-profit), exists alongside small-scale subsistence agriculture
(for household use).
• Commercial agriculture is a legacy of European land distribution systems.
• Subsistence agriculture is historically associated with indigenous, African, and Asian
land-use patterns.
■ Close relationship between
physiography and agricultural
systems.
■ Rapid changes in land use
• Introduction and expansion of
new crops.
• Intensifying agro-industrial
operations.
■ Deforestation
• First, roads.
• Then, settlements and farms.
• Decline in soil fertility.
• Move and repeat.
Country/Economy Agricultural Industrial Service Agricultural United States 0.9% 19.1% 80.0% 175,410 Brazil (ranked 8th) 6.6% 20.7% 72.7% 214,368
The Role of the Tourist Industry in Central America and the Caribbean ■ IN SUPPORT OF THE TOURIST
INDUSTRY
• Without tourism, there is no
economy.
• Demand for infrastructure also
benefits the local economy.
• Affluent tourists will always come to
escape Northern climates.
• “Clean industry.”
• Educational.
■ CRITICAL OF THE TOURIST INDUSTRY
• Does not constitute a real and
fundamental benefit to local economies.
• Represents inequality and affluent
isolation.
• Debases local peoples and cultures to
tourists’ tastes.
• Inauthentic representations of native
cultures.
• Tourism is still environmentally damaging.
■ Tourism • Caribbean countries are of small
size:
• Limited agricultural potential.
• Limited economic opportunities.
• High costs of living.
• Advantages:
• State and regional economic
options.
• A clean industry.
• Educational.
• Disadvantages:
• Disjunctive development.
• Degrades fragile environmental
resources.
• Inauthentic representations of
native cultures.
Tourism is one of the region's major economic sectors, with 25 million visitors
contributing $49 billion towards the area's gross domestic product in 2013, which
represented 14% of its total GDP. This puts the region twelfth in the world in terms of
tourism's absolute contribution to GDP, but first as a proportion of GDP. In terms of
employment, 11.3% of the region's jobs depend on tourism either directly or
indirectly. It is often described as "the most tourism-dependent region in the world".
Caribbean islands now depend on tourism for their economy, it being referred to as "the engine of their
growth". Tourism is a huge contributor to the economies of all Caribbean countries and the biggest contributor to
many of them such as Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and the Virgin Islands. It provides a steady revenue
stream, with temporary blips due to hurricanes or recessions in the Western world and supports local farming,
fishing, and retail industries. Barbados, for instance, has moved from a primarily agricultural economy to a service-
based economy that supports tourism. By 2006, tourism brought in ten times more to the Barbados economy than
sugar cane production, $167 million versus $14.5 billion.
Besides hotels and restaurants, services to tourism have required additional infrastructure, including: airports,
roads, sewage treatment plants, landfills, electricity supply and telephones.
Much of the profit from tourism is earned by corporations outside of the Caribbean since, "two-thirds of the hotel
rooms in the region are foreign owned, and the tour companies who arrange visitor's activities are often
foreign owned". The more luxurious the accommodations, the more likely that profits are made by foreign firms.
Further, many resorts are all-inclusive, and vacationers of these resorts rarely eat out at locally owned
restaurants, rent water sports gear from local entrepreneurs, or arrange island tours with local taxis. Most of the
food served at hotels is imported, locally grown fruit, such as breadfruit, bananas, mangos, and citrus is rarely
served. Only about 30% of money spent by foreign visitors remains in the Caribbean, the rest is retained by
overseas firms.
Tourism development has driven up the cost of food and land, land which may be purchased for hotel, marina,
and other tourist facility development by companies able to afford the price. If they have a home, they may be
pushed out of their residence due to the high cost of living or hotel construction.
https://howmuch.net/articles/travel-tourism-economy-2017
Source: World Tourism Organization
The 10 Most Visited Caribbean Islands (Stay-Over Tourists) •Dominican Republic Year 2020: 2,405,315/Year 2019: 6,446,036
•Cuba Year 2020: 1,085,920/Year 2019: 4,275,558
•Jamaica Year 2020: 880,404/Year 2019: 2,680,920
•The Bahamas Year 2020: 445,879/Year 2019: 1,804,184
•Puerto Rico Year 2020: 678,854/Year 2019: 1,610,292
•Aruba Year 2020: 368,322/Year 2019: 1,119,000
•Guadeloupe Year 2020: ???/Year 2019: 735,000
•Barbados Year 2020: 159,144/Year 2019: 712,946
•U.S. Virgin Islands Year 2020: 415,749/Year 2019: 640,887
•Martinique Year 2020: 312,298/Year 2019: 556,268 https://www.caribbeanandco.com/10-most-visited-caribbean-islands/
Economic Geography: The Commodity Boom
■ Economic growth from global demand for raw
materials
• Aka commodities.
• Involve a wide array of goods including
agricultural goods, forest products and minerals.
■ Risks of commodity dependence
• Volatile commodity prices.
• Distorts national economy.
• Prone to mismanagement and environmental
degradation.
• Some raw materials finite.
Rank Country 60 kilogram bags Metric Tons Pounds 1 Brazil 44,200,000 2,652,000 5,714,381,000 2 Vietnam 27,500,000 1,650,000 3,637,627,000 3 Colombia 13,500,000 810,000 1,785,744,000 4 Indonesia 11,000,000 660,000 1,455,050,000 5 Ethiopia 6,400,000 384,000 846,575,000 6 Honduras 5,800,000 348,000 767,208,000 7 India 5,800,000 348,000 767,208,000 8 Uganda 4,800,000 288,000 634,931,000 9 Mexico 3,900,000 234,000 515,881,000 10 Guatemala 3,400,000 204,000 449,743,000 11 Peru 3,200,000 192,000 423,287,000 12 Nicaragua 2,200,000 132,000 291,010,000 13 China 1,947,000 116,820 257,544,000 14 Ivory Coast 1,800,000 108,000 238,099,000 15 Costa Rica 1,492,000 89,520 197,357,000 16 Kenya 833,000 49,980 110,187,000 17 Papua New Guinea 800,000 48,000 105,821,000 18 Tanzania 800,000 48,000 105,821,000 19 El Salvador 762,000 45,720 100,795,000 20 Ecuador 700,000 42,000 92,594,000 21 Cameroon 570,000 34,200 75,398,000 22 Laos 520,000 31,200 68,784,000 23 Madagascar 520,000 31,200 68,784,000 24 Gabon 500,000 30,000 66,138,000 25 Thailand 500,000 30,000 66,138,000 26 Venezuela 500,000 30,000 66,138,000 27 Dominican Republic 400,000 24,000 52,910,000 28 Haiti 350,000 21,000 46,297,000 29 Democratic Republic of the Congo 335,000 20,100 44,312,000 30 Rwanda 250,000 15,000 33,069,000 31 Burundi 200,000 12,000 26,455,000 32 Philippines 200,000 12,000 26,455,000 33 Togo 200,000 12,000 26,455,000 34 Guinea 160,000 9,600 21,164,000 35 Yemen 120,000 7,200 15,873,000 36 Cuba 100,000 6,000 13,227,000 37 Panama 100,000 6,000 13,227,000 38 Bolivia 90,000 5,400 11,904,000 39 Timor Leste 80,000 4,800 10,582,000 40 Central African Republic 65,000 3,900 8,598,000 41 Nigeria 40,000 2,400 5,291,000 42 Ghana 37,000 2,220 4,894,000 43 Sierra Leone 36,000 2,160 4,761,000 44 Angola 35,000 2,100 4,629,000 45 Jamaica 21,000 1,260 2,777,000 46 Paraguay 20,000 1,200 2,645,000 47 Malawi 16,000 960 2,116,000 48 Trinidad and Tobago 12,000 720 1,587,000 49 Zimbabwe 10,000 600 1,322,000 50 Liberia 6,000 360 793,000 51 Zambia 2,000 120 264,000
Main Coffee Exporters by Country in 2019
A world map of countries by coffee production, 2019
Coffee cultivation by type of coffee:
r: Coffea canephora (also known as robusta)
m: Both Coffea canephora (robusta) and Coffea arabica (arabica)
a: Coffea arabica
Over 90% of coffee production takes place in developing countries— mainly South America—while consumption happens primarily in industrialized economies (More than 150 million Americans, 18 and older, drink coffee on a daily basis). There are 25 million small producers who rely on coffee for a living worldwide, 5 million in Brazil.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coffee_production
World Map based on Coffee imported by country in 2005
World Coffee Production and Trade, 2003
Coffee Production (M tons)
Less than 300,000
300,001 to 600,000
More than 600,000
Coffee Trade
690,000
Imports
Exports
65% of supply from three countries
(Brazil, Columbia and Vietnam)
250
200
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Retail Price of Coffee 1980-2016
Global coffee production reached 163.7 million 60- kilogram bags as of 2019/2020, decreasing from 172.5 million 60-kilogram bags in 2018/2019. The majority of the world's coffee is produced by South America, specifically Brazil. In 2018, Brazil produced 61.7 million 60-kilogram bags of coffee.
Political and Economic Fragmentation ■ Bananas
• Crop that has most strongly influenced the development of Central America.
• Originated in Southeast Asia.
• Reached North Africa and Moorish Spain by the 12th Century.
• Introduced by the Spaniards; Hispaniola in 1516.
• Central America shortly thereafter.
• In early 19th century refrigerated ships made possible commercial cultivation.
• 1890s: First shipments to Boston and New Orleans.
• Standard and United Fruit companies came to exercise large influence in many countries.
• “Banana Republic”.
In political science, the term banana republic describes a politically unstable country with an economy dependent upon the exportation of a limited-resource product, such as bananas or minerals. In 1904, the American author O. Henry coined the term to describe Honduras and neighboring countries under economic exploitation by U.S. corporations, such as the United Fruit Company (now Chiquita Brands International). A banana republic is a country with an economy of state capitalism, whereby the country is operated as a private commercial enterprise for the exclusive profit of the ruling class. Such exploitation is enabled by collusion between the state and favored economic monopolies, in which the profit, derived from the private exploitation of public lands, is private property, while the debts incurred thereby are the financial responsibility of the public treasury. Such an imbalanced economy remains limited by the uneven economic development of town and country and usually reduces the national currency into devalued banknotes (paper money), rendering the country ineligible for international development credit. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_republic
William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer.
The history of the banana republic began with the introduction of the banana fruit to the U.S. in 1870, by Lorenzo Dow Baker, captain of the schooner Telegraph, who bought bananas in Jamaica and sold them in Boston at a 1,000% profit.
Company Country Market share in 2013 [%]
Chiquita U.S. 13
Fyffes Ireland 6
Dole Food Company U.S. 11
Fresh Del Monte Produce U.S. 12
Noboa Ecuador 2
The banana industry is an important part of the
global industrial agrobusiness. About 15% of the global banana
production goes to export and international trade for consumption
in Western countries. They are grown on banana
plantations primarily in Latin America and the Caribbean as well
as Central and South America.
In 2013, five multinational fruit companies alone controlled 44% of
the international banana trade: The market share of the above
players decreased from 70% in 2002 to about 44% in 2013.
Bananas Exports by Country by Daniel Workman http://www.worldstopexports.com/bananas-exports-country/
Below are the 15 countries that exported the highest dollar value worth of bananas during 2020.
1.Ecuador: US$4.2 billion (27.7% of total exported bananas)
2.Philippines: $1.6 billion (10.6%)
3.Costa Rica: $1.1 billion (7.1%)
4.Colombia: $990.3 million (6.5%)
5.Guatemala: $955.6 million (6.3%)
6.Belgium: $745.9 million (4.9%)
7.Netherlands: $708.3 million (4.7%)
8.United States: $448.6 million (2.9%)
9.Dominican Republic: $413.8 million (2.7%)
10.Panama: $407.2 million (2.7%)
11.Ivory Coast: $399.7 million (2.6%)
12.Myanmar: $367.4 million (2.4%)
13.Honduras: $285.7 million (1.9%)
14.Cameroon: $275.9 million (1.8%)
15.Mexico: $256.2 million (1.7%)
The listed 15 countries shipped 86.5% of
global banana exports in 2020 by value.
Among the top exporters, the fastest-growing
sellers of bananas on international markets
from 2019 to 2020 were: Ivory Coast (up 137%),
Dominican Republic (up 63.9%), Ecuador (up 27.5%) and Honduras (up 20.5%).
Those countries that posted declines in their exported bananas sales were led by: Philippines
(down -16.7%), Belgium (down -15.3%), Mexico (down -8.4%), Myanmar (down -7.3%) and
Cameroon (down -0.7%).
Top 15 Bananas Exporters by Country during 2022
1.Ecuador: US$3.5 billion (28.2% of total exported bananas)
2.Philippines: $1.1 billion (8.8%)
3.Guatemala: $1.07 billion (8.5%)
4.Costa Rica: $1.02 billion (8.1%)
5.Netherlands: $795.5 million (6.4%)
6.Belgium: $706.5 million (5.6%)
7.United States: $507.7 million (4.1%)
8.Honduras: $318.5 million (2.5%)
9.Vietnam: $294.0 million (2.4%)
10.Cameroon: $272.5 million (2.2%)
11.Mexico: $262.7 million (2.1%)
12.Germany: $251.9 million (2%)
13.Dominican Republic: $236 million (1.9%)
14.Cambodia: $182.4 million (1.5%)
15.France: $179.4 million (1.4%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 85.7% of bananas
exported worldwide in 2022.
Currently, about 110 countries produce sugar from either cane or
beet, and eight countries produce sugar from both cane and beet.
Sugarcane, on average, accounts for nearly 80% of global sugar
production. Last October/September season the top ten producing
countries (India, Brazil, Thailand, China, the US, Mexico, Russia,
Pakistan, France, Australia) accounted for nearly70% of global
output.
International Trade
World sugar trade averages about 64 mln tonnes/year. Raw sugar
accounts for around 60% of internationally trade volumes. Top
fiveexporters (Brazil, Thailand, EU, Australia, India) were
responsible on average for nearly 70% of the world trade in 2016-
18. Brazil, as the largest producing and exporting country in the
world, dominates world trade, accounting for about 45% of global
exports.
Indonesia, China and the United States were world’s largest
importing nations in 2018.
The World Sugar Market
https://apps.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/circulars/sugar.pdf
10 LARGEST PRODUCERS 10 LARGEST CONSUMERS (in mln metric tonnes, tel quel)
1India 29.66 1India 25.51
2Brazil 29.17 EU-28 18.11 3EU-28 6.65 3China 16.20
4Thailand 14.05 4Brazil 10.55 5China 10.57 5USA 10.24 6USA 7.22 6Indonesia 6.95
7Russian Fed. 7.20 7Russian Fed. 5.95
8Mexico 6.18 8Pakistan 5.35
9Pakistan 5.33 9Mexico 4.09
10Australia 4.25 10Egypt, Arab Rep. 3.19
10 LARGEST CANE SUGAR PRODUCERS 10 LARGEST BEET SUGAR PRODUCERS
(in mln metric tonnes, tel quel) 1India 29.66 1EU-28 16.42
2Brazil 29.17 2Russian Fed. 7.20
3Thailand 14.05 3USA 3.96
4China 9.31 4Turkey 2.49
5Mexico 6.18 5Egypt, Arab Rep. 1.53
6Pakistan 5.30 6Ukraine 1.47
7Australia 4.25 7China 1.27
8USA 3.26 8Iran 0.75
9Guatemala 2.96 9Japan 0.65
10Indonesia 2.23 10Belarus 0.64
10 LARGEST NET-EXPORTERS (in mln metric tonnes, tel quel) TOTAL RAW SUGAR WHITE SUGAR
1Brazil 17.89 1Brazil 15.98 1Thailand 4.60
2Thailand 10.41 2Thailand 5.81 2India 4.24
3India 4.02 3Australia 2.59 3Brazil 1.91
4Australia 2.71 4Mexico 1.82 4Guatemala 1.04
5Mexico 2.34 5South Africa 1.21 5EU-28 0.77
6Guatemala 2.06 6Guatemala 1.02 6Pakistan 0.61
7South Africa 0.89 7Cuba 0.57 7Morocco 0.52
8Eswatini 0.79 8El Salvador 0.49 8Mexico 0.52
9Cuba 0.62 9Nicaragua 0.37 9UAE 0.51
10Pakistan 0.62 10Eswatini 0.34 10Eswatini 0.45
10 LARGEST NET-IMPORTERS (in mln metric tonnes, tel quel) TOTAL RAW SUGAR WHITE SUGAR
1China 4.25 1Indonesia 3.97 1China 1.34
2Indonesia 4.12 2China 2.92 2Sudan 1.29
3USA 2.82 3USA 2.25 3Sri Lanka 0.63
4Bangladesh 2.17 4Algeria 2.19 4USA 0.57
5Algeria 1.89 5Korea, Rep. of 1.83 5Chile 0.48
6Malaysia 1.78 6EU-28 1.80 6Israel 0.45
7Korea, Rep. of 1.66 7Bangladesh 1.74 7Bangladesh 0.43
8Nigeria 1.36 8Malaysia 1.73 8Syrian Arab Rep. 0.42
9Iran 1.33 9Saudi Arabia 1.47 9Uzbekistan 0.39
10Sudan 1.29 10Nigeria 1.36 10Ethiopia 0.37
The World Sugar Economy in 2019 https://www.isosugar.org/sugarsector/sugar
Political and Economic Fragmentation: Is Small Beautiful?
■ Realm’s considerable number of small countries:
• Both in terms of territorial and population size.
• Challenges of insularity, remoteness and low
connectivity. ■ Small-island developing economies
• Disadvantages faced by small island-states:
• Limited natural resources and relying on imports.
• Lack of connectivity results in high transport costs.
• Greater expense for government services per capita.
• Local producers lack competitiveness with cheaper
imports; causing unemployment.
Political and Economic Fragmentation: The Push for Regional Integration
■ Poor connections among the realm • Many rely on large, outside countries for trade.
• Trade diversion with the United States, Europe and China.
• Efforts to advance economic integration to foster a functional region:
• CAFTA, Central American Free Trade Agreement.
• CARICOM (Caribbean Community) of 1989.
• Mercosur: dominant free-trade organization
in South America.
• Andean Community: customs union of Andean states.
• Union of South American Nations: envisioned as similar to the
EU; however, mired in disagreements.
• Free Trade Area of the Americas: hemisphere-wide, but opposed
by groups resisting Northern dominance. • Influence of a nationalistic and socialist past remains: Venezuela.
Mercosur, officially Southern Common
Market, is a South American trade bloc
established by the Treaty of Asunción in
1991 and Protocol of Ouro Preto in 1994. Its
full members are Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay
and Uruguay. Venezuela is a full member but
has been suspended since 1 December 2016.
Political and Economic Fragmentation: Connections Matter
■ Role of connectivity as direct
links between locations
■ Connections and the
correlation to economic
development • Higher GDP:
• Mexico’s connection with
the United States
• Panama’s global canal.
• Lower GDP:
• Central states of the
realm.
Geographical Features:
The Realm’s Northern
Land Boundary
■ Land border
• Close to 2,000 miles.
• Longest border between a
developed and developing
country.
■ Cross-border interaction
• Cross-cultural influence between
United States and Mexico
■ NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
(USMCA): "NAFTA 2.0"
• Change in economic and urban geographies of the border zone.
• Strong growth along border regions.
• Maquiladoras (a factory in Mexico run by a foreign company and exporting its
products to the country of that company), or assembly factories, are often located
as close to the border as possible.
A small fence separates densely-
populated Tijuana, Mexico, right, from
the United States in the Border Patrol's San
Diego Sector. Construction is underway to
extend a secondary fence over the top of
this hill and eventually to the Pacific Ocean.
Geographical Impacts of the Suez and Panama Canals
The Panama Canal
■ Context
• Joins the Atlantic and Pacific oceans at the Isthmus of Panama:
• From Cristobal on Limon Bay, an arm of the Caribbean Sea, to
Balboa, on the Gulf of Panama.
• Ranks as one of the greatest engineering works of all time.
• Old canal:
• Completed in 1914.
• Gatun Locks (Atlantic side).
• Gaillard Cut (Culebra cut, continental divide).
• Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks (Pacific side).
• New canal:
• Completed in 2016.
• Agua Clara Locks (Atlantic side).
• Cocoli Locks (Pacific side).
• Prevents a 21,000 km detour around South America.
Main Components of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal
■ Early history
• Interest in a short route from the Atlantic to the Pacific began with
explorers of Central America the early 16th century:
• In 1534, the Spanish surveyed the Panama region.
• Was judged impossible.
• The United States became interested in the canal building when
gold was discovered in California in 1848.
• French attempts:
• French Geographical Society of Paris signed a treaty with
Columbia (then the owner of the Province of Panama; 1878).
• From 1879 to 1899, the French Canal Company undertook
construction.
• The project failed due mainly to financial problems and the
technical difficulties of trying to build a sea level canal.
The Panama Canal ■ American intervention
• Panamanian revolt from Columbia (1903), supported by the United
States.
• Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty: • United States guaranteed the independence of Panama.
• Perpetual lease on a 16-km (10 miles) strip with complete sovereignty.
• Compensation of $10 million and an inflation-indexed annual compensation. In 1904, the United States purchased the French equipment and excavations,including
the Panama Railroad, for US$40 million, of which $30 million related to excavations completed, …
The United States also paid the new country of Panama $10 million and a $250,000 payment each
following year.
In 1921, Colombia and the United States entered into the Thomson–Urrutia Treaty, in which the
United States agreed to pay Colombia $25 million, … and grant Colombia special privileges in the
Canal Zone. In return, Colombia recognized Panama as an independentnation.
■ Canal construction • Constructed between 1904 and 1916.
• Under the authority of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
• 70,000 people worked on the project and about 5,600 died in the process.
• Sanitation of the entire canal area (mosquitoes; yellow fever and malaria).
The Panama Canal ■ Operations and traffic
• Panama Canal Zone administered by the United States until 1979.
• Under the jurisdiction of the Panama Canal Authority (1999):
• Collect tolls on all ships crossing the canal.
• 13,000 ships transit the canal every year, (35 ships per day).
The US continued to control the canal and surrounding Panama Canal
Zone until the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties provided for handover to Panama.
After a period of joint American–Panamanian control, in 1999, the canal
was taken over by the Panamanian government. It is now managed and
operated by the government-owned Panama Canal Authority.
■ Panama canal expansion
• Ships getting bigger and many were too big to fit into the canal.
• Existing canal was running out of capacity.
• Surge in transpacific trade.
• Decision made in 2006 to expand the canal.
• Opened in June 2016.
Comparative Characteristics of the Panama Canal Expansion
Panamax (1914-) New Panamax (2016)
Beam 32 m (106 feet) 49 m (160 feet)
Length 294 m (965 feet) 366 m (1,200 feet)
Draft 12 m (40 feet) 15.2 m (50 feet)
Container Vessel Capacity 4,500 TEU 12,500 TEU
Bulk Carrier Capacity 52,000 DWT 119,000 DWT
Locks Miter gates
Three lock systems:
Gatun Locks (3 stages; 85 feet)
Pedro Miguel Lock (1 stage; 31 feet)
Miraflores Locks (2 stages; 54 feet)
Rolling gates
Two lock systems:
Atlantic Locks (3 stages)
Pacific Locks (3 stages)
Cost $387 million $5.25 billion
Annual Capacity (# of ships) 13,500 – 14,000 16,000
Future Prospects for Middle and South America
■ The Need for Stability
• Political turmoil and economic stagnation.
• Increasing democracy, connections, and globalization.
■ Problems of Inequality and Violence
• Enormous inequality and disparity.
• Internal divisions and resurgence of Amerindian
identity.
• Harmful effects on civil society and social cohesion.
• Need for economic opportunities for the poor, inclusive
development, and better government.
São Paulo Forum (FSP), also known as
the Foro de São Paulo, is a conference
of leftist political parties and
other organizations from Latin America and
the Caribbean. It was launched by
the Workers' Party of Brazil in 1990 in the city
of São Paulo.
The first meeting held in São Paulo in July
1990 was attended by members of 48 parties
and organizations from Latin American and the
Caribbean. The original name given to the
meeting was Meeting of Left and Anti-
imperialist Parties and Organizations of
Latin America.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Paulo_Forum
The Pink tide or turn to the left was a political wave and
perception of a turn towards left-wing governments in Latin American democracies.
Some pink tide governments such as those of Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela have
been varyingly characterized by some of their critics as being "anti-
American", populist and authoritarian-leaning.
In many Latin American countries in the early 2000s, left-wing political parties have
risen to power. The presidencies of Hugo Chávez (1999-2013) in Venezuela, Ricardo
Lagos and Michelle Bachelet in Chile, Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff of
the Workers Party (PT) in Brazil, Néstor Kirchner and his wife Cristina Fernández in
Argentina, Tabaré Vázquez and José Mujica in Uruguay, Evo Morales in
Bolivia, Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, Rafael Correa in Ecuador, Fernando Lugo in
Paraguay, Manuel Zelaya in Honduras (removed from power by a coup
d'état), Mauricio Funes and Salvador Sánchez Cerén in El Salvador are all part of this
wave of left-wing politicians who often declare themselves socialists, Latin
Americanists, or anti-imperialists (often implying opposition to US policies towards
the region). A development of this has been the creation of the eight-member ALBA
alliance, or "The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America."
The pink tide was followed by the conservative wave, a political phenomenon that
emerged in the early 2010s as a direct reaction to the pink tide. Scattered resurgences
of the pink tide, however, were kicked off by Mexico in 2018 and Argentina in 2019,
and further established by Bolivia in 2020 and Peru in 2021.
As leftist governments took power in the region, rising commodity prices funded their
welfare policies, which lowered inequality and assisted indigenous rights. The
overspending of leftist governments in the 2000s resulted in the election of more
conservative governments in the 2010s by citizens in the region seeking a sustainable
economy. However, enduring legacies from the Pink Tide changed the location of
Latin America's center of the political spectrum, forcing right-wing candidates and
succeeding governments to adopt more socially-conscious administrations.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_tide
Map of Latin America showing countries with members of the São Paulo Forum ruling parties (red) and non-São Paulo Forum ruling parties (blue) in 2011 and 2021 left to right.
Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America: Founded initially by Cuba and Venezuela in 2004, it is associated with socialist and social democratic governments wishing to consolidate regional economic integration based on a vision of social welfare, bartering and mutual economic aid. The ten member countries are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Venezuela. Suriname was admitted to ALBA as a guest country at a February 2012 summit. The name "Bolivarian" refers to the ideology of Simón Bolívar, the 19th- century South American independence leader born in Caracas who wanted Hispanic America to unite as a single "Great Nation".
2011 2021
2023
According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Latin America is the most unequal region in the world.
‘Declines in the wage share have been attributed to the impact of labor-saving technological change and to a
general weakening of labor market regulations and institutions.’ ‘highly-unequal land distribution has created social
and political tensions and is a source of economic inefficiency, ... ’
Inequality in Latin America has deep historical roots in the Latin European racially based Casta
system instituted in Latin America in colonial times that have been difficult to eradicate since the differences
between initial endowments and opportunities among social groups have constrained the poorest's social mobility,
thus making poverty to be transmitted from generation to generation, becoming a vicious cycle. … Differences in
opportunities and endowments tend to be based on race, ethnicity, rurality and gender. … These differences
have a strong impact on the distribution of income, capital and political standing.
According to a study by the World Bank, the richest decile (10%) of the population of Latin America earn 48% of
the total income, while the poorest 10% of the population earn only 1.6% of the income. In contrast, in developed
countries, the top decile receives 29% of the total income, while the bottom decile earns 2.5%. The countries with
the highest inequality in the region (as measured with the Gini index in the UN Development Report) in 2007
were Haiti (59.5), Colombia (58.5), Bolivia (58.2), Honduras (55.3), Brazil (55.0), and Panama (54.9), while the
countries with the lowest inequality in the region were Venezuela (43.4), Uruguay (46.4) and Costa Rica (47.2).
Inequality
Trends on income inequality
1998–2010 in 7 Latin
American countries
(Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Mexico, Peru,
Venezuela). Source of the
data: World Bank.
Future Prospects
■ The Shadow of the United States • Anti-Americanism based on past
U.S. behavior.
countries in terms of unequal
relations with other, rich countries.
■ China Calling • Need for raw materials and
markets for Chinese exports.
• Strictly economic objectives
without historical baggage.
BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national
economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. … The BRICS members are known for their
significant influence on regional affairs; all are members of G20. Since 2009, the BRICS nations have met
annually at formal summits. …
As of 2018, these five states had a combined nominal GDP of US$19.6 trillion, about 23.2% of the gross
world product, a combined GDP (PPP) of around US$40.55 trillion (32% of the world's GDP PPP), and an
estimated US$4.46 trillion in combined foreign reserves. Argentina, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico and Turkey have expressed strong interest in full membership of the BRICS, while Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Sudan, Syria and most recently Pakistan and Greece have also expressed interest in joining BRICS. Bangladesh has been formally invited to join the organization in 2020. In February 2021, Bangladesh announced it has formally began the process to join the organization. According to finance minister Mustafa Kamal, Bangladesh has formally proposed to acquire one percent of the Bank for $382 million with an option to increase its stake in the future, against .76 percent offered by BRICS New Development Bank.
China-Brazil space cooperation for 30 years: joint development of six Earthresource satellites, providing more than 500,000 remote sensing satellite data 2018- 11-22 18:25:31 urce: Xinhuanet
• Dependency theory: poverty of some
Country (or territory)
IMF[1][5] World Bank[6] CIA[7][8][9]
Forecast Year Estimate Year Estimate Year
1 China 36,100,000[n 1]2023 30,327,320[n 2]2022 23,009,780[n 1]2020
3 India 11,400,620 2023 11,874,583 2022 8,443,360 2020
6 Russia 5,256,000 2023 5,326,855 2022 3,875,690 2020
8 Brazil 4,270,128 2023 3,837,261 2022 2,989,430 2020
33 South Africa 997,444 2023 952,603 2022 680,040 2020
$58,024,192 (millions of current international dollar)
Latin American and the Caribbean: share of each main partner in total trade percentages (2000-2020) Source:
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean(ECLAC), on the basis of United Nations
Commodity Trade Data Base (COMTRADE) and national sources for 16 countries
The top five countries to which Latin America & Caribbean exported 2021 along with the partner share in percentage are: Latin America & Caribbean exports to United States worth US$ 495,935 million, with a partner share of 41.95 percent. Latin America & Caribbean exports to China worth US$ 171,082 million, with a partner share of 14.47 percent. Latin America & Caribbean exports to Brazil worth US$ 30,300 million, with a partner share of 2.56 percent. Latin America & Caribbean exports to Unspecified worth US$ 24,796 million, with a partner share of 2.10 percent. Latin America & Caribbean exports to Canada worth US$ 24,625 million, with a partner share of 2.08 percent.
The top five countries to which Latin America & Caribbean imported goods 2021 along with the share in percentage are Latin America & Caribbean imports from United States worth US$ 367,667 million, with a partner share of 30.38 percent. Latin America & Caribbean imports from China worth US$ 259,142 million, with a partner share of 21.41 percent. Latin America & Caribbean imports from Brazil worth US$ 47,542 million, with a partner share of 3.93 percent. Latin America & Caribbean imports from Germany worth US$ 41,435 million, with a partner share of 3.42 percent. Latin America & Caribbean imports from Korea, Rep. worth US$ 32,060 million, with a partner share of 2.65 percent.
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountrySnapshot/en/LCN/textview
The EU was Latin America and the Caribbean’s third largest trade partner with more than $235 billion in bilateral trade in 2016. By comparison, in 2015 Latin America did $241 billion in trade with China and $689 billion with the United States. https://www.as-coa.org/articles/explainer-trade-between-latin-america-and-european-union
GDP (Nominal) in US$ Per Capita by Country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita
A total of 192 countries and regions were ranked.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-05-05/covid-s-shockwaves-took-poverty-in-latin-america-to-a-new-nadir
In all, about one-third of Latin America's roughly 600 million residents live in poverty or what the United Nations defines as extreme poverty: subsisting on less than $1.90 a day. May 5, 2021
https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/nation/2019/09/23/immigration-issues-migrants-mexico-central-america-caravans-smuggling/2026215001/
World Ranking Country/Territory UN Region IMF[5][6] World Bank[7] CIA[8][9][10]
Estimate Year Estimate Year Estimate Year Bermuda * Americas — 95,837 2022 80,300 2021
9 United States * Americas 80,412 2023 76,399 2022 63,700 2021 Cayman Islands * Americas — 74,155 2021 67,500 2021 Falkland Islands * Americas — — 70,800 2015
23 Guyana * Americas 61,099 2023 40,642 2022 21,900 2021 26 Canada * Americas 59,813 2023 58,400 2022 47,900 2021
Aruba * Americas 51,352 2023 42,698 2021 38,900 2021 Saint Pierre and
Miquelon * Americas — — 46,200 2006
43 Bahamas * Americas 44,950 2023 40,379 2022 30,200 2021 Puerto Rico * Americas 41,682 2023 40,498 2022 32,600 2021 Greenland * Americas — — 41,800 2015 U.S. Virgin Islands * Americas — — 37,000 2016 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) * Americas — 41,812 2022 35,300 2018 British Virgin Islands * Americas — — 34,200 2017 Montserrat * Americas — — 34,000 2011
46 Panama * Americas 42,738 2023 39,280 2022 29,000 2021 59 Trinidad and Tobago * Americas 30,719 2023 27,778 2022 23,000 2021 60 Chile * Americas 29,935 2023 30,209 2022 25,400 2021 61 Saint Kitts and Nevis * Americas 29,893 2023 34,052 2022 26,500 2021 63 Uruguay * Americas 28,984 2023 28,842 2022 22,800 2021 65 Costa Rica * Americas 26,809 2023 24,923 2022 21,200 2021 66 Argentina * Americas 26,506 2023 26,505 2022 21,500 2021 68 Dominican Republic * Americas 25,523 2023 22,834 2022 18,600 2021 69 Antigua and Barbuda * Americas 25,449 2023 25,337 2022 19,100 2021 70 Mexico * Americas 24,976 2023 21,512 2022 19,100 2021
Curaçao * Americas — 22,832 2021 20,800 2021 Turks and Caicos Islands * Americas — 22,915 2022 18,500 2021
77 Grenada * Americas 20,195 2023 16,987 2022 13,700 2021 78 Brazil * Americas 20,079 2023 17,822 2022 14,100 2020 84 Colombia * Americas 19,482 2023 20,287 2022 14,600 2021
Saint Martin (French part) * Americas — — 19,300 2005 87 Saint Lucia * Americas 18,973 2023 17,756 2022 13,000 2021 88 Barbados * Americas 18,738 2023 17,837 2022 13,800 2021 91 Suriname * Americas 18,311 2023 17,620 2022 14,800 2021
92 Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines * Americas 17,840 2023 17,207 2022 13,700 2021
97 Peru * Americas 15,894 2023 15,048 2022 12,500 2021 100 Paraguay * Americas 15,533 2023 15,977 2022 13,700 2021 103 Dominica * Americas 14,348 2023 13,573 2022 10,900 2021 109 Ecuador * Americas 13,285 2023 12,822 2022 10,700 2021 111 Jamaica * Americas 12,995 2023 11,822 2022 9,600 2021
Cuba * Americas — — 12,300 2016 Anguilla * Americas — — 12,200 2008
116 El Salvador * Americas 11,717 2023 11,096 2022 9,100 2021 120 Belize * Americas 11,166 2023 11,451 2022 8,800 2021 121 Guatemala * Americas 10,595 2023 10,818 2022 8,900 2021 123 Bolivia * Americas 10,340 2023 9,684 2022 8,100 2021 129 Venezuela * Americas 7,985 2023 17,402 2011 7,704 2018 130 Nicaragua * Americas 7,642 2023 6,875 2022 5,600 2021 132 Honduras * Americas 7,163 2023 6,741 2022 5,600 2021 166 Haiti * Americas 3,186 2023 3,305 2022 2,900 2021
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. The think tank Global Financial Integrity's Transnational Crime and the Developing World report estimates the size of the global illicit drug market between US$426 and US$652 billion in 2014 alone. With a world GDP of US$78 trillion in the same year, the illegal drug trade may be estimated as nearly 1% of total global trade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_drug_tradeIllegal Drug Trade
International drug routes (~year 2000)
Economic Geography: The Geography of Cocaine
■ A global drug • All cocaine in the United States comes from South America (mainly
Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia).
• Cocaine employs thousands of workers and brings in billions of
dollars.
■ Three Stages of Production • 1. Extraction of coca paste from the plant.
• 2. Refining the coca paste into cocaine hydrochloride. • 3. Distribution to the marketplace.
■ Distribution • Miami used to be central to the distribution.
• Recently, distribution has shifted and is now rerouted through
Mexico, aided by NAFTA.
• Contributed to the rapid organized crime spree in Mexico.
Geographical Features: A
Troubled Border Zone ■ Main challenges:
• Illegal immigrants pulled by
economic opportunities.
• Drug smuggling and NAFTA.
■ Ciudad Juarez and El Paso
• Both form a single urban area
divided by the border.
• Drug smuggling by the
impoverished or corrupt.
• Drug violence: • Losing population.
NAFTA phased out tariffs across North America, making it easier for freight trucks to cross the border. Between 1994 and 2001, the number of trucks crossing into the U.S. from Mexico nearly doubled to roughly 4.3 million per year. U.S. border officials only inspected about 10 percent of these trucks, leaving a big opening for drug traffickers. A decade after NAFTA, 90 percent of Colombian cocaine was smuggled through the southwest border. Mexico, which had always been the Walmart of marijuana and heroin, quickly became, as the Wall Street Journal put it, the FedEx of the cocaine business.
In 1994, the New England Journal of
Medicine reported that the "War on Drugs"
resulted in the incarceration of one million
Americans each year. In 2008, the Washington
Post reported that of 1.5 million Americans
arrested each year for drug offenses, half a
million would be incarcerated. In addition, one
in five black Americans would spend time behind
bars due to drug laws.
Commonly used illegal drugs
include heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine,
and, marijuana.
In September 2013, the incarceration rate of the United States of America was the highest in the
world at 716 per 100,000 of the national population. While the United States represents about
4.21% (Oct 23, 2021) of the world's population, it houses around 22% of the world's
prisoners. Corrections (which includes prisons, jails, probation, and parole) cost around $74
billion in 2007 according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.
At the end of 2016, the Prison Policy Initiative estimated that in the United States, about
2,298,300 people were incarcerated out of a population of 324.2 million. This means that 0.7% of
the population was behind bars. Of those who were incarcerated, about 1,316,000 people were in
state prison, 615,000 in local jails, 225,000 in federal prisons, 48,000 in youth correctional facilities,
34,000 in immigration detention camps, 22,000 in involuntary commitment, 11,000 in territorial
prisons, 2,500 in Indian Country jails, and 1,300 in United States military prisons.
https://www.prisonstudies.org/country/united-states-america
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/16/americas-incarceration-rate-lowest-since-1995/ft_21-08-12_incarceration_2/
At the end of 2019, there were just under 2.1 million people behind bars in the U.S., including 1.43 million under the jurisdiction of federal and state prisons and roughly 735,000 in the custody of locally run jails. That amounts to a nationwide incarceration rate of 810 prison or jail inmates for every 100,000 adult residents ages 18 and older.
The nation’s incarceration rate peaked at 1,000 inmates per 100,000 adults during the three-year period between 2006 and 2008. It has declined steadily since then and, at the end of 2019, was at the same level as in 1995 (810 inmates per 100,000 adults).
America’s incarceration rate falls
to lowest level since 1995 BY JOHN GRAMLICH AUGUST 16, 2021 HTTPS://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/FACT-TANK/2021/08/16/AMERICAS-INCARCERATION-RATE-LOWEST-SINCE-1995/
https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates
Nearly 841,000 people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose. In 2019, 70,630 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States.
In 2018, Rasmussen Report poll found that less than 10 percent of
Americans think that the War on Drugs is being won and that 75 percent
found that Americans believe that America is not winning the War on
Drugs.
According to a 2008 study published by Harvard economist Jeffrey A.
Miron, the annual savings on enforcement and incarceration costs from
the legalization of drugs would amount to roughly $41.3 billion, with $25.7
billion being saved among the states and over $15.6 billion accrued for the
federal government. Miron further estimated at least $46.7 billion in tax
revenue based on rates comparable to those on tobacco and alcohol ($8.7
billion from marijuana, $32.6 billion from cocaine and heroin, remainder
from other drugs).
The declaration from the World Forum Against Drugs, 2008 state that a
balanced policy of drug abuse prevention, education, treatment, law
enforcement, research, and supply reduction provides the most effective
platform to reduce drug abuse and its associated harms and call on
governments to consider demand reduction as one of their first priorities
in the fight against drug abuse.
Fiscal Year
South or
East Asia Mexico
Europe and
Canada Caribbean
Central
America
South
America
Middle
East
Sub-Saharan
Africa
1960 338,328 575,902 8,208,811 193,922 48,949 89,536 141,013 13,696
1970 573,102 759,711 6,553,312 675,108 113,913 255,238 194,719 47,747
1980 2,258,351 2,199,221 5,992,431 1,258,363 353,892 561,011 324,850 129,946
1990 4,578,724 4,298,014 5,095,233 1,938,348 1,133,978 1,037,497 466,626 264,775
2000 7,528,999 9,177,487 5,736,328 2,953,066 2,026,150 1,930,271 771,999 690,809
2010 10,336,238 11,711,103 5,616,086 3,730,644 3,052,509 2,729,831 1,041,970 1,326,634
2015 12,112,272 11,643,298 5,620,290 4,165,453 3,384,629 2,918,029 1,274,241 1,716,425
Main Source Countries/Regions of Immigrant Population As of 2015, South or East Asia was the single largest source region (26.9 percent) followed by Mexico (26.8 percent). Other regions accounting for significant shares were Europe and Canada (13.5 percent), the Caribbean (9.6 percent), Central America (7.9 percent), South America (6.7 percent), the Middle East (4 percent) and sub-Saharan Africa (3.9 percent). Source: Migration Policy Institute
Top ten countries 1990 2000 2010 2019
Mexico 4,298,014 9,177,487 11,711,103 10,931,939
India 450,406 1,022,552 1,780,322 2,688,075
China[a] 921,070 1,518,652 2,166,526 2,481,699
Philippines 912,674 1,369,070 1,777,588 2,045,248
El Salvador 465,433 817,336 1,214,049 1,412,101
Vietnam 543,262 988,174 1,240,542 1,383,779
Cuba 736,971 872,716 1,104,679 1,359,990
Dominican Republic 347,858 687,677 879,187 1,169,420
Guatemala 225,739 480,665 830,824 1,111,495
South Korea 568,397 864,125 1,100,422 1,038,885
All of Latin America 8,407,837 16,086,974 21,224,087
All Immigrants 19,767,316 31,107,889 39,955,854 44,932,799
Country of birth for the foreign-born population in the United States Source: 1990, 2000 and 2010 decennial Censuses and 2019 American Community Survey [a] Including Hong Kong, excluding Taiwan (Republic of China).
Country 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Mexico 158,619 174,534 170,581 161,858 156,052
Number of immigrants between 1986 and 2016, by country of birth
Country of birth Immigrants (1986–2016)
Mexico 6,154,006 El Salvador 757,247 Guatemala 398,373 Honduras 217,955 Nicaragua 204,447 Panama 62,039 Costa Rica 55,983 Belize 34,196
Top 15 sending countries, 2015–2019
Country 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Mexico 158,619 174,534 170,581 161,858 156,052
China 74,558 81,772 71,565 65,214 62,248
India 64,116 64,687 60,394 59,821 54,495
Dominican Republic 50,610 61,161 58,520 57,413 49,911
Philippines 56,478 53,287 49,147 47,258 45,920
Cuba 54,396 66,516 65,028 76,486 41,641
Vietnam 30,832 41,451 38,231 33,834 39,712
El Salvador 19,487 23,449 25,109 28,326 27,656
Jamaica 17,642 23,350 21,905 20,347 21,689
Colombia 17,316 18,610 17,956 17,545 19,841
Brazil 11,424 13,812 14,989 15,394 19,825
South Korea 17,138 21,801 19,194 17,676 18,479
Haiti 16,967 23,584 21,824 21,360 17,253
Honduras 9,274 13,302 11,387 13,794 15,901
Nigeria 11,542 14,380 13,539 13,952 15,888
Total 1,051,031 1,183,505 1,127,167 1,096,611 1,031,765
Rank Country Population % of world Date 10 Mexico 126,014,024 1.59% 2-Mar-20 69 Guatemala 17,109,746 0.22% 1-Jul-21 94 Honduras 9,450,711 0.12% 1-Jul-21
107 El Salvador 6,825,935 0.09% 1-Jul-21 110 Nicaragua 6,595,674 0.08% 30-Jun-20 120 Costa Rica 5,163,038 0.07% 30-Jun-21 126 Panama 4,278,500 0.05% 1-Jul-20 169 Belize 430,191 0.01% 1-Jul-21
Country of birth Population (2019) 2018–2019 change Total foreign-born 44,932,799 +204,297 Mexico 10,931,939 −239,954 El Salvador 1,412,101 −7,229 Cuba 1,359,990 +16,030 Dominican Republic 1,169,420 −8,444 Guatemala 1,111,495 +104,508 Colombia 808,148 +18,587 Jamaica 772,215 +38,786 Honduras 745,838 +99,585 Haiti 701,688 +14,502 Brazil 502,104 +29,467 Venezuela 465,235 +71,394 Peru 446,063 −21,109 Ecuador 431,150 −11,955 Nicaragua 257,343 −4,734 Guyana 253,847 −26,450 Trinidad and Tobago 212,798 −9,770 Argentina 210,767 +16,346 Panama 101,076 −2,674 Chile 93,950 −9,080 Costa Rica 93,620 +6,237 Bolivia 79,804 +447 Barbados 52,279 −1,097 Uruguay 48,900 +2,638 Belize 44,364 −2,923 Bahamas 40,067 +10,851 Dominica 36,372 −721 Grenada 29,722 −11,288
Foreign-born population in the United States in 2019 by country of birth
Sources: Data from U.S. Census Bureau 2010 and 2019 American Community Surveys (ACS), and Campbell J. Gibson and Kay Jung, "Historical Census Statistics on the Foreign-Born Population of the United States: 1850-2000" (Working Paper no. 81, U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, February 2006), available online. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/central-american-immigrants-united-states
Immigration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras has contributed the
most to the growth of Central American immigrant population since 1980.
Roughly 86 percent of Central Americans in the United States in 2019 were
born in these three countries (see Table 1). Table 1. Country of Origin for Central American Immigrants in the United States,
19
Source: MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau 2019 ACS. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/02/11/mexico-and-immigration-to-us/
Note: Pooled 2015-19 ACS
data were used to get
statistically valid estimates at
the metropolitan statistical-
area level for smaller- population geographies.
Source: MPI tabulation of
data from U.S. Census
Bureau pooled 2015-19 ACS.
Table 2. Top Concentrations of Central American Immigrants by U.S. Metropolitan Area, 2015-19
Source: MPI tabulation of data from the U.S. Census Bureau pooled 2015-19 ACS.
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/central-american-immigrants-united-states
U.S. authorities detained more than 1.7 million migrants along the Mexico border during the 2021 fiscal year that ended in September, and arrests by the Border Patrol soared to the highest levels ever recorded, according to unpublished U.S. Customs and Border Protection data obtained by The Washington Post. Illegal crossings began rising last year but skyrocketed in the months after President Biden took office. As CBP arrests increased this past spring, Biden described the rise as consistent with historical seasonal norms. But the busiest months came during the sweltering heat of July and August, when more than 200,000 migrants were taken into custody.
Border arrests have soared to all-time high, new CBP data shows https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/border-arrests-record-levels-2021/2021/10/19/289dce64-3115-11ec-a880-a9d8c009a0b1_story.html
Migrant encounters at U.S.-Mexico
border are at a 21-year high BY JOHN GRAMLICH AUGUST 13, 2021 The U.S. Border Patrol reported nearly 200,000 encounters with migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border in July, the highest monthly total in more than two decades. The number of monthly encounters had fallen to 16,182 in April 2020, shortly after the coronavirus outbreak forced the closure of the southwestern border and slowed migration across much of the world. But migrant encounters have climbed sharply since then, reaching 199,777 in July, according to the latest data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the federal agency that encompasses the Border Patrol. The July figure is the highest monthly total since March 2000 and far surpasses the peak during the last major wave of migration at the U.S.-Mexico border, which occurred in May 2019.
HTTPS://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/FACT-TANK/2021/08/13/MIGRANT-ENCOUNTERS-AT-U-S-MEXICO-BORDER-ARE-AT-A-21-YEAR-HIGH/
Arrests along U.S.-Mexico border top 2 million a year for the first time Federal authorities are on pace to make more than 2.3 million arrests during the 2022 fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. That will far exceed last year’s record of more than 1.7 million arrests. https://www.texastribune.org/2022/09/19/u-s-mexico-border-arrests-record-2022/ BY NICK MIROFF, THE WASHINGTON POST SEPT. 19, 20229 PM CENTRAL
Source: U.S. Border Patrol Nationwide Apprehensions by Citizenship and Sector in FY2007-FY2018. U.S. Customs and Border Control, Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/BP%20Apps%20by%20Sector%20and%20Citizenship%20FY07-FY18.pdf.
With an estimated 709,000 people leaving the region in FY2019 followed by an estimated 139,000 people leaving the region in FY2020.
https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/IF11151.pdf
Source: U.S. Border Patrol Southwest Border Apprehensions by Sector FY2018. U.S. Customs and Border Control, Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/usbp-sw-border-apprehensions; Southwest Border Unaccompanied Alien Children Statistics FY 2016. U.S. Customs and Border Control, Retrieved July 22, 2019, from
https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/southwest-border-unaccompanied-alien-children-statistics-fy-2016
Source: U.S. Border Patrol Nationwide Apprehensions by Citizenship and Sector in FY2007-FY2018. U.S. Customs and Border Control, Retrieved July 22, 2019, from
https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/BP%20Apps%20by%20Sector%20and%20Citizenship%20FY07-FY18.pdf
Total Gross State Product (GSP)
(millions of current dollars) 2019
List of countries by GDP (UN Data for 2020) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Title: Total Gross State Product (GSP) (millions of current dollars) | KFF Timeframe: 2019
Location Total Gross State Product
United States $21,433,226 California $3,132,801 Texas $1,843,803 New York $1,772,261 Florida $1,106,500 Illinois $885,583 Pennsylvania $808,738 Ohio $695,362 New Jersey $634,784 Georgia $625,714 Washington $612,997 Massachusetts $596,593 North Carolina $591,601 Virginia $556,905 Michigan $536,888 Maryland $426,747 Colorado $392,986 Minnesota $383,777 Indiana $379,684 Tennessee $376,582 Arizona $370,119 Wisconsin $349,417 Missouri $328,401
Connecticut $287,822 Louisiana $256,919 Oregon $253,623 South Carolina $247,544 Alabama $228,143 Kentucky $215,399 Oklahoma $202,036 Iowa $194,658 Utah $192,519 Nevada $178,199 Kansas $176,493 District of Columbia $143,389 Arkansas $130,954 Nebraska $130,012 Mississippi $115,971 New Mexico $105,143 Hawaii $95,744 New Hampshire $87,634 Idaho $83,666 West Virginia $78,864 Delaware $77,082 Maine $67,717 Rhode Island $61,884 North Dakota $57,181 South Dakota $54,941 Alaska $54,386 Montana $52,935 Wyoming $40,420 Vermont $34,013
Notes: Data are displayed in millions of current dollars for each year indicated. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), [Annual Gross Domestic Product in current dollars by State] updated October 2, 2020. https://apps.bea.gov/itable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=70&step=1
Rank Country IMF Estimate Year UN Estimate Year World Bank
Estimate Year 1 United States 22,675,271 2021 21,433,226 2020 20,936,600 2020 9 Canada 1,883,487 2021 1,741,496 2020 1,643,408 2020
13 Brazil 1,491,772 2021 1,847,795 2020 1,444,733 2020 15 Mexico 1,192,480 2021 1,256,440 2020 1,076,163 2020 32 Argentina 418,150 2021 449,663 2020 383,067 2020 43 Chile 307,938 2021 282,318 2020 252,940 2020 45 Colombia 295,610 2021 323,802 2020 271,347 2020 51 Peru 225,918 2021 226,850 2020 202,014 2020 62 Cuba N/A N/A 105,355 2019 103,131 2019 63 Puerto Rico 100,684 2021 104,988 2020 103,138 2020 64 Ecuador 100,595 2021 107,435 2020 98,808 2020 68 Dominican Republic 83,917 2021 88,941 2020 78,845 2020 69 Guatemala 81,402 2021 76,710 2020 77,605 2020 76 Panama 59,377 2021 66,787 2020 52,938 2020 79 Costa Rica 61,178 2021 61,773 2020 61,521 2020 85 Uruguay 55,459 2021 56,045 2020 53,629 2020 88 Venezuela 42,530 2021 134,960 2020 482,359 2014 94 Bolivia 43,110 2021 40,895 2020 36,689 2020 99 Paraguay 37,836 2021 38,086 2020 35,304 2020
107 El Salvador 26,277 2021 27,022 2020 24,639 2020 108 Honduras 26,161 2021 25,095 2020 23,828 2020 114 Trinidad and Tobago 22,161 2021 23,208 2020 21,530 2020 128 Jamaica 14,600 2021 15,830 2020 13,812 2020 131 Haiti 22,431 2021 8,051 2020 13,418 2020 141 Bahamas 11,706 2021 13,578 2020 11,250 2020 142 Nicaragua 12,283 2021 12,520 2020 12,621 2020 155 Bermuda N/A N/A 7,361 2020 7,484 2019 160 Guyana 7,255 2021 5,173 2020 5,471 2020 161 Cayman Islands N/A N/A 6,020 2020 5,936 2019 165 Barbados 4,628 2021 5,209 2020 4,366 2020 171 Suriname 2,465 2021 3,697 2020 3,808 2020 173 Curaçao N/A N/A 3,101 2020 3,102 2019 175 Greenland N/A N/A 3,023 2020 3,052 2018 177 Aruba 2,582 2021 3,293 2020 3,202 2018 182 Saint Lucia 1,787 2021 2,122 2020 1,703 2020 186 Belize 1,700 2021 1,906 2020 1,764 2020 189 Antigua and Barbuda 1,376 2021 1,661 2020 1,415 2020 193 British Virgin Islands N/A N/A 1,296 2020 N/A N/A
195 Turks and Caicos
Islands N/A N/A 1,197 2020 925 2020 196 Grenada 1,041 2021 1,211 2020 1,089 2020 197 Sint Maarten N/A N/A 1,009 2020 1,185 2018 198 Saint Kitts and Nevis 831 2021 1,050 2020 927 2020
200 Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines 798 2021 825 2020 810 2020 202 Dominica 523 2021 582 2020 470 2020 207 Anguilla N/A N/A 379 2020 N/A N/A 212 Montserrat N/A N/A 67 2020 N/A N/A
KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION
Antigua and Barbuda
Dominica
Bolivia
Ecuador
Colombia
Trinidad and Tobago
Honduras
Dominican Republic
Panama
Nicaragua
Haiti
Peru
Paraguay
Guatemala
Chile
52.31% 11,513,100
50.05% 17,373,662
48.17% 50,339,443
44.67% 1,394,973
44.08% 9,746,117
37.87% 10,738,958
36.97% 4,246,439
34.58% 6,545,502
34.27% 11,263,077
28.01% 32,510,453
26.06% 7,044,636
24.64% 17,581,472
24.62% 18,952,038
Name National Debt to GDP Ratio Population Debt to GDP Ratio by Country 2019 Venezuela 172.08% 28,515,829 Data Sources:
Barbados 127.31% 287,025 1.International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook Database
Belize 95.53% 390,353 2.United Nations: National Accounts Main Aggregates Database
Jamaica 93.99% 2,948,279 http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/countries-by-national-debt/ Brazil 90.24% 211,049,527
90.23% 97,118
87.25% 71,808 Per the International Monetary Fund (2019 estimates)
Per the World Bank (2017) Per the United Nations (2017)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 81.23% 110,589 Rank Country GDP (US$million) Saint Lucia
Suriname
74.91%
67.73%
182,790
581,372 15 Mexico 1,241,450 Puerto Rico 66.02% 2,933,408 66 Guatemala 82,335 Uruguay 65.17% 3,461,734
69 Panama 70,155 El Salvador 58.83% 6,453,553
77 Costa Rica 60,459Saint Kitts and Nevis 57.55% 52,823
Bahamas
Grenada
56.95%
56.72%
389,482
112,003 102 El Salvador 26,989
105 Honduras 24,651 Guyana 56.12% 782,766
133 Nicaragua 12,612Costa Rica 55.92% 5,047,561
Mexico 53.43% 127,575,529 166 Belize 1,971 Argentina 52.75% 44,780,677
Rank Country
15 Mexico 1,149,919
67 Guatemala 75,620
72 Panama 61,838
73 CostaRica 57,057
100 El Salvador 24,805
103 Honduras 22,979
118 Nicaragua 13,814
162 Belize 1,838
GDP (US$million) Rank Country GDP (US$million)
15 Mexico 1,158,229
67 Guatemala 75,619
73 Panama
77 CostaRica
61,838
57,564
103 El Salvador 24,805
105 Honduras 22,978
125 Nicaragua 13,814
167 Belize 1,902
Unemployment Rates - Central America & the Caribbean
Country Unemployment rate (%) Year
Haiti 41 2010
Grenada 24 2017
Dominica 23 2000
Saint Lucia 20 2003
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 19 2008
Antigua and Barbuda 11 2014
Puerto Rico 11 2017
Barbados 10 2017
Bahamas, The 10 2017
Belize 9 2017
Costa Rica 8 2017
Jamaica 8 2019
El Salvador 7 2017
Nicaragua 6 2017
Panama 6 2018
Honduras 6 2017
Dominican Republic 5 2017
Trinidad and Tobago 5 2017
Saint Kitts and Nevis 5 1997
Cayman Islands 4 2008
Cuba 3 2017
Guatemala 2 2017
Source: CIA World Factbook - Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of January 1, 2020
https://www.indexmundi.com/map/?v=74&r=ca&l=en
Crime and violence affect the lives of millions of people in Latin America. Some consider social inequality to be a major contributing factor to levels of violence in Latin America. In the years following the transitions from authoritarianism to democracy, crime and violence have become major problems in Latin America. The region experienced more than 2.5 million murders between 2000 and 2017. Latin America contains the majority of the world's most dangerous cities. Several studies indicated the existence of an epidemic in the region; the Pan American Health Organization called violence in Latin America "the social pandemic of the 20th century." Apart from the direct human cost, the rise in crime and violence has imposed significant social costs and has made much more difficult the processes of economic and social development, democratic consolidation and regional integration in the Americas.
Contributing factors A series of factors have contributed to the increase in violent crime in Latin America since the transitions from authoritarianism to democracy. Some intrinsic factors and characteristics of each country aggravated the problem in some countries. However, some factors might have increased the risk of crime and violence in many or most countries in the region in the period between the 1980s and 1990s:
High levels of social inequality Civil wars and armed conflicts Low rates of economic growth High unemployment rates Rapid growth of large cities and metropolitan areas Absence/weakness of basic urban infrastructure, basic social services and community organizations in the poorest neighborhoods, in the periphery of large cities and metropolitan areas Growing availability of arms and drugs Growing presence and strengthening of organized crime Culture of violence, reinforced by organized crime as well as the media, the police and the private security services Low level of effectiveness of the police and other institutions in the criminal justice system Poor public education system
Crime and violence in Latin America https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_violence_in_Latin_America
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_and_violence_in_Latin_America
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, at least 71,500 Salvadorans and 247,000 Hondurans had been displaced internally by violence as of 2018; similar data for Guatemala are unavailable because the government does not recognize internal displacement associated with violence. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/IF11151.pdf
https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/central-americas-turbulent-northern-triangle
The bureau's Uniform Crime Report, published Monday, said more than 21,500 homicides were recorded in 2020. Still, the homicide rate, at 6.5 per 100,000 people, is about 40% lower than when it peaked in the early 1990s. https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2021-09-27/fbi-homicides-increased-by-nearly-30-in-2020
FBI: Homicides Increased
by Nearly 30% in 2020
By Kaia Hubbard
Sept. 27, 2021, at 5:37 p.m.
Homicide Rates in Northern Triangle
Countries (2018) vs. United States (2017) Country Homicide Rate
(per 100,000 people)
El Salvador
Honduras
Guatemala
United States
51.0
40.0
22.4
5.3
Moreover, large numbers of people in the Northern Triangle countries live in poverty (defined by the World Bank as living at $1.90 or less per person per day), which makes them more likely to be victimized by gangs that use their socioeconomic vulnerability to manipulate them and target them for membership recruitment and extortion. More than 66 percent of Hondurans lived in poverty in 2016. Moreover, Guatemala has faced some of the worst poverty levels (around 60 percent) in Latin America. El Salvador’s poverty rate hit 31 percent in 2016.
The World Risk Index, a measure of disaster risk applied to 172 countries worldwide, revealed that Guatemala and El Salvador are among the 15 countries particularly prone to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and droughts.
Gang activity: A study conducted by Doctors Without Borders revealed that among nearly 500 Northern Triangle migrants surveyed, almost 40 percent mentioned direct attacks or threats to themselves or their families, extortion or gang- forced recruitment as the main reason for fleeing their countries, and 43.5 percent reported they had a relative who died due to violence in the previous two years. Additionally, a recent Congressional Research Services (CRS) study showed that Salvadoran and Honduran victims of crimes are 10 to 15 percent more likely to migrate than those who have not had such an experience.
In 2015, a massive drought plagued the Northern Triangle, leading to financial disaster for farmers and resulting in a food shortage whose impact was most devastating on impoverished communities.
