Latin America Today

Agriculture Cash Crops and Livestock 1.Coffee 2.Bananas 3.Sugarcane 4.Cattle Campesino – people who live and work in rural areas Latifundia – large estates owned by families or corporations Minifundia – small farms that produce food chiefly for family use and the local market

Industry Latin American countries have not been able to industrialize more rapidly for a variety of reasons 1.Lack of money 2.Lack of foreign investment 3.Lack of a stable government 4.Lack of skilled workers

Transportation and Communications Few nations in Latin America have networks of modern highways, this is due to: 1. Rugged terrain 2. Dense vegetation 3. Mountains In Brazil only 10% of the roads are paved

Continued Travels The major road system of Latin America is the Pan-American Highway The network stretches from Northern Mexico to Southern Chile, linking the capitals of 17 Latin American nations How do Latin American countries compensate for the lack of roads? - Excellent railway systems

Don’t want to drive? Try a boat. One of the major natural waterways in Latin America is the Amazon River Basin – its natural tributaries provide a natural waterway Another waterway is the Panama Canal, though it is not natural – it was built in the early 1900s connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

Don’t like boats? Try a plane. Airplanes are becoming more and more popular because they can avoid the rough terrain, dense vegetation and mountains Mexico City’s International Airport is the busiest – more than 10 million passengers pass through each year

Communications Many people in Latin America use phone to communicate, however, most countries do not have the money to buy modern equipment For every 100 people, there are only about 5 to 10 telephones Currently there are only about 1 television for every 10 people in Latin America

People and Their Environment

The Amazon River Basin The Amazon River Basin covers about 2.4 million square miles and contains the world’s largest rainforest Deforestation – the cutting down and clearing away of trees in the rain forest Over 10% of the rainforest has already been cleared

More about the Amazon Slash-and-Burn Farming – all plants are cut and any trees are stripped of bark. They are then burned and the ashes put nutrients into the ground Scientists are worried about the long term effects of the deforestation of the rainforest; scientists ask the lumber companies practice reforestation - The planting of young trees or the seed of trees, on the lands they have stripped

Population Growth In recent years Latin American cities have experienced a great deal of population growth Ex. Mexico City is home to ¼ the population of Mexico Sao Paulo is the largest city in South America and the second largest metropolitan area of Latin America after Mexico City

Urban Challenges The most serious challenge is poverty Many people leave their homes in rural areas to find jobs in the city, however, the cities are overcrowded and there are few jobs for unskilled workers As a result as many as one-half of the working people are unemployed Other problems include increased pollution, the evolution of slums and lack of food

Solutions Political leaders are currently trying to get businesses to relocate outside of the city The government is also working to improve agriculture so farmers will move back out of the city In Mexico City a subway is being built in addition to a new water system and planting millions of trees to help purify the air