MIDDLE AMERICA I(chapter 4: 184-195)
INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE AMERICA
DEFINING THE REALM– MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, CARIBBEAN
ISLANDS
MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC QUALITIES– FRAGMENTED - PHYSICALLY AND
POLITICALLY– DIVERSE CULTURALLY– POVERTY IS ENDEMIC
REGIONS OF MIDDLE AMERICA
Mexico
Central America
Greater Antilles
Lesser Antilles
MIDDLE AMERICA
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
LAND BRIDGE
ARCHIPELAGO– GREATER AND LESSER ANTILLES
NATURAL HAZARDS– EARTHQUAKES– VOLCANOES– HURRICANES
I wonder why?
WORLD TECTONIC PLATES
DISTRIBUTION OF EARTHQUAKES & VOLCANOES
WORLD HURRICANE TRACKS
CULTURE HEARTHSOURCE AREAS FROM WHICH RADIATED IDEAS, INNOVATIONS, AND IDEOLOGIES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD BEYOND.
MA HEARTHSAZTECSMAYANS
MESOAMERICA
CULTURE HEARTHS– MAYA CIVILIZATION
• 3000 BP• CLASSIC PERIOD 200-900 AD• HONDURAS, GUATEMALA, BELIZE, YUCATAN
PENINSULA• THEOCRATIC STRUCTURE
– AZTEC CIVILIZATION• 1300 AD• VALLEY OF MEXICO• TENOCHTITLAN (>100,000 PEOPLE)
THE LEGACY OF COLONIALISM
LAND WAS APPROPRIATED - COLONIAL COMMERCIAL INTERESTSLANDS DEVOTED TO FOOD CROPS FOR LOCAL CONSUMPTION WERE CONVERTED TO CASH CROPPING FOR EXPORTLAND ALIENATION INDUCES:– FAMINE– POVERTY– MIGRATION– LITTLE AGRICULTURAL DIVERSITY
COLONIAL SPHERES
MAINLAND/RIMLAND FRAMEWORK
MAINLAND– EURO-INDIAN INFLUENCE– GREATER ISOLATION– HACIENDA PREVAILED
RIMLAND– EURO-AFRICAN INFLUENCE– HIGH ACCESSIBILITY– PLANTATION ECONOMY
MAINLAND – RIMLAND DISTINCTION
MAINLAND vs RIMLAND
LOCATION GREATER ISOLATION GREATER ACCESSIBILITY
CLIMATE ALTITUDINAL TROPICALZONATION
PHYSIOGRAPHY MOUNTAINS ISLANDS
CULTURE EURO/INDIAN AFRICAN-EUROPEAN
RACE MESTIZO MULATTO
LANDHOLDING PATTERNS HACIENDAS PLANTATION
MAINLAND RIMLAND
HACIENDA vs PLANTATION
HACIENDA– SPANISH INSTITUTION– NOT EFFICIENT BUT SOCIAL PRESTIGE– WORKERS LIVED ON THE LAND
PLANTATION– NORTHERN EUROPEAN ORIGINS– EXPORT ORIENTED MONOCROPS– IMPORTED CAPITAL AND SKILLS– SEASONAL LABOR– EFFICIENCY IS KEY
AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
PLANTATIONPLANTATION•PRODUCTION FOR EXPORTPRODUCTION FOR EXPORT•SINGLE CASH CROPSINGLE CASH CROP•SEASONAL EMPLOYMENTSEASONAL EMPLOYMENT•PROFIT MOTIVE $$$PROFIT MOTIVE $$$•MARKET VULNERABILITYMARKET VULNERABILITY
AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
PLANTATIONPLANTATION HACIENDAHACIENDA•PRODUCTION FOR EXPORTPRODUCTION FOR EXPORT•SINGLE CASH CROPSINGLE CASH CROP•SEASONAL EMPLOYMENTSEASONAL EMPLOYMENT•PROFIT MOTIVE $$$PROFIT MOTIVE $$$•MARKET VULNERABILITYMARKET VULNERABILITY
•DOMESTIC MARKETDOMESTIC MARKET•DIVERSIFIED CROPSDIVERSIFIED CROPS•YEAR ROUND JOBS YEAR ROUND JOBS •SMALL PLOT OF LANDSMALL PLOT OF LAND•SELF-SUFFICIENTSELF-SUFFICIENT
AGRICULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
PLANTATIONPLANTATION HACIENDAHACIENDA•PRODUCTION FOR EXPORTPRODUCTION FOR EXPORT•SINGLE CASH CROPSINGLE CASH CROP•SEASONAL EMPLOYMENTSEASONAL EMPLOYMENT•PROFIT MOTIVE $$$PROFIT MOTIVE $$$•MARKET VULNERABILITYMARKET VULNERABILITY
EJIDO
•DOMESTIC MARKETDOMESTIC MARKET•DIVERSIFIED CROPSDIVERSIFIED CROPS•YEAR ROUND JOBS YEAR ROUND JOBS •SMALL PLOT OF LANDSMALL PLOT OF LAND•SELF-SUFFICIENTSELF-SUFFICIENT
•SMALL SURPLUSESSMALL SURPLUSES•LAND “OWNERSHIP”LAND “OWNERSHIP”•COMMUNAL VILLAGECOMMUNAL VILLAGE•COLLECTIVECOLLECTIVE
MIDDLE AMERICA I(chapter 4: 184-195)
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