Geography of Middle and South America and Sub-Saharan Africa

How the colonization affected modern approaches to economic problems in Middle and South America

If the European colonists had come to Middle and South America in a different frame of mind — if, say, they were simply looking for a new place to settle and live quietly— how do you think the human and physical geography of the region would be different today?
5.2. Explain how tectonic processes have shaped landforms in Middle and South America.
5.3. Pick some locations in Middle and South America where people are dealing with either environmental issues or with issues of income and wealth disparity or human wellbeing. Explain your selections.
5.4. Discuss the ways in which you see the historical circumstances of colonization affecting modern approaches to economic problems in Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela, or Cuba.
5.5. Name three factors that could increase political freedoms in Middle and South America.
5.6. Explain how the Amazon Basin and its resources constitute an example of contested space.
5.7. Argue for or against the proposition that free trade blocs such as NAFTA and UNASUR (previously Mercosur) help the lowest-paid workers have some upward mobility.
5.8. How would you respond to someone who suggested that Middle and South America were helped toward development and modernization by the experience of European colonization?
5.9. Discuss the role of conflict in shaping the contemporary human geography of Middle and South America. Are there any conflicts today? What role does geography play in such contemporary conflicts?
5.10. What impact did economic patterns established during the colonial era have on shaping the economic patterns present today in many Middle and South American countries?
5.11. The United States is the single most important economic partner of just about every country in Middle America. Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
5.12. Discuss: The 3170 km land border between North America and Middle America is the longest in the world separating a developed region from a developing region.
5.13. Discuss: The relative location of a small Middle American country, Panama, significantly impacts the global economy and especially its two biggest players: the United States and China.
5.14. Is it a coincidence that both liberation theology and dependency theory originated in South America?
5.15. Even though the Amazon rainforest lies almost entirely within Brazil, it is often referred to as "the lungs of the Earth". Should its preservation be a global responsibility?
5.16. Should China's deepening involvement in South America be a cause for concern for North America?
5.17. Is North America partly responsible for the problems caused by cocaine production and trafficking in countries like Colombia and Mexico?
6. Sub-Saharan Africa
6.1. Describe the ways in which the environment is linked to the spread of the chronic communicable diseases of Sub-Saharan Africa. Why might some scientists argue that malaria is a worse threat to Africa's development than HIV/AIDS?
6.2. Describe the trajectory of population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa. What are the factors that contribute to this pattern? How might developed countries help the situation?
6.3. Reflect on the multiple ways gender influences daily life in Sub-Saharan Africa. Which ways do you regard as the most influential in the economic development process?
6.4. Describe the important ways in which women are exerting an influence on SubSaharan African political processes.
6.5. Technology is changing life in Sub-Saharan Africa. What do you see as the most crucial ways in which technology will modify the ability of ordinary people to better their lives and to participate in civil society?
6.6. What are the various circumstances that make young heterosexual women so susceptible to HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa? How does the social and economic status of the average woman (compared to the average man) influence the spread of HIV among women?