LATIN AMERICAN REGION AND ITS CITIES

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Comparative Urban PoliticsPl.Sc. 422

• LATIN AMERICAN REGION AND ITS CITIES

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The New World American Islands
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What is a regional system?

• Consists of
• a set of geographically proximate and regularly
  interacting states
• that share to some degree a sense of regional
  identify
• and are so perceived by external actors
• These same criteria also identify smaller
  subsystems within any geo-political region

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Dimensions of the regional system

• Boundaries and Actors
• Perceptions
• Interactions

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Geographical Demarcation Latin America

• Extension - Northern Mexico to Cape Horn
• 500 million people
• 33 sovereign states
• Natal only 1,900 miles from Africa
• Small remainder British, Dutch, French and U. S.
  dependencies

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Descriptive Nomenclature

• Ibero-America (eighteen states with varying
  international capabilities)
• Luso-America refers to Brazil
• Haiti - broke from France in 1804
• New states
• 12 former British colonies
• Suriname (independent 1975)

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External Sector

• Composed of states outside the regional boundary
  that have significant relations with regional
  actors
• Includes political dependencies located within
  the regional boundary controlled by external
  states (United Kingdom, France the Netherlands,
  and the United States

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Historically Important External Powers

• Great Britain pivotal in 19th century
• United States important in 19th century has
  been most significant external actor in 20th
  century
• Soviet Union challenged the United States
  during the Cold War
• France strong cultural influence
• Japan economic force since 1970s

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Important Non-state Actors

• Holy See and the institutional structure of the
  Roman Catholic Church
• Multi-national corporations
• Trans-national political parties
• Most originate in Europe
• Some influence by Republicans and Democrats
• Drug cartels
• Labor organizations

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Self Perception of Latin Americans

• Regional self-consciousness (push-pull)
• Economic integration projects
• OAS
• UNISUR
• Andean Common Market
• MERCOSUR
• Stem from perceptions of global weakness of
  individual states
• Regional international organizations differing
  priorities
• U.S. pursue interests elsewhere
• L.A. states bell the cat

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Caribbean/Mexico
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Subsystem Mexico

• Part of North America so close to the United
  States
• Inward turn following war with United States
• Late 19th century turn to capitalist Europe
• 1917 revolution
• NAFTA seals turn to the north
• Exercises considerable influence in Central
  America

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Mexico National City System

• Mexico City
• largest metropolitan area in the world
• Archetypical Latin American primate city
• Secondary cities
• Monterrey
• Puebla
• Guadalajara
• Merida

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Sub-system The Circum - Caribbean

• Local and external states participate with
  special intensity in subsystem
• Components
• Central America Yucatan peninsula
• Islands of Caribbean
• Northern coast of South America
• U.S. presence clear case of hegemony
• Most city system follow primate model

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South America
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Sub-system The Southern Cone

• Members Argentina, Brazil, Chile Uruguay,
  Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru and sometimes Ecuador
• Relatively isolated from mainstream of
  international politics

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Buenos Aires Argentinas Primate City

• Buenos Aires (city and province)
• home to 40 of Argentinas population
• Roughly 15 million
• Secondary cities
• Cordoba (2.5 million)
• Rosario
• Mendoza

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BRAZIL
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Sub-system Brazil A continental city system

• Foundation traditions
• Portuguese
• African foundation
• Amerindian
• Salvador center of Portuguese power until 1783
• Capital moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1783
• Gold
• Defense against Spanish designs on Brazil

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REGIONS I

• The heartland (42 population, 60GDP, 11 area)
• The south (15 population, 17 GDP, 7
  area)
• The center-west ( 8 population, 6 GDP, 25
  area)

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REGIONS More

• the north (6 population, 3 GDP, 40
  area)
• the northeast (29 population, 13 GDP 18
  area)

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Other Major Brazilian Cities

• São Paulo (heartland)
• Belo Horizonte (heartland)
• Brasilia capital Center-West
• Porto Alegre (South)
• Curitiba (South)
• Recife (North-east)
• Belem (North)