Human Environment Interaction

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Human Environment Interaction
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• Slash and Burn-cutting trees, brush, and grasses
  and burning the debris to clear the field. This
  method is particularly effective to humid and
  tropical areas.
• Do this for planting and diverting streams to
  irrigate crops.

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• Today, farmers use slash and burn to move into
  the Amazon River Basin.

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• Terraced farming-is an ancient technique for
  growing crops on hillsides or mountain slopes.
• Farmers cut out step-like horizontal fields into
  hillsides and slopes, which allows steep land to
  be cultivated for crops.

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• Terraced farming reduces soil erosion.
• Who used this technique?

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Urbanization The Move to the Cities

• Throughout Latin America, people are moving from
  rural areas into the cities.
• They are leaving farms and villages in search of
  jobs a better life.

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• Argentina, Chile, Uruguay are the most highly
  urbanized countries in South America.
• People move to cities in hope of improving their
  lives.
• What is subsistence farming?
• -farming to feed the family

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• Push Factors-factors that push people to leave
  rural areas.
• -poor medical care, poor education, low paying
  jobs, and ownership of the land by a few rich
  people.

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• Pull factors-factors that pull people toward
  cities.
• -Higher paying jobs, better schools, better
  medical care.

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Rapidly Growing Cities

• 6 cities rank among the regions largest in
  population
• 1. Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• 3. Buenos Aires, Argentina
• 4. Lima, Peru
• 5. Bogota, Colombia
• 6. Santiago, Chile

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• Most populous city in all of Latin America is
  Mexico City
• Estimates of its population vary from 18 to 20
  million in the city alone about 20 million for
  the entire greater metropolitan area.

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• Problems in cities of this region slums,
  unemployment, crime, high levels of air pollution
  from cars factories.

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• Some cities have shortages of drinking water.
• To make matters worse, local governments cannot
  afford facilities to handle the population
  increase.

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• Tourism is a growth industry throughout Latin
  America.
• Tourism is especially important in Mexico the
  Caribbean.

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• Every year millions of tourists visit the resorts
  of Latin America, spending money helping to
  create jobs.
• Cruise ships anchor in the ports of this region.
• Staffing those ships, hotels, restaurants are
  local people who profit from the visitors.

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• Resorts offer activities that provide jobs for
  local residents local guides tours.

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• Local companies offer excursions rafting,
  snorkeling, diving, sailing, etc.
• All of these activities bring money into the
  region employ local people.

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Disadvantages of Toursim

• Resorts are built and create congestions
  increase pollution.
• Tourism industry puts great strain on the local
  community.
• Obvious gap between the rich tourists well-off
  local residents.
• This has produced hostility in the Caribbean
  Rio de Janiero.

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• Local governments can run up large public debts
  by borrowing money to build tourist facilities.
• Airports harbors must be constructed.
• Hotels resorts must be built.
• Sewage systems shopping areas must be expanded.