SOUTH AMERICA (Chapter 5, pages 162-189)

Learning Objectives & Outcomes

• Comparison of Amazon and Nile Rivers

• Cultural heritage

• Urbanization and density

• Politics and governance

• Tourism and economic development

– Founding capitol cities in under-developed

areas

Andes Mts

Amazon

Basin

The continent is physically dominated by the

Andes Mts. and the Amazon River Basin

World’s Largest Rivers

   River  Length

(km)  

Length

(miles)  

Drainage

area (km²)  

1.** Nile 6,650 4,132 3,349,000

2.** Amazon 6,400 4,000 6,915,000

Yangtze

(Chang Jiang)

4 Mississippi – Missouri 6,275 3,902 2,980,000

5

Yenisei – Angara –

Selenga 5,539 3,445 2,580,000

Yellow

(Huang He)

7 Ob – Irtysh 5,410 3,364 2,990,000

6 5,464 3,398 745,000

3 6,300 3,917 1,800,000

Basin of the Amazon is nearly twice the size of the Nile River and the largest

of the world because of its wide path across the flat continent. Amazon has

numerous tributaries draining from deep within the interior; whereas the

Nile is linear and narrow.

Drainage area

~= 7M sq km

or 2.7M sq mi

Relative size of the basin compared to US states.

Drainage

area ~= 7M

sq km

2.7M sq mi or 40%

Of the continent

Unlike the linear continental divide that bisects the US, drainage for South America is a bowl-like basin defined by the Amazon and the Andes Mts.

Broad low plains of the Amazon delta

The more linear Nile River through the Sahara and its

narrow river valley.

Peru’s Nazca Lines

• Nazca Lines were discovered in 1927 and are large scale images etched in the dirt of the desert created by the Nazca culture between 400 and 650 AD. Hundreds of individual figures range in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks, orcas, llamas, and lizards.

•

The geoglyphs of Nazca or "Nazca Lines" are a series of geometric shapes,

miles of lines, and large drawings of animal figures (some as large as a

football field) constructed on the desert floor in the Nazca region (Aveni,

2000). Many theories have arisen about the great geoglyphs. A large number

of people over an extended period of time could have constructed the lines.

Researchers have demonstrated techniques to see how this was done.

By extending a rope between two posts and removing the red pebbles on the

desert surface along the rope, the lines could be constructed. The contrast of

the red desert pebbles and the lighter earth beneath would make the lines

visible from a high altitude. Due to the simplistic construction of the

geoglyphs, regular amounts of rainfall would have easily eroded the drawings

but the dry desert environment has preserved the lines for hundreds of years.

The purpose of the lines continues to be debated. Some researchers theorize

they were created for the gods to look upon them from above, while others

suggest they were some sort of calendar with astronomical alignments that

would aid in planting and harvesting of crops. Others have thought the lines

were the pathways for important ceremonial processions (Aveni, 2000). The

lines have been studied by experts of several disciplines. Anthropologists,

archaeologists, and astronomers have all studied the lines (Silverman and

Proulx, 2002) have not found conclusive evidence for any of the theories as to

purpose (Aveni, 2000). It is unlikely that we will discover the true purpose of

the geoglyphs.

The Inca Empire

• Culture hearth - altiplano around Cuzco by A.D. 1300

• 20 million subjects at its zenith

• Terraced hillsides and sediment-filled valleys

• Impressive transportation networks and integration efforts

• A highly centralized state

Cultural Diversity

• Africans: Brought as slaves, clustered along the north and northeast coasts

• Amerindians: Andes Mountains, Amazon Basin

• Europeans: South

Indigenous Peoples

and Colonial Domains

Atlantic Slave Trade

Routes, 1500-1619 also

brought Africans to South America

Major geographic qualities

• Physiography is dominated by the Andes Mountains and the Amazon Basin.

• Population is concentrated along the coasts; Brazil accounts for half the population.

• Cultural pluralism exists in most countries and is expressed regionally.

• Regional economic interaction is increasing, though it has been minimal in the past.

• Urbanization is high, with many large cities.

Population distribution is predominantly concentrated along the coast.

Population Density

Population is

along the coasts,

unlike the US

which has major

concentrations in

the interior.

The Latin American City Model

Shantytown (favela) in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro’s Zona Sul, or upper-class area

Urbanization • The movement to

and clustering of people in towns and cities

• The percentage of a country’s population living in cities 80% - continent -wide in South America

• South America's increase based on rate of natural increase and internal migration

Largest Cities of the World by population

1. Tokyo, Japan - 28,025,000

2. Mexico City, Mexico - 18,131,000

3. Mumbai, India - 18,042,000

4. Sáo Paulo, Brazil - 17, 711,000

5. New York City, USA - 16,626,000

6. Shanghai, China - 14,173,000

7. Lagos, Nigeria - 13,488,000

8. Los Angeles, USA - 13,129,000

9. Calcutta, India - 12,900,000

10. Buenos Aires, Argentina - 12,431,000

11. Seóul, South Korea - 12,215,000

12. Beijing, China - 12,033,000

13. Karachi, Pakistan - 11,774,000

14. Delhi, India - 11,680,000

15. Dhaka, Bangladesh - 10,979,000

NOTE: Numbers shown include population within the recognized metro area of the

city, and they include people living in the immediate surrounding area outside of the

established border of the city. South American cities

16. Manila, Philippines - 10,818,000

17. Cairo, Egypt - 10,772,000

18. Õsaka, Japan - 10,609,000

19. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 10,556,000

20. Tianjin, China - 10,239,000

21. Jakarta, Indonesia - 9,815,000

22. Paris, France - 9,638,000

23. Istanbul, Turkey - 9,413,000

24. Moscow, Russian Fed. - 9,299,000

25. London, United Kingdom - 7,640,000

26. Lima, Peru - 7,443,000

27. Tehrãn, Iran - 7,380,000

28. Bangkok, Thailand - 7,221,000

29. Chicago, USA - 6,945,000

30. Bogotá, Colombia - 6,834,000

Sao Paulo, Brazil

urban area of 25M (3rd largest in the world);

non-stop air service on United Airlines from IAH Favelas on the edge of

downtown are the

housing for the newest

urban migrants from the

NE part of the country.

Cities in South America Larger than Houston, 2.1M

City Country

City

Population

Urban Area

Population

Urban

Area

Rank

[World]

City Pop

Rank

[World]

Urban

Area

Rank

[South

America]

City Pop

Rank

[South

America]

Buenos Aires Argentina 11,655,100 12,923,800 12 2 2 1

Sao Paulo Brazil 10,057,700 18,505,100 5 7 1 2

Lima Peru 7,603,500 7,603,500 34 19 5 3

Bogota Colombia 6,680,500 7,798,000 31 22 4 4

Rio de Janeiro Brazil 6,029,300 11,246,600 19 25 3 5

Santiago Chile 5,034,500 5,636,800 48 27 6 6

Salvador Brazil 2,539,500 3,173,500 102 75 11 7

Belo Horizonte Brazil 2,307,800 4,413,800 61 86 7 8

11M city population in 588 sq. mi. (density= 18,700 vs. Houston 3,500)

or 5X more dense!!

19M metro area

Favelas /slums

President Barack Obama waves to the people gathered on

the street outside the Cidade de Deus (City of God) favela Community Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, March 20, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Slums are scattered on the hills throughout the city, but are now target for elimination before the World

Cup Soccer in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

Historical lack of a middle class divides the population between the rich living in

highrise and poor living in slums / favelas.

Sao Paulo: dense and extensive

Sao Paulo

Christ the Redeemer Statue, over looking Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; is considered the second largest Art

Deco statue in the world and a major symbol of Rio.

Mar 26 2011 Felipe Dana / AP EARTH HOUR The iconic Christ the Redeemer statue stands in darkness because the lights that illuminate it were switched off to observe an hour of voluntary darkness for the global "Earth Hour" campaign, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. An estimated 1,000 landmarks' lights are turned off worldwide for 60 minutes at 8:30 p.m. local time, as a symbolic act to raise awareness about climate change and to make people aware of everyday energy use. The Earth Hour was started in Australia in 2007, which has become one of the biggest global events, with hundreds of millions of people participating in it around the world.

The Obama family visits Rio de Janeiro's iconic Christ the Redeemer statue in March

2011. (SAUL LOEB)

Modern Political Divisions and

Regions

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and daughters Sasha and Malia are greeted by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff and Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota, right, upon their arrival at the Palacio do Alvorada in Brasilia, Brazil, March 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Leadership & Politics in South American countries: South American

countries have numerous female presidents (unlike the US), contrary

to typical gender chauvinism of Hispanic culture and Catholic

teachings.

• Argentina - Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, 2007-

• Costa Rica - Laura Chinchilla, 2010-

• Brazil - Dilma Rousseff, 2010-

• Chile – Michelle Bachelet, 2006-2010

•More details: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-11447598

Argentina Pres. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was re-

elected in Oct. 2011.

In 2001, the economy

collapsed upon its $100

billion sovereign debt

default, the largest in history.

At one time, there were 5

presidents in 2 weeks.

With the economy growing 9% last year,

Fernandez de Kirchner crushed a fractured

opposition that fielded six opponents. The

victory was seen as a mandate to continue

unorthodox economic policies rooted in heavy

state spending while paying little heed to

bondholders trying to collect billions of dollars in

unpaid debt.

Buoyed by a sharp and sustained demand

from China for soy and other Argentine

agricultural products, Kirchner and then his

wife, after taking office in 2007, used the

windfall to fund cash transfers to poor families,

energy subsidies and other social programs.

Argentina (and Buenos Aires) have a legacy of female presidents beginning with Eva Peron (Evita) from 1946 (and

launching women’s right to vote) until her death in 1952.

Her fame was notarized with the

1996 release of the movie EVITA starring Madonna and Antonio

Banderas; and will be again with

the current 2012 Broadway

production starring Ricky Martin

and Elena Rogers.

Tourism & Global Economic Development: A List of the Modern Olympic Games

(dates are hotlinks to details about the particular city and Olympics)

1896 - Athens 1900 - Paris 1904 - St. Louis 1906 - Athens ("Unoffficial") 1908 - London 1912 - Stockholm 1916 - Not held 1920 - Antwerp 1924 - Paris 1928 - Amsterdam 1932 - Los Angeles 1936 - Berlin 1940 - Not held 1944 - Not held 1948 - London

1952 - Helsinki 1956 - Melbourne 1960 - Rome 1964 - Tokyo 1968 - Mexico City 1972 - Munich 1976 - Montreal 1980 - Moscow 1984 - Los Angeles 1988 - Seoul 1992 - Barcelona 1996 - Atlanta 2000 - Sydney 2004 - Athens 2008 – Beijing 2012 - London

2016 Rio de Janeiro

Maracanã Stadium, site of the 2016 opening and closing.

The Rio 2016 symbol resembles

three figures - yellow, green and

blue - embraced at the arms and

in a triple hug. The logo was

designed based on four pillars:

contagious energy, harmonious

diversity, exuberant nature and

Olympic spirit.

Copacabana Beach, site of marathon

swimming, triathlon and beach volleyball; is one of the most famous beaches of the world.

Ipanema Beach panorama. Ipanema is adjacent to Copacabana beach, but it is

distinct from its neighbor. It is relatively easy to

navigate because the streets are aligned in a grid.

Private infrastructure has created world-class

restaurants, shops, and cafes. Ipanema is one of the

most expensive places to live in Rio. At the forefront

of the beach culture are the many surfers and sun

worshippers who socialize daily at the beach. Every

Sunday, the roadway closest to the beach is closed

to motor vehicles and local residents and tourists

use the opportunity to ride bikes, roller skate,

skateboard, and walk along the ocean.

Houston also competed for the

2016 Olympic site, but was

eliminated early, even before

other world cities.

Who will put

suntan lotion

on my back?

Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent (comparable to Mardi Gras) every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.

Promoting Economic Development

Washington DC, in 1790: Some founding fathers wanted Philadelphia or NY as a capital, but others realized the need to geographically spread out the power that the new capital would create. Thus, a new site was chosen and a completely new city was planned.

Juneau, AK: Because of the massive size of Alaska, a new capital was deliberately located in the panhandle which would force new growth into that area.

Brazilia, BR: Equally massive and with a concentration of large cities along the coast, Brazil (1950s) chose to locate its capital in in the interior. This immediately creates a need for infrastructure of all types that in turn stimulates job creation for transportation, communication services, housing, literally everything. This launches a long-term massive economic development plan that fuels the country’s growth for decades.

Canberra, AU: Australia is also a massive land mass with relatively few people. Designing the “perfect city” (an erroneous philosophical notion of the time) empowered the country to grow itself and by creating jobs and real estate with economic value where none had previously existed.

One of the most strategic activities that an emerging country must undertake is to develop its land, resources, and people to maximum potential. Some countries choose to do this by geographically diversifying their growth by locating (or re-locating) the capital city to a remote area that pulls new development away from areas that may otherwise become a primate city. Such political designations are independent in need of the natural resources that required by other important cities such one based on location for trade. Examples of such political manipulation are:

By relocating the capital city to the interior, the

government intended to help populate that

area of the country. People from all over the

country were hired to build the city, especially

those from the poverty-striken Northeast

region of Brazil.

The city is a world reference for urban

planning. Planning policies such as the

locating of residential buildings around

expansive urban areas, as well as building the

city around large avenues and dividing it into

sectors, have sparked a debate and reflection

on life in big cities in the 20th century.

Brasília

The capital city, Brasília, was built in 1956, so that the federal capital of Brazil could be transferred from the overdeveloped coast to the underutilized midwestern interior. Previously the capital of Brazil was in Rio de Janeiro (1763–1960) and before that in Salvador (1549–1763).

Brazil has not been the only federal nation to plan and purpose-build a new capital city: Washington DC; Canberra, Australia; and Juneau, AK are examples of others.

Form of the wholly designed city is that of a butterfly, bird, or airplane. It was envisioned as a pre-designed, “perfect place” by architects, reflecting the mentality of the 1950s when man and city planners thought they could control and manage all aspects of human behavior, rather than engage the democratic process to let the city grow naturally over time. This notion that people “know best” for others is similar to the same mistakes made in creating highrise public housing such as Pruitt-Igo which immediately proved to be social disasters because of their limited understanding of the true values and interactions of human society.

Cities are fluid social organizations that respond to the economic needs of business and people. The idea that they are static or unchanging is extremely short sighted. Government buildings and housing in Brasilia were separated and formally organized along wide boulevards and malls. Most cities have mixtures of integrated activities and land uses, which is what makes them dynamic, culturally interesting, fun, and most importantly, human.

City layout resembles

a bird with

outstretched wings.

Oversized boulevards and isolated high rise apartments desegregate people and their activities with each other.

Critics of Brasília's grand scale and design have characterized it as a modernist platonic fantasy about the future:

Nothing dates faster than people's fantasies about the future.

This is what you get when perfectly decent, intelligent, and

talented men start thinking in terms of space, rather than

place; and single rather than multiple meanings. It's what you

get when you design for political aspirations rather than real

human needs. You get miles of jerry-built platonic “nowhere”

infested with volkswagens. This, one may fervently hope, is

the last experiment of its kind. The utopian buck stops here.

– Robert Hughes,

Architecture Critic, The Shock of the

New, Episode 4: Trouble in Utopia

Aerial view of the segregated land uses of Brazilia

Design for Washington DC was created in 1791 as a master planned city by L’Enfant, who laid it out in French fashion using diagonals and traffic circles. It incorporates many of the “grand schemes” thought to create the perfect city.

Capitol

White House

The Mall

Canberra is also a formally designed and created capital city that is symmetrical and stiffly organized.

Traffic circles,

wide boule-

vards, radial/

diagonal

streets are

typical in

Canberra.

fig_03_10

Comparison with the form

of US cities, built with a

focus on autos, linear

roads, and multiple

employment centers.

Houston

metro area

Urban Development: A Spanish Colonial

Town •Layout was mandated by Spanish colonial law

•Result is regularity and grid pattern in city layout throughout Spanish Middle and South America

Zocalo, Mexico City

Contrast the master planned capitals with the

suburban cities of US and cathedral, square-

based cities in Mexico.

A. WinklerPrins

The Cathedral and

town square are the

geographic focus

for the social,

cultural, business,

and religious

functions of the city;

similar to the county

seat of Texas cities.

'President JK Bridge' or the 'JK Bridge', crosses Lake

Paranoá in Brasília. It is named after Juscelino

Kubitschek de Oliveira, former president of Brazil. It was designed by architect Alexandre Chan and structural engineer Mário Vila Verde. Chan won the Gustav Lindenthal Medal for this project at the 2003 International

Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh due to "...outstanding achievement demonstrating harmony with the environment, aesthetic merit and successful community participation".

It consists of three 200 ft tall asymmetrical steel arches

that crisscross diagonally. With a length of 0.75 miles, it

was completed in 2002 at a cost of US$ 56.8 million. The

bridge has a pedestrian walkway and is accessible to

bicyclists and skaters.

Millau Viaduct Bridge, France

Cable-stayed bridge

technology has allowed

longer spans and more

graceful design at reasonable

costs for projects worldwide.

Fred Hartman

Bridge,

Baytown, TX

Hill Bridge,

Boston, MA

Rio–Antirrio bridge (2004) is the World's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge. It crosses

the Gulf of Corinth near Patras, linking the town of Rion on the Peloponnese to Antirion on

mainland Greece, thus eliminating time, cost, and distance avoiding of land travel.

Total length

2,880 meters

(9,448.82 ft);

aka 2 miles