Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Economic Information
1. Demographics
Latin America as a Whole
Birth Rate (per thousand of the population) 17
Mexico
Birth Rate (per thousand of the population) 20
South America
Birth Rate (per thousand of the population) 16
The Caribbean
Birth Rate (per thousand of the 17
population)
HDI ranking N/A (The index only counts about 3 islands which is not
enough for a true average)
Economic Systems
Mixed Columbia, Uruguay, Jamaica, Peru, Panama, Saint Lucia, Costa Rica, El
Market Salvador, Dominica, Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Paraguay,
Trinidad and Tobago, The Bahamas
2. Economic State
As a reference point, United States of which is characterized as a developed economy (also a 4
on the demographic Transition model), is more economically developed than Latin America.
This assessment is valid because even though Latin America has developed locations, it also has
countries like Haiti and Guatemala which are some of the poorest countries in the Western
Hemisphere. Using demographics to analyze economic development, The US has an average
birth rate of 12 per 1000 people of the population and a death rate of 8 per 1000 people, which is
a lower birthrate than Latin America, but higher death rate. Other factors like the infant mortality
rate as well as fertility rate are indicators of economic success. The US has an infant mortality
rate of 5.8 and a fertility rate of 1.8 whereas Latin America averages at a birth rate of 17 and a
fertility rate of 2.1, indicating Latin America is not completely developed. Regardless, Latin
America could be far weaker economically and as technology can only develop further, so can
the economic well being of Latin American citizens unless there is a catastrophic event.
3. Economic Assets
Water pollution is an is
Guyana.
Example of overcrowde
favelas.
4. Maps
Natural Resources
Economic Activities
5. Population Pyramids
As the time on the map shifts, so does the shape of the pyramid. From 1950 to 2100, the amount
of the younger generation shifts and the pyramid is not so uneven. By 2100 there is a consistent
balance of a female to male ratio and also more of a balance between the number of people in
each age range. The more symmetrical the pyramid is, the more wealth, gender equality, and
overall health can be seen. The predicted pyramid for 2100 is much more balanced and is most
similar to a stage 4 region. The 2017 version is most similar to a stage 3 region and the 1950
pyramid shows a stage 2 region.
6. Economic Issues
An economic issue plaguing most of Latin America is market reform. The cause of why the issue
is so dramatic is because during the 1980s debt crisis in Latin America, governments wanted to
decrease foreign dependency and make themselves more self sufficient. The change in the
economy created more of a need for labor and decreased the formality of the economy mainly in
the 1990s but market reform effects are still relevant to this day. This directly increased the gap
in economic classes and eliminated the middle class. The shift in classes increased poverty
rates. The government has taken action since, an example being conditional cash transfer
programs in which poor families are compensated if they provide their children an opportunity to
go to school among other ways to ensure the state of Latin America increases in the future.
Poverty hotspot in a favela in Brazil. Most Latin American countries are
growing
aside from very poor countries like
Venezuela.
Another issue in Latin America is their high homicide and violent crime rate. According
to political violence ataglance.org, a Latin American is murdered every 15 minutes. When the
United Nations conducted a study about global homicide they said areas with high amounts of
homicide are caused by a mix of economic inequality, low gun control, and high amounts of
gang violence, all of which are major issues in Latin America. Contrary to popular belief the
influence of drug cartel, while an issue is not as prominent of a factor. The effect of this high
crime rate is most obviously, the security threat to Latin American citizens in lower income
areas. A major effect is also how having such a high crime rate creates issues in association with
other countries. ( The US President Donald Trump is acclaimed with saying that he wants to
build a larger barrier between Mexican-American Border because he wants to keep out rapists
and drug dealers).
Latin American Countries are at risk for very high crime and murder rates.
(Red then orange areas are the highest at risk.)
7.Sources
1. Demographics
2017 World Population Data Sheet. 2017 World Population Data Sheet, Population Reference
Bureau, Aug. 2017 www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2017/2017-world-population-data-
sheet.aspx.
Country Rankings. Country Rankings: World & Global Economy Rankings on Economic
Freedom, www.heritage.org/index/ranking.
2) Economic State
2017 World Population Data Sheet. 2017 World Population Data Sheet, Population Reference
Bureau, Aug. 2017 www.prb.org/Publications/Datasheets/2017/2017-world-population-data-
sheet.aspx.
3) Economic Assets
Written by Beat Bilbao-Osorio, Regional Director for Latin America and The Caribbean, The
Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU). Top 10 Most Competitive Countries: Latin America
and the Caribbean. World Economic Forum, 2 Apr. 2014,
www.weforum.org/agenda/2014/04/top-ten-most-competitive-countries-forum-latin-america-
2014/.
The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 14 Nov. 2017,
www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bf.html.
Economic Infrastructure Investment Data Latin America and the Caribbean. Infralatam,
home.infralatam.info/.
Howlett, Kevin. Colombia's Infrastructure; One of Latin America`s Worst. Colombia Politics,
5 Nov. 2013, www.colombia-politics.com/infrastructure-2/.
Projects & Operations. Projects & Operations | The World Bank, projects.worldbank.org/.
Information about Countries of the World, United Nations, and World Leaders. Encyclopedia
of the Nations, www.nationsencyclopedia.com/.
Byrne, Caroline. Hurricane Irma: British Virgin Islands Resemble 'Bomb Site'. The Week UK,
The Week UK, 11 Sept. 2017, www.theweek.co.uk/hurricane-irma/88309/hurricane-irma-british-
virgin-islands-resemble-bomb-site.
4) Maps
Khosla, Simran. Central America and The Caribbean [Exports]. GlobalPost, 14 May 2014,
www.pri.org/stories/2014-05-14/map-shows-which-export-makes-your-country-most-money.
5) Population Pyramids
Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100. Population Pyramid.net,
www.populationpyramid.net/.
6) Economic Issues
University. The Politics of Inequality and Redistribution in Latin America. United Nations
University, 10 May 2012, unu.edu/publications/articles/the-politics-of-inequality-and-
redistribution-in-latin-america.html#info.
Mora, Cynthia. Five Key Social Development Issues in Latin America in 2014. World Bank, 9
Jan. 2015, www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2015/01/09/temas-desarrollo-america-latina-
2014.
Sheth, Khushboo. What Are The Favelas Of Brazil? WorldAtlas, 27 June 2016,
www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-favelas-of-brazil.html. (Used for images)
Mexico Is a Bright Spot in Latin Americas Economic Growth Outlook, Says IMF. The
Yucatan Times, 13 Apr. 2016, www.theyucatantimes.com/2016/04/mexico-is-a-bright-spot-in-
latin-americas-economic-growth-outlook-says-imf/.
Denny, Elaine, and Barbara F Walter. Explaining High Murder Rates in Latin America: It's Not
Drugs. Political Violence at a Glance, 30 Aug. 2012,
politicalviolenceataglance.org/2012/08/30/explaining-high-murder-rates-in-latin-america-its-not-
drugs/.
Verisk Maplecroft. Latin America's Most Murderous Cities. 2016