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Seth Dixon
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"I often ask students and audiences a quirky question: "What is the capital of Latin America?" Of course, it is a region of a couple dozen sovereign countries and the colonies of several empires, so there is no real capital. But if there were, I assert, it would be MIA: Miami International Airport. Specifically, the American Airlines hub at MIA is the nexus of most of the hemisphere, as illustrated in this 2002 route map."
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Seth Dixon
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Despite efforts to improve the quality of tap water, Mexico is the world’s largest per capita consumer of bottled water, using it even for bathing babies. People buy bottle water for one of two primary reasons. First, they may feel that the bottled water is tastes better, is heathier or in some way superior to regular water. The second reason is more of a sinister reason: they fear the quality of the tap water is so bad that it will infect them with diseases. Although American tourists still joke about "Montezuma's Revenge," Mexico has greatly improved the quality of their tap water, but it is regionally contingent. It may be safe in one neighborhood but not another, so most Mexican avoid public water sources altogether. Public confidence in public utilities and an more uniform track record of healthy water is the only thing that can change this cultural/economic habit.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Explore educational and professional development resources for teachers and classrooms on Annenberg Media's learner.org. Companion to the Annenberg Media series Power of Place. Maquiladoras, outsourcing, migration and regional differences within Mexico are main themes in this video. This is a resource of videos that many are very familiar with, but this is worth repeating for those not familiar with the Annenberg Media's "Power of Place" video series. With 26 videos (roughly 30 minutes each) that are regionally organized, this be a great resource for teachers.
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Seth Dixon
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Infrastructure demanded by the sporting world's most powerful corporate interests render families homeless in Brazil.
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Seth Dixon
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After two hours' grueling drive southeast from the center of Mexico City, through paralyzing traffic jams and clouds of throat-burning smog, the bleached-white haze of air pollution gives way to pale-blue sky. The ancient and the modern blend in some intriguing and sometimes awkward ways in today's world.
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Seth Dixon
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The Central American nation is the most violent country in the world, according to the United Nations. A mix of drug trafficking, political instability and history adds up to a murder rate that is now four times that of Mexico.
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Seth Dixon
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Latin America has historical been a region with a powerful upper class and a large, landless lower class. In 2012, the burgeoning middle class is providing economic strength to the region as societies are becoming less bifurcated with more social equity in a time of political uncertainty.
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Seth Dixon
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Experts and aid officials discuss ongoing challenges and lessons learnt on the ground in Haiti... Development and humanitarian aid projects must always take local geographic factors into consideration when devising any plan for the future. Political uncertainty, poor transportation infrastructure, disease and not enough locally based programs are but a few of the issues that continue to plague the communities in Haiti.
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Seth Dixon
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The firing of the entire military high-command comes as violence escalates across the country.
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Seth Dixon
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Haiti has lost its soil and the means to feed itself. Economic poverty and ecological poverty...the roots of which for Haitians lie in their colonial legacy and today is evident in their difficulties to feed their population.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Officials have embarked on an ambitious plan to wrest control of Rio de Janeiro’s most violent slums from ruthless drug gangs. In an effort to have more effective governance, the police have radically changed their philosphical approach to combating crime in the 'favelas.' The video embedded "Taming the City of God is a fantastic clip to get a sense of favela life.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Infrastructure demanded by the sporting world's most powerful corporate interests render families homeless in Brazil. Urban restructuring, slums and global perception. Much like we saw Beijing "cleaning up" the city before the Olympics (with all the good and the bad associated with that), we are seeing that sad old pattern in Rio de Janeiro, perhaps the city most famous for it's slums.
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Seth Dixon
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Interactive Migrations Map: Where are migrants coming from? Where have migrants left? A great resource for a population unit or in a regional class. What explains the patterns seen in Central America?
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Seth Dixon
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An unfinished skyscraper occupied by squatters is a symbol of Venezuela’s financial crisis in the 1990s, state control of the economy and a housing shortage. This skyscraper that was once a symbol of wealth, in an incredible paradigm shift, has now become is occupied by squatters. The lack of a vibrant formal economy and more formal housing leads to a lack of suitable options for many urban residents--especially with problems in the rural countryside. A complex web of geographic factors needs to be explained to understand this most fascinating situation. The video link "Squatters on the Skyline" embedded in the article is a must see.
SD: This video never ceases to amaze me.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Presidential candidate says Mexicans have voted for change of direction after exit polls project win for his PRI party. For the first time in 12 years, Mexico's president will be from the PRI party (which dominated and led power from the 1920's to 2000). Enrique Peña Prieto won the election, in large part due to Mexico's dissatisfacation with the PAN's handling of the escalating drug violence. A few decades back, the PRI kept the violence out of the streets with some tacit agreements with the drug cartels to stay within particular territories.
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Seth Dixon
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Gold fever is sweeping across South America and is at its most lethal in Colombia where it is fuelling the civil war.
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Seth Dixon
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U.S. needs to help end the violence.... When I say "illegal goods trafficked across the U.S.-Mexico border," most of us immediately think about narcotics from Mexico coming into the United States. However, the border is more complicated than that--the violence on the border isn't only a problem with Mexican governance, but many of the deaths are directly attributable to guns coming form the United States. This is an op-ed piece arguing the the United States' gun laws are a part of the ongoing problems along the border.
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Seth Dixon
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The Obama administration has relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba, reinstating Bill Clinton's policy of allowing people-to-people travel.
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Seth Dixon
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A few Haitian officials and Donna Karan are plotting one earthquake-rattled city’s transformation.
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Seth Dixon
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Al Jazeera's Sebastian Walker asks why a system that was designed to help Haitians ended up exacerbating their misery. Why isn't more money the answer to the 'poverty problem?' What geographic factors make Haitian development such a difficult issue?
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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The financial crisis surrounding the Euro has lead many to feel that supranational organizations and regional coalitions are more trouble than they are worth. The OAS (Organization of American States-which the USA is a part of) may dissolve and the CELAC might be it's successor. The CELAC's (Community of Latin American and Carribbean States) emergence shows that the United States "is declining in a region it once called its 'backyard.'" Spain is also diminishing in influence among its former colonies are forging new economic and political ties while Mexico and Brazil are exerting more regional influence.
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Seth Dixon
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Learn about My Wonderful World, a National Geographic-led campaign to increase geographic learning, and meet coalition members.
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Seth Dixon
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Gold fever is sweeping across South America and is at its most lethal in Colombia where it is fuelling the civil war. A long (25 minutes) video, but very engaging. This connects the environmental degradation related to illegal gold mining and the political situation as drug cartels as swooping in and controling Colombia's newest illegal harvest. But what of the lives of the rural workers and those those families have mined these hills for generations?
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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An unfinished skyscraper occupied by squatters is a symbol of Venezuela’s financial crisis in the 1990s, state control of the economy and a housing shortage. Incredible paradigm shift as a skyscraper is converted from a symbol of wealth is occupied by squatters. The lack of a vibrant formal economy and more formal housing leads to a lack of suitable options for many urban residents--especially with problems in the rural countryside. A complex web of geographic factors need to this most fascinating situation. The video link "Squatters on the Skyline" embedded in the article is a must see.
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Scooped by
Seth Dixon
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Tens of thousands of well-off Mexicans have moved north of the border in a quiet exodus over the past few years, according to local officials, border experts and demographers. The migration from Mexico to the USA has slowed tremendously in the 21st century, but due to the drug violence, the demographic profile of the migrants has changed significantly.
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Miami being the "capital of Latin America", is something that I never, at all would have ever thought of, because, well, it isn't really in Latin America. But, seeing this chart of the MIA really makes me think, and Miami being the "capital" now makes a lot of sense. There are so many more flights from MIA connecting to places in Latin America than to other parts of the US, and even other parts of the world. It's a little crazy to think that this airport is the "hub" of Latin America.