For decades, the prevailing sentiment was that, since geography is unchangeable, there is no reason why public policies should take it into account. In fact, charges that geographic interpretations of development were deterministic, or even racist, made the subject a virtual taboo in academic and policymaking circles alike. 'Is Geography Destiny?' challenges that premise and joins a growing body of literature studying the links between geography and development. Focusing on Latin America, the book argues that based on a better understanding of geography, public policy can help control or channel its influence toward the goals of economic and social development.

The Physical Geography of South America, the eighth volume in the Oxford Regional Environments series, presents an enduring statement on the physical and biogeographic conditions of this remarkable continent and their relationships to human activity. It fills a void in recent environmental literature by assembling a team of specialists from within and beyond South America in order to provide an integrated, cross-disciplinary body of knowledge about this mostly tropical continent, together with its high mountains and temperate southern cone. The authors systematically cover the main components of the South American environment - tectonism, climate, glaciation, natural landscape changes, rivers, vegetation, animals, and soils. The book then presents more specific treatments of regions with special attributes from the tropical forests of the Amazon basin to the Atacama Desert and Patagonian steppe, and from the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific coasts to the high Andes. Additionally, the continents environments are given a human face by evaluating the roles played by people over time, from pre-European and European colonial impacts to the effects of modern agriculture and urbanization, and from interactions with El Niño events to prognoses for the future environments of the continent.

Analysis of Latin America's economy focusing on development, covering the colonial roots of inequality, boom and bust cycles, labor markets, and fiscal and monetary policy. Latin America is richly endowed with natural resources, fertile land, and vibrant cultures. Yet the region remains much poorer than its neighbors to the north. Most Latin American countries have not achieved standards of living and stable institutions comparable to those found in developed countries, have experienced repeated boom-bust cycles, and remain heavily reliant on primary commodities. This book studies the historical roots of Latin America's contemporary economic and social development, focusing on poverty and income inequality dating back to colonial times. It addresses today's legacies of the market-friendly reforms that took hold in the 1980s and 1990s by examining successful stabilizations and homemade monetary and fiscal institutional reforms. It offers a detailed analysis of trade and financial liberalization, twenty–first century-growth, and the decline in poverty and income inequality. Finally, the book offers an overall analysis of inclusive growth policies for development—including gender issues and the informal sector—and the challenges that lie ahead for the region, with special attention to pressing demands by the vibrant and vocal middle class, youth unemployment, and indigenous populations.

Latin America is one of the most intriguing parts of the world. The region’s illustrious history, culture, and geography are famous internationally, but in terms of economics, Latin America has been generally associated with problems. For many, the combination of a resource rich region and poor economic conditions has been a puzzle. This extensively revised and updated second edition of Latin American Economic Development continues to provide the most up to date exploration of why the continent can be considered to have underperformed, how the various Latin American economies function, and the future prospects for the region. The book addresses the economic problems of Latin America theme by theme. Changes and new features in this new edition include: Expanded coverage of how institutions affect economic growth in Latin America Many new boxes and questions for review and discussion New material on how climate change affects the region Updated material to reflect the ongoing macroeconomic stability of the past decade A new chapter on the political economy of Latin America The book provides a comprehensive text for undergraduate economics courses on Latin America, and is also suitable for use by students in other disciplines looking for a wide-ranging guide to the region. This book will continue to be an invaluable resource for undergraduates looking at Latin American economics, growth, and development.

Popular among students for its engaging, accessible style, this text provides an authoritative overview of Latin America's human geography as well as its regional complexity. Extensively revised to reflect the region's ongoing evolution in the first decades of the 21st century, the second edition's alternating thematic and regional chapters trace Latin America's historical development while revealing the diversity of its people and places. Coverage encompasses cultural history, environment and physical geography, urban development, agriculture and land use, social and economic processes, and the contemporary patterns of the Latin American diaspora. Pedagogical features include vivid topical vignettes, end-of-chapter recommended readings and other resources, and 217 photographs, maps, and figures. New to This Edition *Discussions of climate change and its impacts, the demise of the Monroe doctrine, neoliberal agriculture, the growing influence of Chinese investment, and other new topics. *13 new vignettes highlighting current issues such as the thaw in United States-Cuba relations, drug violence in Mexico, aerial gondolas in the Andes, and the first Latin pope. *Annotated website and film recommendations for most chapters. *The latest development trends, population and economic data, and current events of local and global significance. *26 new photographs, maps, and figures.