Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 21.1. Map of South America
WHAT DOES GEOGRAPHY HAVE TO DO WITH ECONOMICS AND
POLITICS?
South America is about two-thirds the size of its northern counterpart, with 6.9 million
square miles in South America as opposed to 9.5 million square miles in North America.
From almost the whole of Bolivia northward, the continent lies within a fervid climate.
Ecuador takes its name from the equator, which enters South America at the Amazon River.
The south demarcation line of the tropics (Capricorn) enters Brazil near Rio de Janeiro, and
the northern demarcation line of the tropics (Cancer) lies far to the north in Mexico. By any
rough estimate, more than two-thirds of South America lie in the tropics.
As a general rule, tropical countries do not industrialize. Nor do they readily become
democracies. [274] Life in the tropics is hard. Human energy is spent on survival. Time and
effort needed to sustain democratic government are better used to stay alive. Insect-borne
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