Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Geography

Porfirio Diaz (The Porfiriato)

• Industrial Development: Promoted industrial development through railways, foreign investment, and protectionist policies.
• Economic Growth: Focused on the exploitation of agricultural products and mining, creating an agro-export economy.
• Outward Growth Model: Favored production for export, often neglecting domestic needs.
• Export-Oriented Economy: Relied on the exploitation of natural resources, cheap labor, and foreign capital and technology to increase production.

Francisco Madero

• Mexican Revolution: Initiated the Mexican Revolution, leading to Diaz's resignation.
• Plan de San Luis: Launched the Plan de San Luis to incite revolution.
• Decena Trágica (Ten Tragic Days): Overthrown during the "Decena Trágica," a ten-day

The Birth of a Nation: 1862-1880

In 1862, the Viceroyalty of the United Provinces of La Plata became a unified country, Argentina. Between 1862 and 1880, the presidencies of Bartolomé Mitre, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, and Nicolás Avellaneda laid the foundation for a modern nation. Their administrations focused on establishing a national government, a single currency, and a national army. While some provinces opposed these changes, fearing the centralization of power in Buenos Aires, the leaders recognized the need for unity. To maintain order, they promoted an increase in the population and improvements in transportation and communication. In the 1870s, General Julio Argentino Roca led a military campaign to subdue the indigenous population

Agricultural Land Holdings

Smallholder

A small farm unit, typically under 5 hectares.

Latifundio

A large landholding, typically above 100 hectares.

Spanish Primary Sector Contributions

Primary sector breakdown (example percentages):

• Cereals: 38%
• Vineyards: 6%
• Olive Groves: 14%
• Horticultural: 8%
• Other: 12%

Note: The original text mentioned "total Spain brings to the U.S.", which was unclear. This section lists sector percentages.

Economic Phases and Sectors

Phases

Production, Distribution, Consumption

Economic Sectors

Primary Sector

Activities involved in obtaining food and raw materials from nature. Examples: agriculture, fishing.

Secondary Sector

Economic activities that transform raw materials extracted from nature into manufactured products. Examples: industry,

The European Union: A Historical Perspective

Post-War Origins and Economic Cooperation

After World War II, several Western European nations sought to establish stability, security, and a robust economic bloc to compete with powers like the United States and Japan. In 1951, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). This created a common market for these crucial resources. In 1957, these same countries signed the Treaty of Rome, establishing EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community) and the EEC (European Economic Community).

The core objectives of these treaties were to foster peace, economic integration, and political union. The EEC aimed to achieve... Continue reading "European Union: A Comprehensive Overview" »

Pre-Roman Peoples of the Iberian Peninsula

A set of peoples occupied the Iberian Peninsula in the first millennium BC. They resulted from the union of indigenous peoples and Indo-European invaders in the center and west, along with Greek and Phoenician settlers in the Levant, South, and Southeast. The Iberians were among the more economically and culturally developed peoples. In the center and west of the peninsula, Celtic influence dominated, although Iberian elements were also present. The most archaic peoples inhabited the North: Galicians, Asturians, and Basques. From this era remains Euskera (Basque language), which is still spoken in current areas of the Basque Country and Navarra.

The Vascones

According to Roman sources, the Vascones were... Continue reading "Iberian Peninsula: Pre-Roman Peoples, Roman Hispania & Visigoths" »

Urban Concepts: Situation, Site, and Areas

The difference between situation and site is fundamental in urban geography. Situation refers to the geographical environment, the position of a city relative to other locations or regions. Site, however, refers to the topography, the physical framework upon which the city is built.

Key Urban Area Definitions

• Metropolitan Area

  A metropolitan area is formed by the growth of a major city that merges with nearby towns.

• Conurbation

  A conurbation is a continuous urban area formed by the parallel growth of two or more cities of similar importance, whose urban areas grow together.

• Urban Region

  An urban region is a regional agglomeration formed by the growth of several cities that do not fully merge but are very close.

Globalization: Internal unit (countries economically dependent on others).

Ecological Footprint: Measuring human demand on spending and use rights.

Natural Resources: Resources we get from the physical environment.

Renewable Natural Resources

Resources that regenerate at the same rate as consumption, such as wind and sun. Critical resources include land, forests, fisheries, and water. Non-critical resources include wind, sun, and waves.

Non-Renewable Natural Resources

Resources where consumption is greater than regeneration, such as fuels (coal, oil, gas), recoverable minerals (metallic minerals, gravel), and recycled materials (metal minerals like aluminum and iron).

Biodiversity: The set of animal and plant species distributed across the surface.... Continue reading "Understanding Globalization, Resources, and Economic Development" »

Economic Globalization: Models and Impacts

Model A: Key Aspects of Economic Globalization

Items 1 to 8 model economic globalization's most famous aspects. Globalization responds to the term 'performance of large multinationals in all regions of the world', meaning the process of relocation of labor to cheaper areas. Small national companies must adapt strategies to survive as competition grows increasingly. There are other processes of culture, consumption, population, habits, information, and environmental problems.

2. The reference is the continuous exchange of goods, money, people, and information on a global scale. Within these international trade flows, which imply the exchange of products between different countries, and investment capital,... Continue reading "Economic Globalization: Models, Impacts, and Key Factors" »

Climate Types in Spain

• Coastal Mediterranean Climate

  Extends along the Mediterranean coast and the Balearic Islands. Average annual rainfall is between 400 and 700 mm, higher in the north than in the south. Rainfall is highly irregular, with a maximum in autumn (due to the 'cold drop' phenomenon) and a minimum in summer. This situation is caused by the low humidity of arriving air masses. Temperatures are mild in winter (8-12°C) and high in summer (23-26°C), with a thermal amplitude between 12 and 18°C.

• Inland Mediterranean Climate

  Located in the interior of the peninsula, characterized by strong continentality due to the relief and distance from the sea. Rainfall peaks in spring, with minimums in summer and winter (between 350 and 600 mm per

Spanish Conquest and Colonization of America

In the early sixteenth century, voyages to the New World intensified. Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastián Elcano completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. Subsequent expeditions led to significant conquests, notably that of Hernán Cortés in Mexico.

A pivotal conquest of this period was that of Peru, where the vast Inca Empire dominated a large territory. Here, Francisco Pizarro, taking advantage of internal disputes within the Inca leadership, successfully captured the Inca ruler and subjugated their capital, Cuzco. This conquest formed the basis of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which later incorporated lands in Chile, explored by Diego de Almagro and Pedro de Valdivia.

The Spanish conquest... Continue reading "Spanish Colonial Era: Conquest, Exploitation, and Global Impact" »