Latin America covers part of North America, South America, and the West Indies. It stretches from lifeless Atacama desert to rugged highlands and Alpine glaciers of the Andes mountains. The fertile plains of the Pampas are one of the world's richest agricultural regions. The Amazon Basin is the largest and wettest lowland in the world. Culturally, Latin America is a great mixture of European, indigenous and African cultures.
In this course, we will examine the peoples and places of Latin America from a geographical perspective. We will explore the geographical dimensions of economic, cultural, political, and physical forces influencing Latin America as a region. We will have a mixture of thematic and regional approaches to study the concepts and look into various physical and historical processes that have shaped dynamic and diverse cultural landscapes. We will study contemporary environmental and developmental issues, trends in migration, agricultural change, and globalization to understand Latin America's position in the global economy.
COURSE LEVEL LEARNING OUTCOMES
Define Latin America as a world region.
Identify the main physical and cultural features and characteristics of Latin America.
Interpret maps, graphs, and visuals as tools for analyzing the distribution patterns of phenomena and understanding their importance in the context of Latin America.
Explain the impacts of European colonialism in Latin America.
Evaluate how changing cultural, social, political, and economic characteristics of Latin American countries influence internal strife and external intervention.
Explain the complexities that contributed to the social inequality, political conflict, and environmental concerns prevalent in some Latin American countries.
Discuss the changing political and economic relationships between the United States and countries in Latin America.
