Mexico and Central America: Economy, Migration, and Hazards

Flashcards covering key geographic, economic, and social concepts related to Mexico and Central America, including migration, oil, tourism, drug trade, historical foreign policy, and natural hazards.

Rural to urban migration

The phenomenon of people moving from the countryside to cities, typically accompanying economic development.

Remittances

Money sent by migrant workers to their families back home in their home countries, a major source of foreign income for Mexico.

Bay of Campeche

Location of Mexico's significant oil reserves.

Pemex

Mexico's state-owned oil company, historically the sole driller, now granting permits to foreign companies.

Tourism (Mexico)

A major source of income for Mexico, initially developed on Pacific resorts and later expanded to the Caribbean coast like Cancun.

Cancun

A premier tourist destination in Mexico, primarily catering to American tourists, developed on the Yucatan's Caribbean coastline from 1970.

Fickle Tourism

The characteristic of the tourism industry being easily disrupted by economic recessions, political instability, or perceived dangers.

Illicit Drug Trade (Mexico)

Involves historical production of marijuana and black tar heroin, now also includes crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, and trafficking of South American cocaine through Mexico.

Mexican Trampoline

A term used by Colombian cartels to describe using Mexico as a transit point for drug trafficking into the United States.

Monroe Doctrine

A US foreign policy stating that the United States would not tolerate European interference in the Western Hemisphere, establishing it as the US's realm of geopolitical domination.

Banana Republic

A country whose government is subservient to a foreign company and its interests, originating from the actions of the United Fruit Company in Latin America.

United Fruit Company

An American fruit company known for exploitative practices and influencing governments in Latin America, particularly in reference to the term 'Banana Republic'.

Jacobo Árbenz

The President of Guatemala who attempted to nationalize unused land owned by United Fruit Company for redistribution, leading to a US-engineered coup in 1954.

Belize

A Central American country where English is an official language, often not considered part of Central America by other Central Americans due to its British colonial history.

El Salvador

The most densely populated country in Mainland Latin America.

Tierras Templadas (El Salvador)

Higher elevation foothills in El Salvador, providing cooler temperatures and excellent conditions for agriculture like coffee, where most of the population lives.

Organic Farming (El Salvador)

A recent shift in El Salvador's agricultural sector, particularly for coffee and cashews, due to potential revenue increases of up to 30% from organic labeling.

Natural Hazards

A subdiscipline of environmental geography focused on studying natural disasters and their impacts on human life and property.

Risk (Natural Hazards)

The probability that a natural hazard will occur in a given place.

Vulnerability (Natural Hazards)

How severely a natural hazard will affect the people who are impacted, encompassing factors like warning systems, evacuation ability, structural quality, health, and financial resilience.

Hurricane Mitch (1998)

A catastrophic hurricane that caused immense flooding and mudslides in Honduras and Nicaragua, demonstrating the devastating impact of natural hazards on vulnerable populations.