Middle American Realm

QuestionsQuestions– Soviet Socialist RepublicsSoviet Socialist Republics– Cotton Production in KazakhstanCotton Production in Kazakhstan

ReviewReviewMiddle AmericaMiddle America– OverviewOverview– Natural hazardsNatural hazards– Meso-American Culture HearthMeso-American Culture Hearth– Mainland/Rimland FrameworkMainland/Rimland Framework

Introduction to Middle America

Defining the Realm– Mexico, Central America, Caribbean islands– North America– Latin America - IberianMajor Geographic Qualities

– Fragmented - physically and politically– Diverse culturally, strong indigenous influence

• Asian, African, West European influence– Colonial legacy, developing countries

Regions Of Middle America

Mexico

Central America

Greater Antilles

Lesser Antilles

Middle America

Physical Geography

Land BridgeOcean BarrierArchipelago

Natural Hazards– Earthquakes– Volcanoes– Hurricanes

Tectonic Plates

Distribution Of Earthquakes & Volcanoes

Popocatépetl

World Hurricane Tracks

Hurricane Development

Typical Hurricane Life Cycle– Tropical disturbance→ Tropical depression→– Tropical storm→ Hurricane (=typhoon=cyclone)→dissipation– Heat and moisture from warm water is the energy source– high relative humidities in the lower troposphere reduce evaporation

in clouds and maximizes the latent heat released by precipitation.– Positive feedback process: low pressure, converging low level air,

which rises convectively in the eyewall, (condensing to yield precipitation) further reduces air pressure, pulling in more humid air

– Concentration of latent heat is critical to sustain the hurricane

Culture HearthOrigin of a cultural group: source of ideas, innovations, and ideologies that diffuse outward, creating a cultural landscape

HearthsAztecsMayans

Mesoamerica

Culture Hearths– Maya Civilization – lowland tropics

• 3000 Bp• Classic Period 200-900 Ad• Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Yucatan• Cotton exports, specialization

– Aztec Civilization-Valley of Mexico ~ 6,000 feet AMSL• Teotihuacán →Toltecs →Aztecs • 1300 Ad• Valley Of Mexico, Tenochtitlán (>100,000)

– Mexico City