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South America
key terms for south america
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Altiplano | High-elevation plateau, basin, or valley between even higher mountain ranges, especially in the Andes of South America |
Land Alienation | One society or culture group taking land from another |
Liberation Theology | A powerful religious movement that arose in South America during the 1950s, and subsequently gained followers throughout the global periphery |
Subsistence Agriculture | Farmers who eke out a living on a small plot of land on which they are only able to grow enough food to support their families or at best a small community |
Uneven Development | The notion that economic development varies spatially, a central tenet of core-periphery relationships in realms, regions, and lesser geographic entities |
Supranationalism | A venture involving three or more states—political, economic, and/or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives |
Informal Sector | The primitive form of capitalism found in many developing countries that takes place beyond the control of government |
Barrio | Term meaning “neighborhood” in Spanish |
Favela | Shantytown on the outskirts or even well within an urban area in Brazil |
Megacity | Informal term referring to the world’s most heavily populated cities (Ex: Mexico City) |
Dependencia Theory | A new way of thinking about economic development and underdevelopment that explained the persistent poverty of certain countries in terms of their unequal relations with other countries |
Insurgent State | The establishment by antigovernment insurgents of a territorial base in which they exercise full control; thus a state within a state (Ex: Farclandia) |
Failed State | A country whose institutions have collapsed and in which anarchy prevails (Ex: Colombia) |
Triple Frontier | The turbulent and chaotic area in southern South America that surrounds the convergence of Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay |
Primate City | A country’s largest city—ranking atop its urban hierarchy—most expressive of the national culture and usually (but not in every case) the capital city as well (Ex: Buenos Aires) |
Buffer State | A country or set of countries separating ideological or political adversaries |
Entrepôt | A place, usually a port city, where goods are imported, stored, and transshipped; a break-of-bulk point |
Forward Capital | Capital city positioned in actually or potentially contested territory, usually near an international border; it confirms the state’s determination to maintain its presence in the area of contention (Ex: Brasília) |
Cerrado | Regional term referring to the fertile savannas of Brazil’s interior Central-West that make it one of the world’s most promising agricultural frontiers |
Elongation | In political geography, refers to the territorial configuration of a state that is at least six times longer than its average width |