Is Geography Destiny?

by Gallup, John Luke; Gaviria, Alejandro; Lora, Eduardo

• ISBN13: 9780804749275
• ISBN10: 0804749272
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-10-01
• Publisher: Stanford Social Sciences

Summary

Geographic interpretations of development recently have become the subject of much renewed interest and debate within scholarly and public policy circles. Focusing on Latin America, this book examines how physical and human geography has influenced the region's potential for economic and social development. The book assesses how geography affects differences in development between countries and more specifically between Latin America and other regions of the world. The effects of geography on regional development are examined through four channels: the productivity of land, health conditions, frequency and intensity of natural disasters, and access to markets. The book then explores how geography has influenced development within countries through case studies of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Perucountries significant for their geographical diversity as well as their wide socioeconomic disparities. These case studies illustrate numerous exceptions to international patterns and prove that while geography matters, it need not determine a country's destiny. Using the knowledge gained from these two perspectives, the book concludes with recommendations for policies that can help countries overcome the limitations imposed by geography and thereby enhance their potential for economic and social development.

Author Biography

John Luke Gallup is an economic consultant and former Research Fellow at the Center for International Development at Harvard University. Alejandro Gaviria is the Deputy Director of the National Planning Department of Colombia. Eduardo Lora is the Principal Advisor of the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank.

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
INTRODUCTION: IS GEOGRAPHY DESTINY?	1	(6)
Determinism and Fatalism	3	(2)
Three Viewpoints	5	(2)
1 THE CHANNELS OF INFLUENCE OF GEOGRAPHY: LATIN AMERICA FROM AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE	7	(62)
The Diverse Geographical Regions of Latin America	8	(6)
History	14	(14)
Geography and Development	28	(30)
Will Geography Matter in the Future?	58	(8)
Notes	66	(3)
2 THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN: THE INFLUENCE OF GEOGRAPHY WITHIN COUNTRIES	69	(62)
Mexico	71	(7)
Bolivia	78	(12)
Colombia	90	(14)
Peru	104	(11)
Brazil	115	(11)
Conclusions	126	(1)
Notes	127	(4)
3 POLICIES TO OVERCOME THE LIMITATIONS OF GEOGRAPHY	131	(18)
Regional Development	131	(3)
Research and Technology	134	(6)
Information and Market Signals	140	(3)
Urban Policies	143	(2)
Spatial Organization	145	(3)
Notes	148	(1)
Abbreviations and Acronyms	149	(2)
Bibliography	151	(12)
Index	163