Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
The American continent is big: 42 million square kilometers, almost 15,000 km from North to
South. Such a large landmass is bound to have some diversity. But there, contrasts are more
vivid than anywhere else.
The most striking one is the North / South division. North of the US / Mexican border, the
USA and Canada are among the wealthiest, most developed countries in the world. South of
the border, Latin America is made of a variety of LDCs composed of emerging countries,
developing countries and some countries from the Fourth world in the Caribbean Basin. The
political division is also extreme.
Dreams of unity are ancient. But so far they have failed to materialize. Two countries seem to
stand out as potential unifiers for a divided continent. The USA is a global power, with a
special interest for the American continent. Brazil is an emerging power that tries to assert its
regional influence.
Problematic: Is American unity on its way? How is the USA involved in unifying the
continent? Can Brazil play a role?
I. New York City and Rio de Janeiro, two global cities reflecting their countries’ power
Factfile on New York City and Rio de Janeiro:
Officially The City of New York (nicknamed "Big Apple" or "Gotham") is located in
the southern end of the state of New York, thus in the northeast of the USA, approximately
halfway between Washington D.C. and Boston. It is placed at the mouth of the Hudson River,
and much of the city is built on the 3 islands of Manhattan, Staten Island and western Long
Island. It was founded as the colony of New Amsterdam by Dutchmen in the early 17th
century, and then ceded as part of the Province of New York to the British in 1664. Composed
of 5 boroughs – i.e. counties (if each were to be independent cities, 4 of the boroughs Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx - would be among the 10 most populous cities in
the USA), the city spread from its beginnings on Manhattan Island (between the Hudson and
East rivers) onto nearby Staten Island, western Long Island, and mainland North America,
incorporating the other communities in 1898.
Nicknamed "the magnificent city" (Cidade Maravilhosa) because of its breathtaking
natural setting, Rio de Janeiro (named by the Portuguese explorer, Gaspar de Lemos, in
January 1501, its original name means "River of January") was the colonial capital until
1808 and replaced Salvador de Bahia as Brazil’s capital in 1763 for almost 2 centuries, until
the federal government shifted its headquarters to Brasilia in 1960. Rio was a city-state
between 1960 and 1975, until a presidential decree removed its federative status and merged it
with the state of Rio de Janeiro. Rio’s primacy suffered yet another blow in the late 1950s:
São Paulo, its rival 400 km to the southwest, surpassed it to become Brazil’s largest city.
Rio is situated around the huge natural harbour of Guanabara Bay, in southeast Brazil, and
occupies an area of 1 182.3 square kilometers. The city is squeezed into a narrow strip of
land between the coastline and a steep range of forested mountains; miles of sandy
beaches and coastal lagoons are overlooked by very steep mountains including Sugar
Loaf Mountain and the Corcovado, which rises to over 700 metres. The Corcovado is
world famous for its Sugar Loaf Mountain, on top of which is found the 40 m high statue
of Christ the Redeemer, overlooking the city.
A. NYC, a master global city
Sources to use: Map of Manhattan (based on a French schoolbook), New York's boroughs (H
.J. de Blij, Peter O.Muller, Geography : Realms, Regions and Concepts, John Wiley and Son
Inc., 2002), New York aerial view, taken from the film Home made by Yann Arthus Bertrand
in 2009, New York/New Jersey region's trade and transportation network (New York
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
government website, 2012), Global cities, an attempt of definition (Fu-Chen Lo and Yue-Man
Yeung, Globalisation and the world of large cities, UN University Press, 2008), The following
is the text of Mayor Bloomberg's weekly radio address as prepared for delivery on 1010
WINS News Radio for Sunday, May 20, 2007, The 9/11 terrorist attack in New York seen
from
New
Jersey
(http://static.911digitalarchive.org/REPOSITORY/IMAGES/PHOTOS/1005.jpeg),
The
present-day economic crisis (http://www.usnews.com/cartoons/ economycartoons?s_cid=art_btm, 2013), Wealth gap in cities creating a social time bomb (The
Guardian, October 23, 2008).
Source 1: Map of Manhattan (based on a French schoolbook)
Source 2: New York's boroughs
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: H.J. de Blij, Peter O.Muller, Geography : Realms, Regions and Concepts,
Concepts John Wiley
and Son Inc., 2002
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source 3: New York aerial view, taken from the film Home made by Yann Arthus
Bertrand in 2009.
Source 4: New York/New Jersey region's trade and transportation network
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: New York government website, http://www.panynj.gov/port-authority
authority-ny-nj.html,
2013
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source 5: Global cities, an attempt of definition:
[…] There is a class of cities that are critical to the new global economy. These are called
global cities, because they perform certain functions that differentiate them from others and
that help drive the global economy. […] One key element of the functional global city system
is that new networks and linkages are created in the system and global cities are the points of
convergence of these networks and thus acquire growing centrality and importance. Network
functions are engendered through financial flows, headquarter-branch relations, high-tech
service intensity, and telecommunications networks […] Global cities should be seen as a
“junction in flows” of goods, information. […] Competitive leadership depends upon the
nodality1, density, and efficiency of international transport and communication networks
linking theses cities to the rest of the world. Hubs within these networks have accounted for a
disproportionate share of urban development and have attracted firms engaged in transport
logistics, telecommunications, and air passenger transports.
Fu-Chen Lo and Yue-Man Yeung, Globalisation and the world of large cities, UN University
Press, 2008
Source 6: The following is the text of Mayor Bloomberg's weekly radio address as
prepared for delivery on 1010 WINS News Radio for Sunday, May 20, 2007.
"Good Morning. This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
"There's no longer much doubt that the greenhouse gases we produce by burning fossil fuels contribute
to global warming; the real question now is 'What are we going to do about it?' New York's answer is
straightforward; we aim to reduce our release of greenhouse gases by 30% by 2030. In fact, City
government is going to lead the way by hitting that 30% target by 2017. These are ambitious goals,
and last week we took some major steps toward reaching them.
"On Wednesday, I joined former President Bill Clinton in announcing a multi-billion dollar publicprivate partnership that will help property owners and government agencies in New York and 15 of the
world's other biggest cities cut energy consumption in our existing buildings.
"Working with the Clinton Foundation, five major international banks have each pledged $1 billion to
finance upgrades in heating, cooling, and lighting systems and other worldwide building
improvements that will cut energy use-and greenhouse gas production-by as much as 50%. This will
make a big difference in New York, because the more than 900,000 buildings in the five boroughs
account for nearly 80% of the greenhouse gases we produce. […]
"Automobile exhaust is another major source of greenhouse gases. It also produces the air pollution
responsible for the tragically high rates of serious childhood asthma in our city. That's what makes our
proposed pilot project of automobile congestion pricing in Manhattan below 86th Street so important.
It would cut the number of vehicles on those streets-and on streets and highways throughout the city
and region-and also finance major mass transit projects. […]
"I stressed our city's environmental goals-especially those relating to global warming-when I spoke to
mayors of many of the world's greatest cities when they were in New York last week for a global
summit on climate change. Cities are at the forefront of fighting global warming. Even though cities
produce more than 70% of the world's greenhouse gases, the good news is that because our homes and
businesses are relatively compact and close to one another, and because we rely so heavily on mass
transit, New York and other cities also tend to be very energy efficient.[…]
"This is Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Thanks for listening."
1
Characteristic of being a hub.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source 7: The 9/11 terrorist attack in New York seen from New Jersey
Source: http://static.911digitalarchive.org/REPOSITORY/IMAGES/PHOTOS/1005.jpeg
Source 8: The present-day economic crisis
Source: http://www.usnews.com/cartoons/ economycartoons?s_cid=art_btm, 2013
Source 9: Wealth gap in cities creating a social time bomb
Growing inequality in US cities could lead to widespread social unrest and increased
mortality, says a new UN report on the urban environment. In a survey of 120 major cities,
New York was found to be the ninth most unequal in the world [...]. "High levels of inequality
can lead to negative social, economic and political consequences that have a destabilising
effect on societies," said the report. "[They] create social and political fractures that can
develop into social unrest and insecurity."
According to the annual State of the World's cities report from UN-Habitat, race is one of the
most important factors determining levels of inequality in the US and Canada. "In western
New York state nearly 40% of the black, Hispanic and mixed-race households earned less
than $15,000 compared with 15% of white households. The life expectancy of AfricanAmericans in the US is about the same as that of people living in China and some states of
India, despite the fact that the US is far richer than the other two countries," it said. [...]
Source: The Guardian, October 23, 2008
Questions:
1. Prove that New York City has all the functions of a global city (define what a global city
is first).
A global city is a metropolis that concentrates political, economic activities and that spread its
influence on its region, on its country and on the world and which rules the world because of
the concentration of financial, economic and political centres that impulse policies of
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
globalisation. And among all, a global city is connected to all the networks in the world and
has more than 8 millions of inhabitants.
New York is a major economic hub: it’s the 2nd most powerful city in the world on the
economic aspect after Tokyo in terms of Global Economic Power Index. But it also be
considered as the first in some other index in order that NYC benefits from the US power.
This applies in various economic fields:
- it is a hub of finance, insurance because of the presence of the 1st world stock
exchange in the world (Wall Street) composed of two stock market NYSE and
NASDAQ. This last is the largest stock exchange in the world by capitalization ($
14,242 billion in 2011) and the second largest stock exchange in the world by market
capitalization ($ 4,687 billion in 2011). But regarding capitalisation, Wall Street is
behind London stock exchange.
- NYC has a large concentration of wealth because it’s the biggest regional economy in
USA. The estimated Gross Metropolitan Product of the New York metropolitan area is
$ 1.13 trillion and it is predicted to be the richest city by 2025, ahead of Tokyo,
Shanghai...
- NYC has also a large concentration of headquarters of TNCs as the fact that many
Fortune 500 companies2 have their head offices in the city. These TNCs are as diverse
as banks (JP Morgan Chase and Co), service firms (Ernst and Young LLP), media
firms (Thompson Reuters), insurance firms (New York Life Insurance Co), jeweller
and design firm (Tiffany and Co Corp), telecommunications (Time Warner Cable Inc)
and so on.
This economic influence is visible spatially in the two CBDs of NYC such as Wall Street with
the Stock Exchange, TNCs HQ, the Federal Reserve Bank and such as the one midtown close
to the Empire State and the Chrysler buildings.
New York's worldwide influence is also diplomatic, thanks to the presence of the UN
headquarters in Manhattan, since its completion in 1952 (i.e. 7 years after the creation of the
organisation at the San Francisco conference of June 1945); the city also hosts the
headquarters of some UN agencies like the UNICEF. New York City's influence is also, to
some extent, military, due to the nearby location of one of the most famous US military
academies, West Point, that has been made worldwide famous thanks to some of its former
students (US presidents, generals...) and movies shot there (e.g. MacArthur, released in 1977).
New York's worldwide cultural power is illustrated by various elements:
- the fame and attractiveness of its universities (e.g. Columbia University – one of the
university of the Ivy League3 -, Manhattan College, New York Institute of technology,
New York University, etc.), some being part of the Ivy League
- many world famous cultural organisations and centres : over 500 art galleries,
museums (e.g. : the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Carnegie Hall, the MoMA) ;
theatres on Broadway, the Metropolitan Opera, the NYC Opera, the New York
Philharmonic, the NYC Ballet, the Rockefeller center, ...
- many famous tourist places such as The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Time Square,
Central Park, the Empire State Building, ...
- NYC is the second film making city in the USA after LA and the third in the world
after LA and Mumbai. The City is also famous for theatre plays.
2. Prove that New York City is a hub
2
Fortune is a magazine that makes classification of the 500 most important, powerful, richest and dominant
TNCs in the world each year.
3
The Ivy League is composed of the eight most famous, attractive and competitive universities in the USA. Six
of them are on the East Coast: Columbia, Yale, Duke, Princeton, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and Harvard and two of the west coast in the suburbs of San Francisco: Stanford and Berkeley.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
New York is opened and connected to the world thanks to international transportation
network and infrastructures:
- NYC port is the most important on the East Coast and is a part of the US North
Atlantic Seaboard and Northeastern Range, i. e. the most important maritime route on
this side of the Atlantic. The Port of NY/New Jersey is well connected to the rest of
the world as it is the gateway for merchandises and raw materials from all over the
world. Its 6 container terminal make it now the 3rd largest port in the USA handling
5.5 million 20-foot equivalent units in 2011, even if it’s far behind the Asiatic port
such as Shanghai with its 32.5 20-foot equivalent units in 2012.
- NYC has 3 international airports: La Guardia, JFK and Newark, which, for the 2 latter,
rank in the world top 50 airports, both for passenger and freight traffic.
3. Prove that New York City has a regional, national and international influence.
As a center of command and impulse for globalisation, NYC has an influence on the world.
Having one of the world leading stock exchanges, NYC has a large power in order to control
and transform financial flows all over the world. The large amount of TNCs’ Headquarters
concentrated in the city let also assume that important decisions on the New Division of
Labour, RandD strategies and commercial strategies and campaign are decided in NYC.
Finally, the cultural and diplomatic importance of NYC attracts each more and more people
from all over the world in order to visit or to stay in the Big Apple.
Moreover, as the first centre of consumption and the real economic capital of the USA, NYC
is also an impulse center for the USA by dragging a large amount of agricultural products,
industrial and financial flows. It also attracts a large number of people for tourism, for
studying or for working in NYC in the large numbers of firms and services that are linked to
them.
Finally the influence of NYC on its region is visible through the transportation system with
trains, roads, subways that connects the city, and its heart Manhattan, to the various district of
NYC, to the suburbs and moreover to New Jersey and region from around 60 km range from
the center of Manhattan Island. The influence is also visible in the phenomenon of the
commuters causing large traffic jam and a large crowd of people in the common transport at
the rush hours.
4. Prove that NYC decided to develop a sustainable development program.
NYC explored the idea of a sustainable development program in order to drop the production
of greenhouse gases (GHG). This program was released in 2007 by the mayor Michael
Blumberg in a radiobroadcast speech. The question was to transform the way the city was
consuming energy and the question of traffic. First, it was a question of rehabilitating the old
building and the systems of heat and cooling. It causes large transformations in many districts
of NYC, especially Harlem, causing a gentrification, even if it’s only in progress, in this
district. Moreover, a project of creating a toll for traffic was proposed but it faced the
opposition of taxi drivers and the importance of the cost of such a system. But this project
wasn’t only a project for NYC. It’s a part of a larger project and system of finance of
sustainable program in global cities, proving that NYC is an impulse center in this domain too
and cooperates with other cities of the world oligopoly.
5. Explain the weaknesses NYC has had to face since the last decade.
New York City’s space distribution illustrates socio-spatial segregation among the city:
- high cost of land in the central areas, especially in the Manhattan explain why few
people can afford living there: only the wealthiest middle or upper classes, mainly
WASPs can afford a house or a flat in the center of Manhattan, close to the area from
downtown to Central Park.
- many inner urban areas (inner city and inner suburb areas), such as Harlem and the
Bronx, have been deserted by populations unable to pay high rents for housing, and
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
have decayed and thus become ghettos where the poorest populations (ethnic
minorities, unskilled and unemployed people) are concentrated. Nearly 40% of the
black, Hispanic and mixed-race households earned less than $ 15 000... live in these
neighbourhoods.
- most of the well-off populations live in the outer urban space (outer suburbs and
suburbanised villages, i.e. the rural to urban fringes) such as Queens and Long Island
New York City is today considered as one of the most unequal cities, actually the ninth most
unequal in the world, which can contribute to social troubles and contest. The recent
movement of "Occupy Wall Street" might be an illustration.
Some of New York City’s difficulties weakened it. It was weakened because of the economic
crisis resulting from the subprime mortgage crisis that started in 2008 in Wall Street and in a
ripple effect has affected the entire world economy. Indeed, it has deeply affected the city and
the US economy, especially employment. This was accentuated by hurricane Sandy that hits
the Northeastern coastline of the USA in October 2012, strongly disrupting the infrastructures
of transportation, communication and energy supply, affecting deeply the economy of New
York City and other cities of the coastline, but also of the entire country, due to the high costs
of reconstruction. The New York City mayor’s office in late November estimated total losses
to the city to be $19 billion. NYC’s position was also contested as the 9/11/2001 attacks
shows because the symbol of the US and NYC economic power was targeted first: the Twin
Towers of the World Trade Centre, i.e. the heart of NYC’s (ad the US) financial and
economic power.
B. Rio de Janeiro, an emerging global city
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source 1: Brazil map
Source: map of the world, 2013.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source 2: Rio de Janeiro’s geographical features
Source: H.J. de Blij, Peter O.Muller, Geography : Realms, Regions and Concepts, John Wiley
and Son Inc., 2002
Source 3: Rio de Janeiro means business
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil’s beachfront city of Rio de Janeiro has long been a lure for
tourists who are drawn to miles of beaches and a relaxed outdoor lifestyle. But perceptions
about Rio are changing — as is the reality. “The city of Rio de Janeiro has the greatest
concentration of opportunities per square meter of any city in the world,” said Cristiano
Prado, manager of infrastructure and new business at industrial trade group Firjan. Many of
the opportunities are related to Rio’s central role in the 2014 World Cup and the 2016
Summer Olympics, two of the world’s biggest sporting events. [...] In addition to generating
billions in public-sector investment alone, these international events are helping to push Rio
out from under the shadow of São Paulo. Although São Paulo is home to the country’s
banking sector, the stock exchange and many corporate headquarters, the two largest
companies in Brazil — state oil company Petrobras and mining giant Vale — call Rio de
Janeiro home. Rio is also the base for Brazil’s telecommunications and media industries.
[...]
The city plays a key role in international trade, especially for iron ore, oil and steel—and
many of those sectors are expanding to meet growing global demand for raw materials.
Petrobas is investing heavily—to the tune of $224 billion through 2014—to develop the
massive offshore oil deposits that are buried deep under layers of salt. [...] the latest oil
discoveries are expected to push Brazil into the top five of global oil producers. [...]
Source: http://latintrade.com/2011/03/rio-de-janeiro-means-business, march 2011.
Source 4: Rio’s TNCs
Rio de Janeiro hosts 2 of the 8 Brazilian companies listed by Fortune in its top world 500
companies. The first is Petrobas, Brazil's state-controlled oil company, which ranks 23 (it
gained 11 ranks from 2011 to 2012). It has hit some rough waters. While it remains the
world's largest deepwater oil producer, the company says it foresees a slight decrease in total
production over the next five years -- about 2.5 million barrels per day in 2016, compared to
the estimated 3 million barrels per day by 2015 the company projected in its 2011 five-year
business plan. The forecast follows an earlier announcement of Petrobras' plan to increase
gasoline prices by 7.8 percent and diesel prices by 3.9 percent. The second is Vale, a
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
multinational diversified metal and mining corporation (the second largest mining company in
the world) and which participates in energy consortia, ranking 159.
Source: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/global500/2012/countries/Brazil.html, 2012.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source 5: Rio economic sectors:
Primary Sector: Rio basically invests a lot in sugar-cane production. It has large plantations in
the area of Campos. Production of oranges too forms a major part of the farming sector.
Coffee was once a key industry but due to environmental factors, it has lost its importance.
Other food grains are also produced but not in large amounts to be sold on a large scale.
Among the livestock industry there are various animal farms all over the city. Fishing of
sardines is also a significant part of the Brazilian economy.
Industrial Sector: Rio has attracted many oil companies with the discovery of oil in the
Campos basin. There are many international oil companies like Shell, EBX and Esso which
have their branches in the city. Not just branches, but many companies have their
headquarters situated in Rio. Some of them are telecom corporations like Oi and Embratel.
Rio comes second in the industrial sector and is a foremost financial and service centre. The
service sector is dominated by the banking sector which is an active part of the economy.
Rio’s stock exchange Bolsa da Valores is the second most dynamic stock market in Brazil.
Tourism Sector: Tourists, both international and other Brazilian visitors are beneficial in
boosting Rio’s economy. The world famous carnivals, beaches and the ecological beauty of
Rio attracts thousands of tourists from all around the world. The multiculturalism found in
Brazil and Rio is rare and therefore the diversity in traditions, lifestyle, and cuisine catches the
attention of many. The tropical climate is also one of the main reasons for the increasing
tourist influx. The city can be visited any time of the year as the climate, even if hot is
bearable.
Source: Rio de Janeiro government website, 2012.
Source 6: Rio+20 Earth summit
The first Earth summit in 20 years is formally called The United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development. After Stockholm in 1972 and Rio in 1992, it is the third and
biggest in a series of landmark global gatherings that aims to find a balance between
economic growth and environmental protection. The high-level summit will be held from 20
to 22 June at the Riocentro Convention Centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. [...] Representatives
from more than 190 countries, including 130 leaders, will participate in the formal session. In
addition, it is estimated that 50,000 participants from civil society and business groups will
take part in side events and the People's summit. The political weight is tilted heavily towards
emerging economies and developing nations. Brazil, Russia, India and China will be
represented by national leaders. In Europe the picture is mixed: France and Spain are among
those participating at the highest level. [...]
Rio+20 is much bigger than its predecessor, but it has also been criticised for being vaguer
and less ambitious. The earlier Earth summit resulted in the landmark conventions on climate
change and biodiversity. This time, however, organisers do not expect any legally binding
treaties. Instead, they hope nations will agree to a set of shared principles, landmarks and
goals and initiate a process to define what it means to be sustainable. [...]
Leaders will grapple with two main themes: How to build a green economy that reduces
poverty without destroying the environment, and how to improve global governance. [...]
Draft texts have included proposals to strengthen protection of the world's oceans [...] to
promote alternatives to GDP as a measure of well-being, to reduce subsidies for fossil fuels
[...] to encourage investment in natural capital, and to provide financial support for poorer
nations to move onto a more sustainable track. [...] As at the climate talks in Copenhagen and
Durban, and the earlier Rio conference, there are considerable divisions - particularly between
developed and developing countries - about burden sharing and whether to emphasise
environmental protection or poverty alleviation. [...] Delegates also disagree on the extent to
which environmental reporting and progress towards commitments should be checked. [...]
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: The Guardian, June 6th, 2012
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/06/rio
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/06/rio
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jun/06/rio-earth-summit).
Source 7: Port of Rio de Janeiro
Source: University of Texas, 2010.
Source 8: Rio airports in passengers flows (2010)
Source: Brazilian Government Airport Authority, 2012.
Source 9: video Brazilian army takes control of the largest favela in Rio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lm6eoRJVoo0
Source: AFP, November 13th, 2011.
Source 10: video Rio de Janeiro, aerial view.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6hoZ2spNkA
Source: Oca Brazil team, september
septemb 2011.
Source 11: The 2016 Olympics are helping Rio to emerge from the shadow of São Paulo
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
[...] Rio de Janeiro will receive about $32 billion in infrastructure investments through 2015.
The investments include upgrades to Rio’s port and international airport and improvements to
the city’s transportation grid. [...] A transformation is also taking place in the hillside slums
that also ring Rio de Janeiro, once home to lawlessness and drug trafficking [...]. As questions
about Rio’s ability to guarantee safety during the World Cup and Summer Olympics
resurfaced, government officials sent federal troops into one of the city’s largest favelas to
clear out the gang members and restore order. So far, the measures have shown promise.
Some statistics indicate that crime rates are dropping, while the government has been adding
social and other services and reaching those that need them most. Rio built new police data
and intelligence centres and increased training and salaries for street officers. [...] Other
projects are under way that underscore the long-term prospects for Rio beyond the sporting
events. [...]
Source: http://latintrade.com/2011/03/rio-de-janeiro-means-business, march 2011.
Questions:
1. Locate precisely Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and identify its official status.
Rio is situated around the huge natural harbour of Guanabara Bay, in southeast Brazil, and
occupies an area of 1 182.3 square kilometre. The city is squeezed into a narrow strip of land
between the coastline and a steep range of forested mountains; miles of sandy beaches and
coastal lagoons are overlooked by very steep mountains including Sugar Loaf Mountain and
the Corcovado, which rises to over 700 metres. The Corcovado is world famous for its Sugar
Loaf Mountain, on top of which is found the 40 m high statue of Christ the Redeemer,
overlooking the city.
Rio de Janeiro became Brazil’s capital in 1763 for almost 2 centuries, until the federal
government shifted its headquarters to Brasilia in 1960.
2. Prove that Rio possesses the function of a global city.
Rio is a major economic hub in Brazil and South America, and is estimated as one of the city
with a very large amount of opportunities in the future, allowing it to be more and more
powerful on the international scale in the future decades. It’s the 2nd most powerful city in
Brazil on the economic domain after São Paulo which is home to the country’s banking
sector, the stock exchange and many corporate headquarters. But Rio de Janeiro as many
assets:
- It possesses the 2nd Brazilian stock exchange, the Bolsa de Valores de Rio de Janeiro
which is now trading in government bonds and currencies
- It has an important concentration of wealth : the estimated Gross Metropolitan Product
of Rio reached about $ 195 B in 2012 – it represents 45% of general state GDP.
- Rio concentrates TNCs, but essentially Brazilians. In Rio are found the headquarters
of 2 of the 8 Brazilian companies listed by Fortune in its top world 500 companies.
Compared to São Paulo which concentrates 4 of these companies, it seems to be less
important, but those in Rio are the 2 leading Brazilian TNCs, the oil company
Petrobas, which ranks 23" in the world, and the mining company Vale which, even
though ranking only 159, is the second largest mining company in the world (after the
Anglo-Australian BHP Billiton).
- The city plays a key role in international trade, especially for iron ore, oil and steel
- The City is also involved in oil production, especially after the recent discovery in
2007 in the Campos basin of massive offshore oil deposits that will enable Brazil to
compete at world level, doing about as well as Venezuela.
Rio’s diplomatic influence is growing internationally, as illustrate the two Earth summits
organised there, in 1992 and 2012 that widely echoed in the world. BRICS, such as Brazil,
played a determining role in it.
Rio's worldwide cultural power is illustrated by various elements:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
-
-
Rio is an important city because of the fame and attractiveness of its natural and
cultural sites or events : sunny features, beautiful scenery, beaches as famous as
Ipanema, Copacobana..., the Sugar Loaf Mountain and its statue of Christ the
Redeemer, its carnival, all these contribute to attract many international and
continental tourists. According to the Brazilian Tourism Ministry, about 1 M in 20092010, i.e. 20% of all overseas visitors to Brazil – but national tourists account for 60%
of its tourist total.
Rio will be a stage for the World Soccer Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympic games
in 2016: the Federal government foresees investments to develop transportation means
and hospitality infrastructures (17 new hotels from 2011 to 2014) due to the high
number of expected visitors (at least 500 000). Moreover, some infrastructures such as
stadium seen in the video are already built. Moreover, the army and the government
have begun since 2011 actions in the favelas (Rio’s slums) in order to take power back
in there against drug trafficking clans.
3. Prove that Rio is increasing its attraction in global economy.
Rio is developing new sectors of activities and trying to be very and more implemented in the
world oligopoly by developing its assets such as in oil production or trade. For that, it’s
developing infrastructures and connections to the world networks. Rio is opened and
connected to the world thanks to international transportation network and infrastructures.
Indeed, Rio developed its port. It is Brazil’s 3rd busiest port in terms of cargo (capacity for
storing 13 000 tons with its 10 external warehouses), and the centre for cruise vessels. Its total
trade reaches $ 13 billions in 2008, and concerns mainly sugar, iron, steel products,
chemicals, containers... But, Sepetiba isn’t one of the most important container ports in the
world, being only at the 37st place in the container port rank in 2011 by metric ton but it isn’t
in the first 100 ports in 20-TEU.
Rio has two airports: a domestic, Santos Dumont and an international, Tom Jobim, so-called
Galeão International Airport. The latter has seen its passenger traffic multiplied by 1.5
between 2005 and 2010, but it is not in the first 30 airporst by passengers handle in the world.
Rio’s economy relies mainly on all sectors of activities:
- Rio produces many plantation products such as sugar and citrus fruits. The
agribusiness represents a share of 25% of Brazil’s GDP
- Rio comes second in the industrial sector, especially in telecommunications with
telecom corporations like Oi and Embratel and hydrocarbon production. Rio has
attracted many oil companies with the discovery of oil in the Campos basin, among
them Petrobas the Brazilian oil firm.
- The service sector is dominated by the banking sector. Rio’s stock exchange Bolsa da
Valores is the second most dynamic stock market in Brazil. Tourism has played a
major role in Rio’s economy because of Rio’s natural and cultural assets. The world
famous carnivals, beaches and the ecological beauty of Rio attract thousands of
tourists from all over the world. 67% of the city’s GDP is related to tourism business.
Moreover, as you can see on the video, Rio is a one of the most famous cruise stop in
the cruise circuits.
4. Prove that Rio is developing its visibility on the world governance.
Rio is developing its visibility on the world governance by the participation and the
organisation of world event linked to the world governance such as the Earth Summits. These
summits of 1992 and 2012 group a large number of countries from all over the world and
there were taken decisions about the importance and the future of world sustainable
development policies and organisations. Indeed, in 1992, were adopted the principle of the
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Agenda 21 for the protection of Earth for example. However, Rio is not one of the most
influential cities in the world governance whatever the results of the Earth summits were.
5. Prove that Rio tries to be more visible on the international scene.
Rio tries to be more visible by organising international events such as the football cup in 2014
and the Olympic Games in 2016. The objective is to be a part of the world culture, but
moreover to change the image of violence and danger that concerns Rio in the mind of many
people all over the world. The organisation of international governance summit is also a way
to appear as a leader of the emerging world, side by side with Russia and China.
6. Explain that Rio is emerging as a global city but that it has to face many stakes and
challenges.
In Rio, and in Brazilian society in general, whites are better off economically and enjoy more
privilege. Rio is concerned by a very large socio-spatial segregation:
- Most whites live in the wealthier enclaves of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon, or in
wealthy coastal suburbs such as Jacarepagua and Barra de Tijuca, to the Southwest of
the city. Barra has many luxury apartment blocks, shopping malls, recreational and
tourist facilities such as hotels, restaurants and theme parks. New motorways connect
this area with the rest of the city.
- Most blacks and other ethnic groups live in the favelas that surround the city, such as
Roçinha, which is Rio’s largest and oldest favela with an estimated population of
150,000 inhabitants. This area of slum housing is found on a very steep hillside in the
South Zone of Rio. Its 1st shacks were built in the 1940s, but the main growth took
place during the 1970s-1980s with the construction of the nearby wealthy suburb of
Barra, attracting migrants with the prospect of jobs in the construction industry.
Dwellers pile up in horrid living conditions, and violence is common due to the
presence of drug smuggling gangs. In 2011, the army takes control back on that favela
with tanks and commandos in order to stop drug smuggling gangs and find a way to
protect people from the favelas and also tourists in the objective of the Football Cup
and the Olympic games.
Some of Rio’s major challenges and stakes are social and environmental:
- social, because of the strong gap within the population, whether it be in terms of social
classes or races (or both). Efforts have already be done, in clearing out the favelas so
as to guarantee security for visitors, staffs... by 2014 (for the World Cup) and 2016
(for the coming Olympic Games) – government officials sent federal troops into one
of the city’s largest favelas to clear out the gang members and restore order. So far, the
measure have shown promiseSuch measures have been accompanied by a social
policy of improvement of favela dwellers’ living conditions, for instance creating
sewerage systems and other sanitation infrastructures. Despite all this, Brazil, and
Rio’s society as well, remains one of the most unequal societies in the world
- environmental : Rio suffered from pollution due to the traffic but also to the fact that
many favelas weren’t well connected to sanitation systems.
Plus Rio has to face economic stake and has to try to recover its leadership, lost in the
1990s to the benefit of São Paulo.
C. From controlling the world to attempting to play a major role, comparison of two
global cities of different level
Questions:
1. Compare the hard power of both cities
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
NYC’s hard power is more developed than Rio’s. Indeed, as the headquarters of the UN and
as the 1st economic power of the 1st superpower in the world, NYC is one of the main impulse
centers from the world oligopoly. It’s also the headquarters of the most important organisation
of the world diplomacy in order to maintain peace, the UNO. NYC is more visible in the
world governance than Rio which only the 2nd urban power in Brazil and an emerging city
from the world oligopoly, even if some important Brazilian TNCs have their headquarters
there and if those companies are able to challenge the western TNCs.
2. Compare the soft power of both cities
NYC soft power is more developed than the one of Rio even if both are very famous tourist
places that attract a lot of people but for different reasons. Tourism in Rio is based on
heliotropism and seaside tourism, or tourism for the carnival whereas NYC has international
museums and international leading universities attracting brains from all over the planet, even
from Brazil.
3. Compare weaknesses of both cities
Both cities are touched by socio-spatial segregation and, even if some districts in NYC have
become “ghettos”, it’s far different from Rio’s favelas. Both cities are touched by social
inequalities but the international crisis seems to have much more touched NYC than Rio,
which, as a city from a emerging country continue to have a very important growth whereas
NYC’s economy seem to have slowed down a bit since the past two years. But poverty is less
developed in NYC than in Rio where more than 300, 000 of people live in slums.
4. Explain that these two global cities are the mirror of their respective countries’ power.
Both cities’ powers are also linked to their own country power, even if some geographers says
that global cities are less connected to their own countries than to each other. Anyway, it is
clear that being the most powerful global city of the 1st world economic power gives more
power to NYC in the world, more visibility and more representation in the world governance.
But, emerging countries, as Brazil belongs to, are more and more powerful and challenge the
member of the Triad and of developed countries because of the more and more important
power of their TNCs, their important growth which more than 5% each year – less than 1 %
for the developed countries in the meantime – and because of their more important leadership
and recognition in international organisation and international events as Brazil shows it by
challenging the USA and the European Union on the question of granting funds to farmers
from the North of the WTO or by being one of the leaders of the BRICS4 and one of the
member of the G20.
5. Show that domination of both global cities is far from equal but that Rio is emerging
whereas New York is trying to consolidate its power and face competition.
Both cities are member of the world oligopoly but NYC is much more powerful than Rio.
But, many cities are emerging on the world scale, trying to attract more and more TNCs,
international events and be visible on the international scene. Rio is one of them, even if São
Paulo in Brazil is more developed and more competitive. However, the place it tries to obtain
on the world events and world governance shows that Brazil doesn’t only to be some exotic
place dedicated to industry and agriculture but an impulse center on the world.
NYC in the meantime has to develop its competition and continue to be the leader of the
world. For that, it has to attract more and more TNCs, to remain the center of the
capitalisation of financial flows and to continue to be a reference on culture by spreading the
American way of life all over the world. It also has to face the aftermaths of the world
economic crisis, with the huge gap growing between social classes and locations inside the
city.
4
Sign invented by James O’Neill to talk about the emerging or remerging countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China
and South Africa.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
II. Territorial dynamics on the American continent: the US and Brazilian cases:
Sources to use: Rocinha, one of the largest favela in Rio (www.globalsherpa.org, 2013), NYC
seen from Liberty Island (Jason Hawkes, professional helicopter photographer, 2013),
Feedlots in the USA, feedlots from J.R. Simplot company (Peter Menzel, 2013), Mato
Grosso, agribusiness on duty (www.globalsherpa.org, 2013).
Source 1: Rocinha, one of the largest favela in Rio:
Source: www.globalsherpa.org5, 2013
Source 2: NYC seen from Liberty Island:
5
Globalization, Sustainable Development and Social Impact in World Rankings, Countries and Cities is an
Internet website developed by an American company dedicated on globalisation and sustainable development
research.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Jason Hawkes, professional helicopter photographer, 2013.
Source 3: Feedlots in the USA, feedlots from J.R. Simplot company6
6
This company is the most important Mac Donald’s provider in the USA.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Peter Menzel7, 2013.
8
Source 4: Mato Grosso , agribusiness on duty:
7
Peter Menzel is a freelance photojournalist known for his coverage of international feature stories on science
and the environment.
8
Mato Grosso is a brazilian state of Amazonia.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: www.globalsherpa.org, 2013.
1. Using your knowledge, explain if the American continent is chracterised by homogeneity
or disparities.
The American continent is characterised by strong and striking disparities of wealth between
the MDCs (Canada and the USA belonging to one of the main world areas of power) and the
LDCs (Latin America) touched by a great diversity too. Disparities could be due to
development as the differences of HDI shows between the USA and Haiti for example, the
two extremes in a matter of development. Disparities could also be linked to territorial,
geographical and environmental disparities, because every kind of climate are present on the
American areas : tropical, mediterranean, equatorial, desertic, mountain.
Divresity is also extreme inside countries and peculiar territories.
2. Using the following map, explain if a complete integration of the American continent is
possible.
The complete integration of the American continent seems to be difficult. Indeed, the
fragmentation and the diversity of the regional organisation is a strong rule. Even if North
American is well integrated because of NAFTA (North Atlantic Free Trade Organisation),
Latin America has a fragmentised organised due to the high number of regional organisations:
MERCOSUR, ALBA, FTAA, Pacific alliance and the organisations in the Caribbeans, plus
the presence of the European Union. Moreover, some organisations, such as ALBA has been
created to fight against the US desire to create the FTAA and to propose another specific way
for Latin and especially South America. Moreover, the Mercosur has also had the objective to
counterbalance the US influence alongside the Americas.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source : The regional organisation in Latin America.
Source: Graham Griffith, BBC world international’s consultant, 2012.
The North/South divide seems to be shaded by the creation of regional organisations which
try to book American countries together. The most well-known is the one of North-America,
NAFTA (North Atlantic Free-Trade Agreement). The USA has expected to create a FTAA
(Free Trade Agreement of the Americas) but it seems to fail. As a reaction, some countries
from South America created their own organisation as the Mercosur (Mercado Comunido del
Sud) or the ALBA (Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America). The idea of an
American hegemony seems to be the main question in the American continent.
3. Using the previous map and your knowledge, identify the two giants in the American
continent and their objectives.
The two giants are Brazil and the USA. Both of them want to be in control on the American
continent and want to defend their interest in and outside the continent. Brazil challenges the
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
American domination on the continent. Anyways, both countries territorial dynamics
highlight and reflect their will of power.
A. Ocean seaboards, an integration into globalisation
Sources to use: North Atlantic Seaboard Seaport, type of vessel by millions of tons (US
department of transportation, 2010), US territory and its opening to the world (based on
European section schoolbook, 2010), US population (based on European section schoolbook,
2010), Major maritime routes (International maritime organisation, 2010), HDI in Brazil
(bbc.co.uk/geography for GSCE, 2013).
Source 1: North Atlantic Seaboard Seaport, type of vessel by millions of tons
Source: US department of transportation, 2010
Source 2: US territory and its opening to the world:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Based on European section school book, 2010.
Source 3: Population distribution in the USA
Source: Based on an European sections schoolbook, 2010.
Source 4: Major Maritimes routes:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: International maritime organisation, 2010.
Source 5: Rio cruise port transformation:
Source: Rio Olympic games 2016 website, 2013.
Source 6: São Paulo, aerial view from the inner city:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Sammy Said, professional photographer, 2012.
Source 7: HDI (Human Development Index) in Brazil
Source: bbc.co.uk/geography for GSCE, 2013
Questions (In each case, don’t forget to use what was studied in the case study):
1. Prove that the US seaboards are dynamic seaboards on the economic, political and cultural
levels.
The US seaboards are very dynamic because they represent the American gateways. Indeed,
on the Atlantic and the Pacific seaboars, several global cities attract people from all over the
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
world. The North-Atlantic seaboards seems to be the most dynamic because of the
megalopolis and because it has been the oldest area of settlement in the USA. The two main
US global cities are located there : DC and NYC. Moreover, NYC attracts the most important
share of the globalised capital flows on the American continent. Several ports are also
gateways for merchandises and migrants such as NYC, Miami, Los Angeles and Seattle.
2. Prove that the cities on the US seaboards are centers of command of the USA and of the
world.
The US seaboards, as centers of the Megalopolis with two main global cities and megalopolis
under construction, are centres of command because these areas attract people, goods, capital
flows. They are responsible for the main decision of the US and world levels such as
diplomacy, economy and people. Indeed, as a matter of people, they could be attracted by
high skilled job, the experience of better way of life, and a better level of formation because
of the Ivy League universities.
3. Prove that the US seaboards are facing an important littoralisation.
Port, activities and people are mainly located on the seaboards that concentrate the most
important share of the American population, especially in the Megalopolis, the Pugetopolis
and in the megalopolis in California. The Sun Belt is also very attractive and activities are
located on the seaboards, such as merchandise transports in the ports, such as capital
exchanges in the cities.
4. Prove that some part of the Brazilian Atlantic seaboard is dynamic.
The Brazilian Atlantic seaboard is dynamic at the mouth of the Amazonia River, close to
Manaus seaport. But, the most dynamic share of the seaboard is close to the industrial
triangular fo Rio-São Paulo-Belo Horizonte, which could be considered a megalopolis under
construction. Anyway, the cultural, the economic capitals and one global cities are located
there attractinng tourists, investors and capital flows.
5. Explain what kind of activities the Brazilian seaboard concentrates.
The Brazilian seaboard concentrates industrial activities : textile, steel industry and so on. It
also concentrates financial activities in São Paulo. Finally, cultural activities are focused on
Rio, even if São Paulo has seen its situation changed in that matter of fact. Finally,
merchandises flows are important in the seaports and sometimes tourist flows as the
transformation of cruise port in São Paulo and Rio let us assume.
6. Prove that the Brazilian seaboard isn’t completely active.
Even two shares of the seaboard are activie, large part of Brazil, especially in Nordeste aren’t
integrated to national and international activities. This is due to physical geography that
causes impossibility to create ports in that region and because the activities on the seaboard
are in crisis. Moreover, the absence of major cities in other part of the Brazilian seaboard and
the Amazonian obstacle could explain that matter of fact.
7. Prove that the region São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro faces the strongest
littoralisation process in Brazil.
Those three cities belong to the Brazilian industrial triangular, meaning that they concentrate
the most important part of the industrial activities in Brazil. Moreover, because of the increase
of the Brazilian presence in globalisation, the two ports of Rio and São Paulo became the
most active for agricultural and commercial exportations and importations. Finally, tourist
activities concentrated in Rio are developed. All of this caused important urban
transformation and gentrification as the infrastructure for Rio 2014 and Rio 2016 shows or as
the transformation of the center of São Paulo highlights.
8. Explain what the consequences of the development of maritime interface are for both
countries.
The development of maritime interfaces for both countries allow the integration into
globalisation. It reinforces a long and old process for the USA, enlarging its domination on a
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
globalised world. For Brazil, it gives it a better integration to globalisation but the
impossibility to develop the entire atlantic interface create a macrocephalic organisation that
could cause inequal balance on the territory.
B. Continental interfaces in the USA, an large amount of power
Sources to use: Mexamerica, an intense interface between an emerging country and the USA
(based on a European section schoolbook, 2010), A border which is closing in (Emily Badger,
Pacific standard, August 2011), A checkpoint between the USA and Mexico at Nogales
(Solomon, Alan (March 16, 2008). "A borderline experience with Nogales". McClatchy –
Tribune Business News (Washington, DC). p. 1), Saint Lawrence seaway (Encyclopedia
Britannica for kids online, 2013), Saint Lawrence seaway, the heart of Main Street America
(Saint Lawrence seaway development corporation, 2011).
Source 1: Mexamerica, an intense interface between an emerging country and the USA:
Source: based on a European section schoolbook, 2010.
Source 2: A border which is closing in:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Emily Badger, Pacific standard, August 2011.
Source 3: A checkpoint between the USA and Mexico at Nogales
Source: Solomon, Alan (March 16, 2008). "A borderline experience with Nogales". McClatchy – Tribune
Business News (Washington, DC). p. 1.
Source 4: Saint Lawrence seaway:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Encyclopedia Britannica for kids online, 2013.
Source 5: Saint Lawrence seaway, the heart of Main Street America:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbE2-TzWdzY
Source: Saint Lawrence seaway development corporation, 2011.
Questions:
1. Identify the two main continental interfaces of the USA.
The two main continental interfaces in the USA are : Mexamerica and Main Street America.
2. Find the similarities and the differences between those two interfaces.
Both interfaces connect the USA and its neighbors which development is less important, even
if Canada is a developed country and Mexico, an emerging country. Both interfaces has
applied the creation of twin cities: Detroit/Windsor, San Diego/Tijuana. But, people
circulation is freer in Main Street than in Mexamerica where a wall was built to stop illegal
immigration. The co-operation and the integration are stronger on the Northern interface and
less in level of domination.
3. Prove that Mexamerica is a paradoxical interface regarding merchandises, capital and
people.
Mexamerica is a paradoxical interface because American people could cross the border quite
easily whereas it is very difficult for the Mexicans to cross regarding the fence and the
passing point. However, capital and merchandises are quite free to cross, especially as the
Maquiladora system proves it. NAFTA allows and reinforces it.
4. Prove that Canada and the USA are closely linked together.
The USA and Canada are closely linked through NAFTA and moreover a lot of American left
the USA to live on the canadian border. Moreover, the co-operation is very strong on
merchandises, especially raw materials and on the development of heavy industry, even with
the crisis.
5. Explain what those two interfaces imply for the territorial dynamics of the USA.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
These two interfaces imply the increase of flows between the three members of NAFTA,
concentration of activities and capitals in the region and a real co-operation on the border.
Finally, it implies the necessity for the USA to co-operate with its neighbors.
C. Global cities and urban development, integration to globalisation and sociospatial segregation
1) Global cities power:
See case study.
2) Urban transformation due to integration to globalisation:
Sources to use: Rio 2016, the city leaps forward (Rio 2016 official website, 2012), São Paulo,
an Alpha Global City (Aurelio Guzetti, São Paulo series, January 2013), NYC urban
transformation: Willet points in the Queens (The Architects newspaper, January 2012).
Source 1: Rio 2016, the city leaps forward:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBXeuVHFmlY
Source: Rio 2016 official website, 2012.
Source 2: São Paulo, an Alpha Global City:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3pBJTTjwCM
Source: Aurelio Guzetti, São Paulo series, January 2013.
Source 3: NYC urban transformation: Willet points in the Queens:
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: The Architects newspaper, January 2012.
Questions:
1. Explain the important transformations caused by international events or integration to
globalisation on Brazilian megacities.
International events deeply transformed the Brazilians cities. Rio is an particular sensitve
example. Indeed, four site will be totally developed or redeveloped for the Olympic games in
2016. Stadium would be transformed, areas such as Deodora and Maracan will see the
creation of new sports infrastructures. In the meantime, the entire transportation network will
be improve: new metro lines, new fast track buses, new roads and an improvement of the
railroad network. The integration into globalisation has also huge impact. Indeed, as in Rio
and in São Paulo, being a part of the world oligopoly push the governments to transform the
image of the city and to redevelop some poor districts as the favelas. It’s the case in Rio, but
particularly in São Paulo where the CBD progressively takes over one of the most important
favela of the city.
2. Explain the important transformation caused by globalisation on American cities.
Globalisation transforme also deeply American cities. Indeed, poor districts such as Harlem or
the Wilet points are progressively redeveloped, the infrastructures changed and the people
living there had to live further outside of the city. The problem is that the redevelopment
could cause the transformation of housing but also the destruction of a part of the economic
organisation of some people, such as the example of the Wilet points in Brooklyn shows it.
3. Prove that the transformations are a part of the urban development and metropolisation
process of each country.
In each case, the districts which has been transformed since the last 15 years are those directly
linked to the creation of new infrastructures, new buildings dedicated to activities very well
integrated to globalisation as the favelas in Brazil progressively replaced by CBD. Moreover,
the image of the cities should be better and better and sent to the world face as in NYC or in
Rio. Finally, the idea is also to create sustainable development program, especially in the US,
and by the way, transforming poverty holes in areas with a better standard of living with the
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
problem of expelling the poorest on the outer range of the subsurbs, causing them
considerable problems to come and go to work and even destroying their business as in the
Wilet points.
D. Weaknesses and spatial inequalities on territories
Souces to use: US territory and its opening to the world (based on European section
schoolbook, 2010), US population (based on European section schoolbook, 2010), HDI in
Brazil (bbc.co.uk/geography for GSCE, 2013), Territorial inequalities in Brazil
(bbc.co.uk/geography for GSCE, 2013).
Source 1: US territory and its opening to the world:
Source: Based on European section school book, 2010.
Source 2: Population distribution in the USA
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
Source: Based on an European sections schoolbook, 2010.
Source 3: HDI (Human Development Index) in Brazil
Source: bbc.co.uk/geography for GSCE, 2013
Source 4: Territorial inequalities in Brazil:
Brazil has very different levels of development. The core area, in the south of the country:
- contains the cities of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo Horizonte
- has fertile soils for farming
- has good access to ports for trading
- has benefited from business investment in the area
The periphery is in the north and north east of the country, areas which:
- are a long way from the core
- suffer from a wet and tropical climate in the north, and semi-arid in the north east
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
- include dense rainforest
- are difficult for access to ports and trading links
Even within any city of Brazil there are different levels of development. The photograph
below (from São Paulo) shows how poverty and luxury can be next door to each other.
The Paraisópolis favela (Paradise City shanty town) borders the rich district of Morumbi in
São Paulo, Brazil.
Source: bbc.co.uk/geography for GSCE, 2013
Questions:
1. Identify the main territorial inequalities in the USA and in Brazil and explain why.
First, territorial inequalities appear inside megacities between the poorest district and the
richest. It’s the case in the US cities as in the Brazilian cities. Indeed, in each case, some gated
communities appeared close to poor holes. The transformation of district into new rich
residential areas and into CBDs enlarges the inequalities. The socio-spatial segregation is also
largely more important in the Brazilian cities as the picture from São Paulo shows with the
immediate proximity of the CBD and the favelas.
Moreover, socio-spatial segregation appears on the national scale. Indeed, in each case, some
urban areas concentrate the main important powers : the megalopolis in the USA and the
industrial triangle in Brazil. Besides, the importance of agribusiness regions from Brazil and
the USA integrate those region into globalisation but let a lot of people aside from it. Finally,
the American territory has also a large number of high tech centers that are not present in
Brazil. Finally, some important relief obstacles break the development, whatever the
transformation at stake such as Amazonia or the Rocky Mountains.
2. Identify the different possibilities the government of both countries have to change these
territorial inequalities.
In the case of Brazil, the importance of export agriculture push the government to develop a
large transformation of Amazonie. They deploy a pioneer front and enlarge the abilities of
integration to globalisation by transforming the country and the main cities to be a part of the
world oligopoly and the main transportations networks. In the USA, the government power,
as in Brazil, seems to be broken by the importance of the federal actions. Finally, the
development of the integration of the country in globalisation seems to be a way to drop
inequalities according to the governments but the recent transformations seems to prove
otherwise.
3. Prove that those territorial inequalities depend on the power of the region and their
integration in the global economic system.
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Chapter 2: The American continent: power in the North, affirmation in the South
The most powerful regions and those which are mainly integrated to globalisation face less
difficulties in the world process and in world crisis. The Megalopolis, the Sun Belt, and the
Brazilian Industrial triangle seem to have more efficiency in globalisation and seems to suffer
less from the crisis : development of enployment, increase of capital and merchandises flows,
increase of FDI but the difficulties still remain for the poorest. However, in the case of Brazil,
the Nordeste is the region which is the less integrated to globalisation, a black spot into the
Brazilian economy and the difficulties to improve the level of development seems particularly
link to the absence of integration in globalisation and the impossibility for the government to
integrate the region to the main networks.
But, sometimes, important global crisis could also causes massive damages into quite
prosperous region as the situation of Detroit shows from 2008 to 2011 with the massive loss
of population caused by the collapse of automobile and other heavy industries.
38