Fighting over Falkland (Blog Topic #4)

A recent dispute over oil has brought to the surface the tensions that exist between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands. Argentina has claimed sovereignty over the islands since they invaded them in 1982. The invasion started a war which ended with the deaths of roughly 650 Argentine and 250 UK soldiers. However, Britain has held sovereignty over the islands since 1833, and still today the government of the Falkland islands pledges allegiance to Britain. UK also holds a military presence in the islands, as seen in the picture to the right.

A British oil company, Desire Petroleum, started drilling around the islands and Argentina is not pleased. They recently submitted paperwork to the U.N. in attempt to claim ocean surrounding the Falkland Islands. (see left) Argentina argues that 11 years of research has led them to believe that the Falkland Islands lie on the extension of the continental shield which they own. The paperwork also laid claim to territories near Antarctica which are also being disputed, this time with Chile. Christina Fernandez de Kirchner signed a decree which would require all ships navigating from Argentina to the Falklands to carry a government permit, on Tuesday. The UK and Desire Petroleum claim that the area in which they are drilling is safely within UK waters. Desire believes the area will be productive for oil and quite possibly gas as well. They have begun a 30 exploratory drill.

Many Latin American countries are allying with Argentina. These countries include both Venezuela and Nicaragua. Hugo Chavez, of Venezuela, made a statement regarding the situation telling Britain that, "[the] time for empires was over." Argentina desperately needs the support of their fellow Latin American countries, as they are no match for the powerful UK. Argentina has acknowledge that a verbal or written agreement must be reached between the two countries in order to resolve the issue. They have ruled out military violence as a solution, because they have neither the resources nor the military intelligence to face the strong UK forces.

Our text book, Diversity Amid Globalization, highlights many disputes regarding land. Specifically, the disputes involve the physical aspects of the land which make it profitable for a country. For example, our book talks about Chile and Bolivia. Bolivia is still resentful that Chile took over their coastal territories, land-locking them. Bolivia has no ocean front trade access now, and is in a disadvantageous location in terms of warfare. There are other problems which exist because of the dispute over profitable land and natural resources, such as deforestation. The growing problem of deforestation in Brazil is occurring because farmers and ranchers want to use the land to make a living. The soil is producing crops and the land can be cleared to use for grazing.

It is that same principle that is the driving force behind the dispute over the Falkland Islands today. The ocean territories surrounding the Falkland Islands may prove to be largely profitable due to the possibility that large amounts of natural resources, in this case oil and gas, exist there. Already struggling Argentina defends their ownership of the continental shield on which the Falklands islands sit. It is in attempt to gain the territory for themselves and to win back what they have considered to be rightfully theirs since 1982. The possession of the islands, and the natural resources which are found there may help Argentina to grow economically.

Despite growing tensions, the dispute is at a standstill. The UK forges ahead paying no attention to Argentina's threats. All Argentina can do is wait and see what the UN has to say about their submitted petition for possession of the territory.

Resources
CNN: British Oil Rig Begins Drilling off Falklands
BBC:Argentina Claims Vast Ocean Area
BBC:Drilling Begins Off the Falklands

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Kimberly

Toyland (Blog Topic #3)

Take a look at your clothes, the items in your purse, or the items around your room. I'd bet money, a lot of money, that there's at least one thing around you this minute that reads, "made in Hong Kong", or "made in China" or even "made in Taiwan". It's true of so many things we own, so many things we, as Americans, purchase each and every day. Let's face it, our economy relies heavily on imported goods and services from Eastern Asia. The same is true of the toy industry. The cartogram, above left, shows net toy exports worldwide through surface area. Who's number one? You guessed it, Eastern Asia, with Hong Kong dominating the leader board. It is depicted in the map above as the large green mass that appears to be taking over Europe.

Hong Kong's net value of toy exports is 800 (in US$) compared to the number two exporter Malta, which follows with a value of only 91! This large offset, is most likely due to the fact that in Eastern Asia, labor is abundant, and best of all, cheap. It's for this same reason that many American companies are sending "back office jobs" overseas. Other companies send manufacturing jobs overseas, such as textile companies, who increase profits by hiring low-wage, efficient laborers. I say abundant, because Eastern Asia is highly populated and therefore has a large pool of workers from which companies can choose qualified laborers. (Chinese laborers assemble dolls above)

Interestingly enough, when evaluating a map of net toy imports we see a dramatic, yet expected change. (see right) Net toy imports are highest in Western Europe, North America, and the Asian Pacific. It's easy to see from this simple toy distribution map, that where there are toys, there also is wealth. High net toy imports are predominately found in the Northern Hemisphere, which is home to most of the More Developed Countries (MDCs). Less Developed Countries (LDCs) such as those in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America barely make the map. Toys are not a necessity for life, and therefore are imported in larger numbers in countries that can afford to purchase luxury items; places like our own country, the United States.

This toy distribution, however insignificant in the grand scheme of things, has the capability to give us insight into the various cultures of the world. It helps to show the materialist focus of the western cultures of North America and Europe. The idea that what you have determines how happy you are is a central belief of many Westerners. This is quite contrary to the simple-living citizens of countries, such as those in Africa, where happiness is largely determined by human relationships, due in part to the lack of material wealth; another reason Africa appears so skinny on the cartogram.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Kimberly

Patagonian Paradise (Blog Topic #2)

The image to the right is a view of Patagonia located in the Southern part of Latin America. It's on the very tip of South America and inhabits the countries of Argentina and Chile.

This image effectively shows the diversity of the terrain of Patagonia in comparison to other areas of Latin America, much of which is located in the Tropical Region. Much of South America is covered by tropical rain forest and the landscape is dominated by the N-S Andes Mountains which dramatically affect the climate of the continent. Patagonia is characterized by glaciers, which you can see clearly in the Google Earth image above. The land of Patagonia is home to many sheep farmers, because large open areas of steppe can be used for grazing land (also clearly visible on the Eastern side of the region in the image above!). Due to its remoteness and isolation (largely geographical) Patagonia is a huge attraction for recreation. Many visitors come to enjoy hiking, kayaking, and skiing, along with countless other activities.

Incidentally, a large part of the reason this region's climate is so diverse in comparison to the rest of Latin America is because it is located so close to the continent of Antarctica. Often when we think of South America, we think warm and tropical. However, in actuality only about half of the Latin American region is located in the tropical climate zone. This zone starts at the tropic of Cancer at approximately 23 degrees N. The tropical climate ends at the tropic of Capricorn at approximately 23 degrees S. Therefore, it is easy to overlook the climate shift that changes the warm tropical weather of northern S.A. to the diverse climates of southern S.A. which includes areas of dry desert, snowy mountains, and wind-whipped terrain. This image (above) from Google Earth displays a unique perspective of South America that is contrary to the image we see when examining the common N-S, 2-D maps of the world. Spatially, this image gives us a better look at how close the tip of South America is to Antarctica. It also helps account for the change in climate, a climate that serves as a transitional zone between the tropics of Northern Latin American and the bitter cold climate of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Patagonia despite its remoteness is quickly becoming a global business investment. National Geographic discussed globalization and it's affect on the region in a recent article, Land of the Living Wild. Patagonia's economic focus is shifting away from the sheep farming that has fueled it for years.This is largely due to the fall in wool prices in recent years, and the extensive over-grazing of the land that has occurred. Now, much of the Patagonia region has been sold to foreign investors. "Nearly one-sixth of Argentine Patagonia now belongs to 350 foreign owners, many of them Americans." (National Geographic) This globalization of Patagonia threatens the preservation of the native culture of Patagonia and as businesses develop previously desolate land, may clutter the beautiful unscathed landscapes of S. Argentina and Chile which draw so many visitors each year.

Below is a photograph from National Geographic's latest feature on Patagonia: Land of the Living Wild