Geographical changes are becoming a recurring phenomena that affects the entire world. The majority of the changes are naturally occurring, and they are primarily the result of forces beyond human control and interception. Yet, some of the changes that are occurring are directly the result of human actions. Global warming is an example of human-caused climate change. The severity of these geographical changes has piqued the interest of all stakeholders, including the political class and leadership, non-governmental organizations, and the general population. It is because the negative impacts have a direct impact on our life on practically every platform. Latin America has been considered one of the severely hit regions of the planet by the geographical changes (Mike Axisa ).
The book "Placing Latin America" is one of the globally recognized pieces which produces a thematic study approach of the diverse geographies of Latin America including Colombia and Mexico. The Book is a fantastic tool for studying the analysis outcomes of various geographical revolutions such as migration and borders, globalization and transnationalism, the connection between political change and economic development. Other thematic approaches include human and physical environments interactions and the role of natural resources in the global economy.
This paper narrows down to some of the thematic approaches which are very critical in shaping the current situations in Colombia and Mexico. A comparison text is principally the nature of this paper. The comparison is on vital thematic areas which are responsible for the overall landscape of the development and growth of the two Latin American nations. The discussion is based on:
a) The economic/political stance of the two countries' leadership
b) The role of various types of tourism and the locality it is growing more rapidly
c) The responsibility and role of sport, music or any other kind of culture for example clothing and food
The Economic and Political Stance in Colombia and Mexico
The economic and political landscape of South America is one of the best studied in the world. Despite the slow rate of economic development in the area, experts in industrial and commercial affairs have spent considerable time and resources analyzing the region. The economy of Mexico and Colombia has been different, and the shaping forces are also incomparable.
Mexico
Firstly, Mexico has been on the global scene of concern following the uncontrolled flow of its citizens to the neighboring countries like the United States and Argentina. This phenomenon has been criticized by the current administration of the United States, and the foreign affairs between Mexico and the United States have endured a depletion cycle over the past few years. Mexico has plenty of unpublicized economic and business success. It enjoys some of the best free trade treaties which by 2016 reached a regional record of 44 in number. The country's GDP has been getting a humungous share of close to 66% from the international trade operations (Mike Axisa ). To the surprise of many, Mexico has grown its investment muscles over the past decade. It has seen a tremendous growth in the auto industry with the country being ranked seventh biggest auto manufacturer in the world in 2015.
Drug Cartels have spoiled the geographical landscape of the Mexican Economy. The government has endured hard times full of regional and global criticisms over the menace of drugs and drug trafficking. The drug menace has hard stricken places such as Sinaloa of Mexico and city of Medellin in Columbia over the past three decades. The global image of Mexico is still under restoration after the destruction of the world’s most enormous drug cartels. The cartels have escalated the retaliation effects on the native civilians, and the global image of Mexico has been plumbed with rotten eggs. The economy in such areas is still under restoration since it had been entirely dependent on the drug money. The environment and geographical landscape of the country have been engulfed by disastrous images of the illegal drug plantations which are illegally managed and controlled (Eugenio-Martin et al.).
Colombia
Like Mexico, Colombia has been severely hit by economic turbulence and mischievous deals. The political class in Colombia has not drawn a lot of concern from the global and regional trade stakeholders. However, this does not mean that Columbia is a "clean state." Columbia was known to be the home biggest cartels in the world. Some years back, the Medellin and the Cali cartel had been dominant in the world drug geographic market. Drug trafficking involves excessive use of force by both the drug cartels and the drug enforcement agencies. It, therefore, brings about lots of violence and hence slow economic growth. Despite the improved economic growth of the early 1990s, Colombia is still under poor commercial structures. Due to poor financial status, many citizens in Colombia were recorded to have engaged in violence and criminal activities. Corruption has mulled the economy of Colombia with extrajudicial malpractices facilitating the whole issue. The political class is fighting to align itself with the regional and global demands towards stable economic policies and networks (Eugenio-Martin et al.).
Tourism in Mexico and Colombia
Most of the states in Latin America rely mainly on tourism to spur and fuel their economies. Mexico and Colombia form a significant part of the mighty Latin America.
Mexico
The Mexican government has mainly invested in tourism. There has been a vast pool of reasons to invest in tourism. Among them are these crucial goals: To be a foreign exchange earner and to diverting the impact of internal migration towards tourism. The country is fighting to end the challenge of immigration which is pushing the tourism sector to peril. Immigration has been one of the biggest problem faced by the Mexican government. Another challenge the government is seeking to address is the weak currency. The Mexican Peso, which in comparison with the dollar is currently performing poorly. Hence, this is a negative shot on the sector (Brida et al.). Mexico is working hard to create and conceptualize globally oriented marketing strategy which will help reshape the poor and non-promising economic crisis which was derailing the development goals of the country. Infrastructural investments are being initiated under the stewardship of global donors like China and Russia. The Mexican government has been on the forefront in seeking development partners to better their technology, infrastructure, and economy. World class resort and recreational facilities are projected to change the whole face and future of the sector. With, these developments by the Mexican Authorities, the country is on the verge of an economic and industrial spike.
Colombia
The Colombian government has actively invested in the tourism sector. The constitution has provided the best platforms to enhance the tourism sector like any other in the country. The government has mainly embarked on tax incentives which are helping recover the industry which was retarding a few decades ago. Hotel services have been improved, and technology has been a critical factor in fueling the whole transformation process. New developments incorporated with better technology will boost the quality of service delivery of the hotel industry. The country has a very flexible tourism strategic plan which targets to increase the revenue from the US $ 10,753 million to the US $ 15,383 million between 2009 and 2018.
The Role of Sport in the Economic Landscape of Mexico and Colombia
Mexico and Colombia are among the most prominent sporting countries in South America. The states have experienced fantastic development in the sporting world, and notably, they have excelled in football. The two nations are notable in both rugby and football. The two countries have shown their full potential in competing in regional and global football and soccer competition. Columbia and Mexico have both been performing competitively in the world cup finals and local tournaments. The future of the sporting sector in the two countries is almost similar. In the world of football, the two countries are significant rivals in producing the elite soccer player who is recognized and perform well in Europe and the rest of the world including FIFA competitions. In addition to that, the development of their respective local leagues is above average. Another sporting category which the two countries have excelled and continue to shine is World Baseball Classic. Sports are one of the few sectors which Mexico and Colombia enjoy definite similarities and goals which are equally achievable. Their infrastructural investments though not the best, support significantly the sporting population which is seemingly endless and growing day by day (Mike Axisa ).
Works Cited
Brida et.al. "Tourism as a determinant of long‐run economic growth." Journal of Policy Research in Tourism, Leisure & Events 2.1 (2010): 14-28.
Eugenio-Martin et.al. Tourism and economic growth in Latin American countries: A panel data approach. 2004.
Mike Axisa . Mexico, Colombia clinch spots in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. 21 March 2016. 17 October 2017 .
