A Look into Latin America.
By: Brendan Thomasson
Mexico
Smokey and Hazy
Mexico is currently in a predicament with its capital. Mexico City has extreme air pollution issues, being driven by the high population and geography of Mexico City. Mexico City has such horrible pollution problems, you can easily see it in many pictures, and many people wear masks to protect themselves from the smog. There are many factors involved creating this horrible pollution, including chemical reactions between the sun and fumes in Mexico city, poor fuel, incomplete combustion of fuel, and geography. A solution or two that the Mexican government could use is: tooutfit vehicles with catalytic converters, which removes harmful chemicals from vehicle exhaust and transforms it into less harmful ones. Another solution is to only import good quality fuel into Mexico City so that no citizen can buy low quality fuel, which helps reduce pollution. In doing this, the sun's radiation wont have as many fumes to react with, therefor, creating a lesser amount of gas.
Out with the Haze, In with the Eco.
Mexico's has a relatively good economy. Mexico's literary rate is 94% of the population, good job Mexico, and has a GDP of 1.161 trillion U.S dollars. Any other takers? Mexico's top three trading partners (in order from greatest to least) are the U.S, China, and Japan. A few of Mexico's exports include: manufactured goods, oil and oil products, silver, fruits, vegetables, coffee, and cotton. A few of Mexico's imports are: metalworking machines, steel mill products, agricultural machinery, electrical equipment, automobile parts, aircraft, and aircraft parts.
-All information from "Cia World Factbook"
Brazil
One Big Rock Here
Brazil has some amazing physical features that help to make up its landscape. First i'll start with its beautiful mountains. Brazil has many mountains, but it's tallest is Pico da Neblina, reaching to amazing heights of 2995.3 meters above sea level, or 9,826 feet. It is a beautiful landscape located in the mountain range Guiana Shield on the northeastern part of Brazil. The many mountain ranges in Brazil definitely defines the beauty of the Brazilian landscape.
What's a rock, When you have a forest?
Brazil is not only made of pretty crags spiking up from the ground. There are many variables for the beauty of the Brazilian landscape, but a major one is the great forests that grow in Brazil. The Amazon Rain forest best defines this beauty and it is the largest rain forest in the world. It covers much of northern Brazil and parts of other countries and is famed for its extreme biodiversity and beauty. There are many rivers that criss cross through this rain forest, and it produces over 20% of the worlds oxygen! Deforestation is a major problem in the Amazon and, again, 20% of it has been removed, destroying part of a major oxygen supplier for this world.
Lot o' Water
Speaking of the many rivers crossing through the Amazon, one overrides them all. The great Amazon River is as large and beautiful as you can get. It is the second largest river in the world and its source is the Mismi mountain peak in Brazil. The Amazon river rejuvenates the Amazon Rain forest with it's massive freshwater supply. This river is one I'd like to visit with it's 60 million gallons of water pouring into the Atlantic ocean a second! It would sure be a fun ride to go rafting in this amazing Amazon!