South America:
Tropical Plantation Culture Sphere

The Tropical-Plantation Culture Sphere is much like the Middle American Rimland. It is comprised of several separated areas along the eastern and northeastern coast. In these tropical climates we find a plantation economy.

Where? [smculpla]

• separated areas
• Caribbean coast
• northeast Brazil
• northwest Ecuador
• coastal Colombia

Regional Criteria

• resembles Middle American Rimland [mmrim]
• environment favors plantations [smclimat]
• especially sugar
• Africans brought in as slaves
• significant mulatto population [smpeobra] [smpeoguy] [smpeosur] [smpeofrg]
• plantation economy later failed
• currently: poor, subsistence agriculture