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GCSE Amazon Case Study
Amazon River basin
the largest river basin on Earth located in South America
Amazon Rainforest
the largest rain forest in the world, located in South America
10 million
species of insect in the Amazon
20 million
people live in the forest
Newly Emerging Economy (NEE)
Countries that have begun to experience high rates of economic development, usually with rapid industrialisation. They differ from LICs in that they no longer rely primarily on agriculture, have made gains in infrastructure and industrial growth, and are experiencing increasing incomes and high levels of investment eg Brazil
Logging
the cutting down of trees such as Mahogony for commercial purposes
Subsistence farming
where poor farmers occupy plots of the forest to grow food to feed themselves and their families
Slash and burn
A farming method involving the cutting of trees, then burning them to provide ash-enriched soil for the planting of crops
Commercial farming
the raising of crops and livestock for sale in markets, such as soya or beef cattle in the Amazon
Road building
trees are also cleared for roads such as the Trans Amazonian Highway to allow development to continue
Mineral extraction
Where forests are cleared to make way for huge mines. The Brazilian part of the Amazon has mines that extract iron, manganese, nickel, tin, bauxite, beryllium, copper, lead, tungsten, zinc and gold!
Energy development
Mainly using Hydro Electric Power, and there are 150 new dams planned for the Amazon alone.