Cover -- Title Page -- Contents -- Latin American Development Forum Series -- About the Authors -- Preface -- Introduction: Is Geography Destiny? -- Introduction -- Determinism and Fatalism -- Three Viewpoints -- 1 The Channels of Influence of Geography: Latin America from an International Perspective -- Introduction -- The Diverse Geographical Regions of Latin America -- Different Geographical Zones, Different Economic Outcomes -- History -- Geography and Colonization -- The Harsh but Not Indomitable Tropics -- Geography and Development -- Tropical Agriculture -- Health Conditions -- Climate and Health -- Natural Disasters -- Access to Markets -- Urban Primacy in Latin America -- Will Geography Matter in the Future? -- The Influence of Natural and Human Geography on Growth -- Geographical Influences on Differences in Growth between Regions -- Notes -- 2 The Other Side of the Mountain: The Influence of Geography within Countries -- Introduction -- Mexico -- Geography and Institutions -- Geography and Development -- Convergence among States -- Bolivia -- Geography and Regions -- Geography and Welfare -- Colombia -- Geography and Municipal Growth -- Differences in Levels of Development across Municipalities -- The Geography of Success for Colombian Municipalities -- Peru -- Geography and Economic Welfare -- Are Regional Disparities in Peru Due to Geography? -- Geography and Health -- Brazil -- Health and Global Warming -- Sensitivity to Climatic Factors -- Importance for Public Health -- Geographical Distribution of Disease Morbidity -- Measuring Climate Effects on Health -- Conclusions -- Notes -- 3 Policies to Overcome the Limitations of Geography -- Introduction -- Regional Development -- Research and Technology -- Information and Market Signals -- Urban Policies -- Spatial Organization -- Notes -- Abbreviations and Acronyms -- Bibliography.

Index -- Back Cover.