Lesson 24: NAFTA

April 29, 2025

Review:

• Exam 3
• Course Evaluations
• Africa Project
• Schedule
  • This week:
    • NAFTA (today)
    • Investing in the 2020s Global Economy (Thu) + Exam 4 preview
  • Next week:
    • Africa Project Presentations (Tue) + Exam 4 preview
    • Exam 4 aka All-Purpose Make-up Exam (Thu)

Presentation:

• NAFTA
  • What is NAFTA? (Washington Post, 2 min)
  • NAFTA explained by Avacados and Shoes (Quartz, 5 min)
• USMCA (NAFTA 2.0)
  • What are the differences between NAFTA and the USMCA (PBS, 7 min)
  • USMCA vs NAFTA, explained with a toy car (Vox, 6 min)

Research Project Instructions:

1. Select one of the African regional and economic topics (see below)
   • OR Propose your own topic
   • No shared topics – 1 student per topic
   • Select topic by Thu
2. Learn about the region and economic theme.
3. Prepare a 3-slide presentation to share what you’ve learned.
   • Why only 3 slides?
4. Present in class
   • OR Create a video recording of your presentation
   • In-class presentations receive up to +10% extra credit (i.e., possible points = 110/100)
   • Presentations next week, on Tue.
     • OMG – we have no time!
     • Use AI to help with content

African regional economic topic ideas:

1. Sahel Region – Desertification, and the shifting geography of agriculture and pastoralism.
2. Nile River Valley – Water access, geopolitics of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and regional cooperation/conflict over shared resources.
3. Gulf of Guinea Coast – Offshore oil production and its impact on urban growth and environmental risks in Nigeria, Ghana, and neighbors.
4. African Great Lakes Region – Trade, population clusters, and natural resources around Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika, and Kivu.
5. The Maghreb – Economic ties to Europe, remittances, and the role of geography in cross-Mediterranean migration.
6. The Congo Basin – Resource extraction (timber, minerals), biodiversity, and challenges of infrastructure development.
7. East African Rift Corridor – Infrastructure expansion (rail and road), urban corridor development, and geothermal potential.
8. The Horn of Africa – Maritime trade through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the emergence of Djibouti as a logistics hub.
9. Kalahari Basin – Water scarcity, subsistence agriculture, and tourism linked to natural heritage (e.g., Okavango Delta).
10. West African Urban Belt (e.g., Lagos to Abidjan) – Rapid urbanization, informal economies, and regional trade integration in ECOWAS.
11. Southern Africa’s Platinum and Gold Belt – Mining economies, labor migration, and geographic legacies of apartheid spatial planning.
12. Mozambique Channel – LNG (liquefied natural gas) development, Indian Ocean trade routes, and regional security challenges.
13. Lake Chad Basin – Water scarcity, transboundary resource management, and regional insecurity affecting economic stability.
14. Cape Floristic Region (South Africa) – Unique biodiversity and its role in eco-tourism, agriculture, and conservation-driven development.
15. Zambezi River and Victoria Falls Region – Hydroelectric development (e.g., Kariba and Cahora Bassa Dams), tourism, and water politics in southern Africa.
16. Western Sahara & the Atlas Mountains – Geopolitical disputes, phosphate mining, and nomadic economies influenced by mountainous and desert geography.
17. Port of Mombasa and East African Trade – Maritime logistics, hinterland access, and Kenya’s role in regional trade through the Northern Corridor.
18. Senegal River Valley – Agricultural development, irrigation projects, and regional cooperation among Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania.