Also, a unique characteristic shared by most North American countries is that they are bicoastal. Mexico enjoys direct port access to both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Historically, access to European markets – greatly facilitated by access to the Atlantic Ocean – was key to a country’s ability to benefit from trade. However, in recent decades, emerging Asian markets and Pacific Ocean trade have grown. A country with dual ocean access is better situated to directly take advantage of major trade routes and markets. Mexico has yet to fully take advantage this access because approximately 80 percent of its exports go to the United States, rather than European or Asian markets. But that just means it has room to grow. Mexico shares this geographic characteristic with the U.S. and Canada. By comparison, none of South America's (or Latin America's for those who classify it that way) major economies are bicoastal.
These features that are common to the three largest North American countries have enormous geopolitical consequences. As explained in George Friedman’s “The Next 100 Years,” the centers of gravity in the geopolitical system slowly shift over time. There are long cycles measured in epochs of approximately 500 years, which can be subdivided into distinct eras. The European Epoch occurred from 1492, when the Europeans “discovered” the Americas, through 1991, when the Cold War ended. During this time, power in Europe rotated between countries, with England, Spain, France and Germany all featuring as the dominant power during different eras.
With the fall of the Berlin Wall came the rise of the American Era. The center of the world’s geopolitical system now resides in North America. The region stands out for its dual ocean access and comparative calm at a time when Eurasia is in crisis. Currently, the United States is the dominant power in North America and the world, making this the American Era.
One cannot rule out the possibility that, in the future, the gap between the power of the United States and Mexico will narrow considerably. Consider that the rise of the United States as even the most powerful country on its own continent was not always assured. In 1800, Mexico covered much more territory and had a stronger military than the United States. At its peak in the late 18th century, Spanish-controlled Mexican territory expanded well into the heart of North America. This territory ran east-west from the banks of the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast of modern-day California and as far north as the current U.S.-Canada border.
|
0 comments:
Publicar un comentario