Give 4 reasons why usa and canada have better economic progress but other north american country are less developed?
Answers
There is an economic theory that claims there are climate sweet spots for economic development. Added to this is a proviso that that in part it depends on the technology available at the time. For example the early civilizations tended to develop in warm to even hot areas. Sumer, Egypt, Indus, Aztecs (Toltecs etc)many of the Chinese early societies, Incas tends to be an exception but many of the earlier civilizations in that area were in the hotter lowlands. By the 1500s or earlier technology had developed such that the temperate regions were advantaged like north east US, France, Britain, China, northern Europe. Early use of heating and the technology to farm temperate territory with its lower rate of disease and pests were an advantage that could help also. So at the early time of US development it had an advantage. This was only overcome by the later introduction of air conditioning in southern areas. Also the US and Canada were closely linked to the British financial(actually Dutch), political and technological systems so they were dragged forward by the British expansion. Huge advancements in the industrial revolution and farming occurred in Britain along with some other northern European countries. Immigrants from these areas brought that experience and technology with them to the US whereas in the South American countries the immigrants were mostly in the form of military, feudal, religious leaders and administration. This was a massive advantage. In the south including the US prosperity for the few could be achieved by slavery of the feudal system introduced by the Spaniards.
Spain treated its colonies as cash cows from which to extract ship loads of gold and sucked its lands dry.
England treated its colonies as investments.
Hence there is no caravan from Labradour, Canada to the USA like there is from Honduras to Canada, and Labradour isn’t high on anyones list to move to.
While England no longer derives the direct benefits of its former colonies, Canada and the USA are strong military allies, having saved England from conquest in two hot wars plus the cold war so far. England can count on Canada and the USA post-Brexit as well.
Spain gets nothing from its ex-colonies.