The Reason Why of This Book: An Introduction

The quantity and quality of the research and publications on Latin American nations’ territorial problems and policies have increased substantially over the past decade. However, the fact that the majority of the studies that have been conducted have been published in Spanish and Portuguese has limited their dissemination to the countries in which those languages are spoken. Today, there is a great deal of interest in Spanish- and Portuguese- speaking America for a variety of reasons. The region’s increasing weight on a global scale is undeniable due to its population and the dynamism of some of its economies and to the interesting political changes that have taken place and continue to develop in these nations. As such, one should not be surprised by the interest that has developed in the problems, dominant trends, and policies of the countries of Latin America, which has increased both generally and in regard to the specific sphere of the regional, territorial and local.