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1.HOWTOUNDERSTANDSUSTAINABLEDEVELOPMENTINPERIPHERALRURALREGIONS?
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possessionoflargelaborforcesandaccesstorawmaterialsandresources.When
LatinAmericabegantoexperienceamodernizationassociatedwiththedevelop-
mentofcapitalism,partoftheoldcolonialelitewasinapositiontoinvestinthe
developingindustry.Atthesametime,newinvestorsfromotherEuropean
countries(beyondtheoldcolonialmetropolises)wereabletolocatetheircapital
intheportsorcapitalcitiesoftheLatinAmericanstates.Locationpolicywasthen
areflectionofthelinkbetweenthesupplierandtheexternalmarket.Wholeareas
ofdifferentcountriesbegantorepresentsomekindofraw-materials-related,
agriculturalandlivestock-rearinghinterlandforthetradewithEuropeandNorth
America.Thecapitalcitiesandportswereinturnbridgeheadsforforeigninvestors,
whoboughtheretherawmaterialsturnedintomanufacturedgoodsinthefactories
ofthenorth.Relationshipsbetweencentersandperipheriesthustookontheform
ofinternaldependencesandeconomiclinksbetweenthemaineconomiccenterof
thegivencountryanditsremainingparts.Thus,forexample,inthe1970s,Mexico
Cityconcentratedmorethan54%ofMexico;sindustrialoutput,andalmostthe
sameproportionofitsentireindustrialworkforce[Czerny1985].
Aseriousobstacletothereductionofdisparitiesinthelevelofeconomic
developmentbetweenregionswasconstitutedbypoorly-developedinfrastructure,
mostespeciallyroads.Forexample,inthemid-1970s,Boliviahadjustasinglehard-
surfacedroadsome300kmlong,whileinColombiaasrecentlyasinthelate1970s
acarcouldonlybetakenalongtwoasphalt-coveredroadsrunningnorth-south(i.e.
onethatledsouthfromBogotaaswellasalittletothenorth,andasecondthat
followedtheCaucaValleyfromMedellininthenorthtotheborderwithEcuador),
aswellasonerunningeast-westwhichlinkedBogotawithCali.Tothisdaythereis
nosectionofthePan-AmericanHighwaythatwouldlinkPanamawithColombia,
andatthesametimefacilitatetheflowofinformation,notsomuchaboutthe
resourcesandopportunitiesthisregionhastooffer,asabouttheviolenceandunjust
treatmentmetedouttoindigenouspeoplesbytheoldandnewpolitical/military/
economicelitesthatcontrolthelandandtheaccesstoallresources.
TheperipheralityoftheSierradePiurafromthepoint
ofviewofenvironmental,political,cultural,social
andeconomic-infrastructuralfactors
Theperipheralnatureofagivenstudyregionmanifestsitselfintermsofvarious
features.Inthecaseoftheregionunderstudyherethesearebothphysical
features-alocationonthemarginsofthenationalterritoryinnorthernPeru,and
othersofasocialoreconomicnature.
Inthecaseofindicatorsofsocialandeconomicdevelopmentitisonlypossible
tocomparetheexistingsituationintheareaunderstudywithvaluesreportedfor
thecountryasawhole.However,itneedstoberecalledthatmanyindicatorsat
nationalleveldonotmeetcriteriaforahighlevelofdevelopmentandsomightbe
alsoconsideredtorepresentfeaturesotherwisetypicalforperipheralareas.
