Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
what about it? Latin American countries are some of the ones with the hugest inequalities between different regions. The average Latin American country is 10x bigger than its European counterpart.
And unless you move to a country to work in a field that requires constant travelling all around the country (which is not common), you will be living and doing most things in one particular region of the country. And different regions have different infrastructure, wages, security levels, etc.
what about it? Latin American countries are some of the ones with the hugest inequalities between different regions. The average Latin American country is 10x bigger than its European counterpart.
I'd like to know where you got that from?
Quote:
Originally Posted by joacocanal
And unless you move to a country to work in a field that requires constant travelling all around the country (which is not common), you will be living and doing most things in one particular region of the country. And different regions have different infrastructure, wages, security levels, etc.
There are nice places in Bangladesh too, in fact there are nice places in most countries in the world. That doesn't mean they are great countries to live in.
One of the biggest Chilean city has an HDI of 0.96 and a GDP of 65.000 USD/Cap... so what? that matters very little imo.
The OP wanted to know about COUNTRIES, not CITIES. Sorry for repeating myself, but you seem to have a skull made of titanium.
Brazil needs to review a lot of things... specially, not limited to: Crime, HDI, Corruption, Civil Unrest, Infrastructure, Tariff system, Drinkable water, Sanitation, water treatment, FDI, Economic growth rates, inflation approaching 8%, police force, political unrest, poverty, poor education, infant mortality rates, pension system, etc.
A lot of this are structural issues throughout the country... regardless of the city you live in.
There are nice places in Bangladesh too, in fact there are nice places in most countries in the world. That doesn't mean they are great countries to live in.
One of the biggest Chilean city has an HDI of 0.96 and a GDP of 65.000 USD/Cap... so what? that matters very little imo.
The OP wanted to know about COUNTRIES, not CITIES. Sorry for repeating myself, but you seem to have a skull made of titanium.
Brazil needs to review a lot of things... specially, not limited to: Crime, HDI, Corruption, Civil Unrest, Infrastructure, Tariff system, Drinkable water, Sanitation, water treatment, FDI, Economic growth rates, inflation approaching 8%, police force, political unrest, poverty, poor education, infant mortality rates, pension system, etc.
A lot of this are structural issues throughout the country... regardless of the city you live in.
You do realize that people base relocation decisions on much more than HDI? Economic opportunity is the major driver. It is what drove millions of immigrants to the Americas in the first place, despite it being home to the 'noble savages'. Plenty of people (from Europe, North America and Asia) are moving to places like Panama and Brazil over Chile. Salvador de Bahia will, for a long time, continue to receive lots of strong tourism due to its colonial beauty and Afro Brazilian culture that attracts a lot of people besides the fact that it has a rather high crime rate, not just for Brazil, but internationally.
Chile has a lot going for it, especially when compared to other Latin American countries, but its HDI is not an end all when it comes to factors of why people choose to live in a certain country. Especially not North Americans, Europeans and Asians. Honestly, If my main concern was HDI, I'm not sure why I would even bother with South America where it is more expensive to be in the middle class due to the price of goods. I rather stay in the U.S. or Canada. Chile, at the end of the day, will be most ideal for Peruvians, Argentinians and other South Americans, who are looking for a better quality of life, but with a somewhat relatable culture.
For now, the majority of North Americans will choose to relocate first to Mexico, due to proximity, a culture that they already somewhat accustomed to (Americans LOVE Mexican food - even if it is the crappy dull version of it), and a network of well established Americans/Canadians...not to mention that Mexico as a country is very gringo friendly. Despite our history and tough border relations, the majority of Mexicans have positive feelings towards Americans and the US. Even American football has become a staple of many universities down in Mexico (http://deportes.terra.com.mx/futbol-americano/onefa/), and the Superbowl is enjoyed by many. So though Chile overall beats Mexico on many QOL factors, Mexico offers a lot for the American immigrant/expat. Places like San Miguel De Allende, Guadalajara and Mazatlan will continue to be darlings of Americans over Santiago, Valparaiso and Montevideo.
Area of South America (minus French Guiana): 17'831.700 km2 (aprox).
number of countries: 12
average area of South American countries: 1'485.970 km2.
Area of Europe: 10,180,000 km2 (aprox).
number of countries: 50
average area of European countries: 203.600 km2.
the average South American country is >7 times bigger than its European counterpart.
Quote:
There are nice places in Bangladesh too, in fact there are nice places in most countries in the world. That doesn't mean they are great countries to live in.
maybe there are a few rich neighbourhoods in certain cities of Bangladesh, but that's all. Bangladesh is the size of Uruguay, but much less "developed". South Brazil, and other areas of South America that are at a similar level of development (in most aspects) of countries like Costa Rica or Uruguay, like Andean Eastern Colombia, are much bigger than just a few neighbourhoods, and are comparable in size and population to Uruguay and other countries. In all these things you mention (access to drinkable water, infrastructure, poverty, infant mortality rates, etc) these regions are comparable to several countries, having a similar population/area.
Quote:
A lot of this are structural issues throughout the country... regardless of the city you live in.
That's obviously not true. Many cities of Brazil, especially in the South/Southwest, have much less poverty, much better access to drinkable water or sanitation, much lower mortality rates, better infrastructure, better performance at educational tests, etc., than the national average. And the same applies for several countries.
Last edited by joacocanal; 03-05-2015 at 02:44 PM..
The OP wanted to know about COUNTRIES, not CITIES. Sorry for repeating myself, but you seem to have a skull made of titanium.
Brazil needs to review a lot of things... specially, not limited to: Crime, HDI, Corruption, Civil Unrest, Infrastructure, Tariff system, Drinkable water, Sanitation, water treatment, FDI, Economic growth rates, inflation approaching 8%, police force, political unrest, poverty, poor education, infant mortality rates, pension system, etc.
A lot of this are structural issues throughout the country... regardless of the city you live in.
I realize your constant relentless theme of 'countries' over 'cities'.
But, the reality, is that we live in one location. So if a person were to live in Sao Paulo, it's quite irrelevant what the reality might be for the infrastructure of a small town on a tributary of the Amazon River over 1000 miles away.
There are a lot of great Brazilian cities to live in.
SAO PAULO is way more on par with New York City or London than Santiago could ever dream of becoming. Not everyone likes the New Yorks and Londons of the world, but for people who do, Sao Paulo IS the economic engine of the continent and functions on a similar role for South America.
RIO DE JANEIRO is basically the Los Angeles equivalent. Sure, both cities have their drugs and gangs and crime issues, but love it or hate it, if someone wanted a Los Angeles like lifestyle or city like it in Latin America, than RIO is about as close as it's going to get. Glamour, runway models, etc. Santiago can't compete with that.
CURITIBA has long-been internationally recognized as one of the most efficient transportation-wise system cities in the world. Santiago comes nowhere close.
In short, there are three cities, depending on a person's needs, that would far surpass Santiago for their strengths. I completely understand your point that if someone ONLY looks at one or two nation-wide variables, and disregard all other factors, than CHILE would collectively fare better on those several variables. For some people, yourself in particular, those variables are your ONLY backing. Which is fine, nothing wrong with that.
But, your constant theme of DISMISSING these great Brazilian cities because the OP wrote the word 'country', and because you prefer only several variables, basically gives a big disservice and a bit of disinformation for people who might be interested, or should be aware of, some of what makes Brazil very attractive for many people.
I agree with your premise that just because the country of Brazil has a super high murder rate doesn't neccessarily mean some cities including the largest (Sao Paulo) may not be that high.
Becasue I haven't been to Sao Paulo and have been to Santiago, even if I accept all assertions as accurate, there are still some advantages of Santiago over Sao Paulo including:
1) Even though Sao Paulo has greatly reduced their violent crimes, the murder rate is still more than double Santiago
2) Santiago is 5% cheaper overall compared to Sao and the average income in Santiago is 25% higher.
3) I prefer the drier sunnier climate of Santiago compared to rainny cloudy SP climate.
4) You can travel throughout Chile and feel relatively safe while the same cannot be said about Brazil.
5) I speak no Portuguese so a learning curve
Based on some of the comments, I would agree that if one was looking for a place to move to, Sao Paulo, Rio & Curritiba are worth considering.
BTW, after, Mexico, it isn't Chile, but Brazil that is the second most chosen Latin American country for Americans: [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigration_from_the_United_States]Emigration from the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]
One
Last edited by rosa surf; 03-10-2015 at 07:19 PM..
BTW, after, Mexico, it isn't Chile, but Brazil that is the second most chosen Latin American country for Americans: [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emigration_from_the_United_States]Emigration from the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/url]
I was on a plane this weekend heading to Texas and met a very nice 79 year old American man from Montana who was heading to Guadalajara, Mexico with his wife to hang out with some Canadian and American expat friends that lived there. I asked him if he was scared to go there and he said he fought in the Vietnam war and has been in crazy situations and places so he is not scared of a lot of places (lol). He visits Mexico often and likes it.
Since I travel often, I run into people like this ALL the time.
A whole bunch of other Americans were going to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, etc....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
