Rubber Production in the Amazon and Congo Basin

Jan 26

2 min read

Rubber production in the Amazon and Congo basin is an illustrative example for the Global Economic Development topic in Unit 6 of AP World History. You could reference this example on your AP World History test.

rubber tree collection — 783267325/Shutterstock

Rubber production in the Amazon and Congo Basin during the late 19th and early 20th centuries exemplified export economies heavily dependent on trade with industrialized imperial powers, yet plagued by significant trade imbalances. The vast rainforests of these regions harbored abundant rubber trees, whose latex became a highly sought-after commodity for industrial applications in Europe and North America.

European colonial powers, particularly Belgium in the Congo and Brazil in the Amazon, exploited the natural rubber resources of these regions to meet the growing demand for rubber in industrialized nations. Indigenous populations were subjected to forced labor and brutal treatment to extract rubber from the rainforests, often under coercive systems of colonial control.

Despite the significant quantities of rubber exported to industrialized imperial powers, the trade relationship was characterized by a trade imbalance, with the colonies importing a disproportionate amount of manufactured goods in return for their raw materials. Industrialized nations, such as Britain and Belgium, benefited economically from this unequal exchange, leveraging their technological advancements and economic dominance to extract maximum value from colonial territories.

The trade imbalance had profound consequences for the economies of the Amazon and Congo Basin regions. Despite their wealth of natural resources, they remained economically dependent on industrialized imperial powers, perpetuating cycles of poverty and underdevelopment. The extraction of rubber also had devastating environmental consequences, leading to deforestation, habitat destruction, and ecological degradation on a massive scale.

The rubber trade in the Amazon and Congo Basin underscores the exploitative nature of colonial economic relationships, where colonies served as resource extraction zones for the benefit of industrialized imperial powers. Despite the economic gains derived from rubber production, the colonies faced economic subordination and environmental devastation, highlighting the enduring legacy of colonialism in shaping global economic structures and inequalities.