Ooh... That comment has just overtaken another for second place in most-liked jetpunk comments I've ever seen. Number one is on the Elements Mentioned in the Bible Quiz.
Like Bolivia has 1 airport/airfield in 12.7k population while China has 1 airport/airfield in 2.56m population. That difference is about 200 times. But of course, if comparing to India or Bangladesh, the number would be even more astonishing.
It depends what you call an airport. Most South American 'airports' are virtually landing strips where you can land and take off and that's about it. It also depends who uses the airport and for what purpose. Many light aircraft fly from South America to USA carrying cargo. The passenger aircraft only use a few of the major airports.
! don't think this is per-capita. I think it's the actual number of airports in the whole country. The South American countries probably have many more (but smaller) landing strips, as many places are very remote and much more accessible by air.
Very remote villages, accessible only by air (in terms of practicality). The Andes Mountains and the Amazon rain forest are incredible obstacles to road or rail construction. Kind of reminds me how it is very difficult and expensive to string traditional wired phone service - cellular towers are much more efficient and far cheaper than pulling wire. One airstrip versus a mountain road with tunnels....In a way, it is a blessing because the beautiful cultures in the deep interior of South America are much more likely to remain relatively intact with less encroachment from outside. That said, being cut off from the world has the effect of keeping these areas poor, and puts a tremendous limit on access to healthcare and education.
I planned to travel in Bolivia from La Paz to another destination (can't remember exactly what it was called, as it wasn't a city), and my travel options were a 40-minute flight or a 23-hour drive. That is not an exaggeration. The mountains, the rain forest, and the poverty make road travel over long distances very difficult. I took the flight, by the way.
Because the terrain is so difficult. In China you would just take a train or a highway. In Paraguay that is often not really an option; you need to use the tiny airstrip.
As kalbahamut has been pointing out, difficult terrain and poor roads means a lot more short distance air travel. Also in the case of PNG specifically I would expect a lot of it is left over infrastructure from WWII.
I got them all with 1:00 left. Agreed with above comments. I thought about 1) countries with more money as airplanes are expensive; 2) significant land space to fit all those airports; 2) remote/sparsely populated countries where road travel is impossible or hard; and 3) military impact; places where wars were contested or where there is a lot of military activity.
I did also consider drug trade since that's one of the things, for better or worse, that comes to mind when considering aviation and the Americas. I guessed all the SA countries, which is the only reason I got Paraguay, I was surprised how many they had.
Yes, all south american countries are heavy into drug trade. In fact, south of Texas it's all like Mexico: taco eating, mariachi hat wearing, mustachoed drug dealers. In the jungle, of course. >__>
Combination of factors including that flying is a fetishized hobby in the US. There are private airstrips (now mostly disused) built into the farmland all over the place. There's also Alaska which is huge with limited roads, although a lot of that traffic uses water for landing.
I was baffled at first by all of the South American countries on the list, but after reading the explanations it makes more sense. Still have two questions though: 1. Why is Mexico so high? From what I can tell, Mexico doesn't have terrain nearly as difficult to navigate as South America. 2. Why isn't Peru on here when other smaller countries with similar terrain (like Ecuador) make it?
Just starting guessing South American countries as a joke, then kept going after every one turned out right lol. Is there a reason South America is fanatical about their airports?
Mostly big countries (Paraguay is a small country for SA and still has 4/5 the size of Spain), most people wouldn't travel by roads for huge distances. Rio-Brasilia, for instance, is a 3 hours flight, or 14 hours by car, or 20 hours (at least) by bus, which would you choose?
Moreover, railroads infrastructure is terrible for a few reasons (terrain, history, politics).
Surprised by all the comments about PNG. It is not a small country. It is incredibly mountainous to the extent that tribes in adjoining valleys had no knowledge of each other. There's a reason why it has so may distinct languages. Light aircraft and helicopters are used to ferry goods and livestock as well as people. It is amazing to see people in traditional garb, who have no electricity or piped water queueing to board a plane only one or two generations after they first made contact with the outside world.
In Colombia, for example, from Bogotá to Pereira (a medium large city of 600k) it takes you thirty minutes by plane or nine hours by bus. Crossing the Andes takes a LOT of time.
how in the world does PAPUA NEW GUINEA????? have more airports than CHINA and INDIA, literally makes no sense. PNG is barely even visited, has way smaller land area, and way smaller population.
Great Quiz! Looks like the Iberians tought the South Americans well… a little too well maybe. Surprised Europe isn’t dominating and the less developed South American Countries producing airports out the wazoo. Papua is just ridiculous though. Just nearly behind Indonesia? Surpassing the entire EU?!
Not sure why everyone is surprised at this - the question relates to runways rather than actual airports, so places inaccessible by road would surely dominate.
As an aside, some of the local Papuans call helicopters “whirlybird blong Jesus” which I find rather enchanting…
Not me.
I did also consider drug trade since that's one of the things, for better or worse, that comes to mind when considering aviation and the Americas. I guessed all the SA countries, which is the only reason I got Paraguay, I was surprised how many they had.
And, recently, drug trade.
But somehow got 100% first try lol
Moreover, railroads infrastructure is terrible for a few reasons (terrain, history, politics).
Therefore, the preferential transport is by air.
As an aside, some of the local Papuans call helicopters “whirlybird blong Jesus” which I find rather enchanting…