Frontier migration as a multi-stage phenomenon reflecting the interplay of macroforces and local conditions: the Ecuador Amazon.

"This paper considers frontier migration to the Ecuador Amazon as a multistage phenomenon, examining the entire migration stream from its origins in highland and coastal locales of Ecuador, to intermediate stops outside and within the Amazon, to final Amazon destinations. The approach is one where models pertaining to regional development, migration, and pioneer activity are treated as complementary to one another and meshed with a qualitative knowledge of place. It is shown that frontier settlement patterns reflect the composite of these models, a maturing space-economy, and the interaction of local characteristics with exogenous circumstances representing national and international contexts." excerpt