Mapping the hyperlinks and networks of Central and South American capital cities in three languages: consistencies and variations

In a globalized, urbanized and knowledge/information world, mapping information about places is critical for a city’s local, regional, and international standing. Those networks are important in a city’s positioning within a country and in a larger regional and global context. We investigate these linkages and networks by exploring the regional networks of 8 Central and 13 South American capital cities plus São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Our research adds a new dimension to urban places by exploring variations in the hyperlink volumes and networks in English as well as Spanish and Portuguese. Sizable language differences but also regularities were evident in the hyperlink volumes of individual cities and in hyperlink pairs. The maps illustrate regional variations and unevenness in the knowledge about places and their networking in a Latin American context.