+ Chapter Nine The Cultural Geography of Latin America

+ Section One Population Patterns

+ Finish the following statement “The root of the evil is not the construction of new, more dreadful weapons. It is the spirit of conquest.” Ludwig von Mises Ludwig von Mises Yes, this quote is true because, ______________. No, this quote is untrue because, ____________. Respond: What would the world be like without conquest?

+ Human Characteristics Latin America’s population = 569 million 9% of the world’s population Mixture of ethnic groups Early Native American’s in Latin America are known as indigenous people--people descended from an area’s first inhabitants Maya = Yucatan Peninsula & Central America Aztecs = Mexico Incas = Highlands of Peru

+ Human Characteristics *Open your books to page 212* What different ethnic groups have settled in Latin America? What is the largest group in Argentina & Brazil? What European countries might have been the largest populations to settle there? What country has the largest Asian population? What country has the largest Native American population?

+ Human Characteristics Most countries in Latin America have adopted the languages of the European countries that have settled there Spanish is the most widely spoken language in Latin America Different regions have different dialects--forms of a language unique to a particular place or group Many Latin American countries are bilingual and others speak patois--a dialect that blends elements of indigenous, European, African, and Asian languages

+ Where Latin Americans Live By 2050 Latin America’s population with reach 800 million 55% increase Population Distribution South America’s interior landscape does not allow for great population Why is that? As a result most people live along the coastlines of South America creating a “populated rim”

+ Population Distribution

+ Where Latin Americans Live Look at the population density map on page 184 What do you notice about the population density in large, open areas in Latin America? What do you notice about the locations of more highly populated areas? What capital city has the one of South America’s highest populations?

+ Migration People immigrate and emmigrate to and from Latin America often People desire better living conditions, more freedoms, and escape from political unrest Most immigrants to the US come from Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central America

+ Migration In Latin America fertile land is in short supply This has led to urbanization--the migration of people from the countryside to the cities as well as the change from a rural to an urban society that accompanies this movement

+ Growth of Cities Mexico City, Mexico; Sao Paulo in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Buenos Aires, Argentina are cities in Latin America that rank in the top 20 most populated cities in the world Megacities--cities with more than10 million people--exist in Latin America

+ Growth of Cities Problems with Urbanization People do not always find what they are looking for when they move to an urban area. What things might people hope to find when moving from a rural area to an urban area? When moving to an urban area it is easy to be faced with poverty Poor housing, stress from financial difficulties

+ Section Two History and Government

Native American Empires Latin America has a rich history of Native American ancestry The Maya Lived in southern Mexico and northern Central America A.D. Greatest city was Tikal Located in modern day Guatemala Economy was based on agriculture

+ Maya Continued Mathematics and astronomy were skills that the Mayans possessed that allowed their society to prosper Developed calendars--Mayan prediction of apocalypse in 2012 Glyphs--picture writings carved into stone--allow us to know and understand Mayan history For an unknown reason, the Maya vanished from their settlements and left no clue to their disappearance Descendants of the Maya still live in Mexico and Central America Practice subsistence farming--producing just enough food for you and your family to survive

The Aztec Dominated central Mexico in the 1300s Capital city was Tenochtilan They had a large population so they grew beans and corn (maize) on chinampas--floating “islands” made out of large rafts covered with much from the lake bottom

+ Chinampas

+ The Aztec Developed a system of social hierarchy Emperor & military officials High ranking priests Farmers, laborers, and soldiers Corn, tomatoes, and cacao beans that made chocolate were foods that were introduced to Europeans by the Aztecs Defeated by the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes in 1521 Thus the introduction of Spanish culture to Mexico

+ The Inca Established themselves at the same time as the Aztec Lived in the Andes mountains of South America Ecuador to Chile Famous for their road and irrigation systems Machu Picchu picchu.com/index.phphttp:// picchu.com/index.php Kept track of financial records using the quipu--a series of knotted cord of different colors and lengths Defeated by Francisco Pizzaro in 1535 & the Spanish & Portuguese influence of South America began

+ The Quipu

+ Empires to Nations As European nations began to conquer Latin America they started using the Native Americans there as workers for plantations and ranches Native American populations were being devastated by disease and other hardships caused by the Europeans

+ Empires to Nations Dates of Independence: Late 1790’s--Haiti violently gains independence from France Led by François Toussaint-Louverture Mexico violently gains independence from Spain Initially led by Father Miguel Hidalgo (1810) Mid-1800s: Venezuela and Argentina gain independence Brazil--only country to not have a violent revolt

+ Empires of Nations Caribbean Island Independence Cuba gained independence from Spain in 1898 Jamaica and Barbados gained independence from Britain in the 1900s Islands still under foreign control Martinique = France Cayman Islands = Great Britain Curacao = Netherlands Puerto Rico & part of the Virgin Islands are politically linked to the US

+ Era of Dictatorships & Movements for Change During the 1800’s the newly independent countries were experiencing great turmoil due to arguments about who should rule Led to the development of the caudillo--dictator Today there are a variety of political systems in Latin America Communism Democracies