LATIN AMERICA Latin America consists of all the Americas south of the U.S. It consists of Mexico, Central America, the West Indies & South America

LATIN AMERICA This region is called “Latin America” because it was colonized by Spain & Portugal, whose languages come from Latin. Europeans who conquered the region failed to recognize Native American ownership of the land. They saw “Indians” as uncivilized “non-Christians.”

LATIN AMERICA Many Latin Americans today are of mixed Native American and European descent – called mestizos. Most speak Spanish or Portuguese. Most are Catholic.

MEXICO

Many Indian cultures existed in Mexico, each with own language/customs; Farmers grew beans, corn, peppers & squash;

MEXICO Mexico had many complex civilizations (advanced for their time!). Some were: – Mayan – Olmec – Toltec – Zapotec All these built large cities

MEXICO - Aztecs: Created an empire & the great capital city of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City today).

MEXICO Spanish Conquest/Influence: – 1. Spread Disease (many native Americans died); – 2. Catholic missionaries converted Native Americans; – 3. Built towns with plazas & churches.

MEXICO Spanish Influence: – 4. Small communal farms (ejidos) were replaced with large estate farms (haciendas) – put wealth in the hands of a few! What problems might this cause? – 5. Mestizos became largest population group.

MEXICO Mexico after they won Independence: – Lost northern territory to U.S.; – Mexican Revolution ( ); land reform, but not enough – most wealth remained in the hands of a few; – Increasingly urban/industrial; large tourist industry. – Society began to move towards democracy.

MEXICO Regions of Mexico: – Greater Mexico City: Cultural, economic & political center; ¼ of Mexico’s population lives there; Economic activity draws people there, but few find jobs; Many live in poverty; Terrible air pollution – located in a valley ringed by mountains trapping pollution in.

MEXICO Mexico City: Largest city; (over 19 million people!)

A Mexico City Slum

MEXICO – Central Mexico: Located across Mexican Plateau; Fertile valleys found here; mix of family farms & commercial farms growing cash crops; Recently attracting more factories to the region. Guadalajara, Mexico (in Central Plateau Region)

MEXICO – Gulf Lowlands & Southern Mexico: Rich deposits of oil & gas found here; Yucatan Peninsula along southern edge; Mexico’s poorest region – few cities, little industry; Subsistence Agriculture is common; Sinkholes

MEXICO – Northern Mexico: One of the most prosperous regions; Many factories & commercial farms; Cattle ranching, mining, tourism Border Towns – Americans own many factories, called maquiladoras, along Mexican side of border. Employ 1000s of Mexicans assemble products for export to U.S. – Good or bad???

MEXICO Note: The border region also has many cultural links to the U.S: -American Music; -American television; -Spanish has English words in it.

MEXICO Official Language – Spanish (62 native Indian languages!); Religion – 89% Catholic; Holidays – Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead); Cinco De Mayo (May 5 th ) Independence Day (Sept. 16 th )

CENTRAL AMERICA Central America -

CENTRAL AMERICA Like Mexico, Central American Countries were colonized by Spain; small farms were converted into large ones, run by wealthy Spanish families. Independence was gained in 1820s; wealthy families continued to run farms.

CENTRAL AMERICA Foreign companies from the U.S. & Great Britain built railroads; coffee plantations were founded along them; bananas also became an important commercial crop controlled by American firms.

CENTRAL AMERICA Spanish Influence: – Catholic Religion popular – Majority of people are Mestizo Some are Mulatto- of European & African descent – Language is mostly Spanish (Belize speaks English)

CENTRAL AMERICA Panama Canal: – Early 1900s, U.S. built Panama Canal across central Panama. – This canal allows ships to move from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean; a major international trade route! – The U.S. controlled the canal until it turned it over to Panama in 1999 (the turn of the century). :

CENTRAL AMERICA ECOTOURISM – Costa Rica is famous for this type of tourism – Ecotourism focuses on guided travel through natural areas & on outdoor activities, allowing visitors to see wildlife & learn about the environment.

THE WEST INDIES The West Indies consist of the islands found in the Caribbean Sea:

WEST INDIES In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas. He named it the West Indies. Since Spanish monarchs sent Columbus, they were the first to settle in the region. Settlers brought bananas, citrus, rice, sugarcane, & farm animals.

WEST INDIES When Spanish found little gold, they lost interest in the islands, opening them to competition between English, Dutch & French. Sugar plantations developed. Plantation owners turned to Africa for farm labor, bringing millions of Africans to the West Indies.

WEST INDIES When slavery ended in 1800s, landowners brought laborers from South & East Asia. Over time, all islands gained independence… The U.S. took Cuba & Puerto Rico from Spain during Spanish-American War in 1898.

WEST INDIES Cuba became independent in 1902, Puerto Rico became a commonwealth of the U.S. – a self- governing territory associated with another country. (Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens but have no voting representation in Congress.)

WEST INDIES Population of Caribbean mostly descendants of Africa & Europe; also Asian descendants in some areas. Official languages depend on who settled there (Spanish, French, English, Dutch) Also some creole – blends European, African, or Caribbean Indian languages.

WEST INDIES Most are Roman Catholic or Protestant; African traditions strongly influence religion. (i.e. in Haiti, voodoo is common. – – African Beliefs blended with Christianity.

WEST INDIES Caribbean Music – has contributed much to American music; Calypso, Reggae, Salsa, Merengue – have all contributed to our music!

SOUTH AMERICA

Before Europeans arrived to South America, kingdoms rose & fell; The Inca was South America’s greatest early civilization; They built paved roads & suspension bridges! Inca stone construction can still be seen in Peru. They also farmed using terraced fields braced by stone walls.

SOUTH AMERICA Spanish heard about Inca, wanted to conquer them Treaty of Tordesillas divided South America between Spain & Portugal. Portugal received much of Brazil – in Brazil they speak Portuguese! The remainder of South America speaks Spanish. Treaty of Tordesillas

SOUTH AMERICA Independence movements took place in 1900s, but like Central America, failed to improve people’s lives; wealth remained in the hands of a few; many poor. Often, a group might take power by force (called a coup).

SOUTH AMERICA Language of South American countries reflects colonization. Most speak Spanish; in Brazil, Portuguese is spoken; English, Dutch & French are also found in various countries.

South America Religion – majority are Roman Catholic (colonization); Traditionalism – although S. America is developing rapidly, some places remain traditional.

South America Settlement Patterns: – Most urban areas are along coastline, many are seaports; – Much of the interior is thinly populated.

South America Major Cities of S. America: Buenos Aires (Argentina) Santiago (Chile) Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) Lima (Peru)