Study Guide Latin America
LATIN AMERICA WHAT IS IT?
Term thought to be coined by French Emperor Napoleon III, during occupation of Mexico
Reference to cultural commonalities shared by those who speak Romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French.
Confusing point, since some countries in region are English speaking: Belize, Jamaica, Guyana; Suriname- Dutch speaking 34 nations, 590 million
Geography
Region south of Rio Grande to tip of South America. 8 mill sq miles, Huge, 2.5 times size of U.S.
Frozen windswept land of Patagonia to South: Tropics of Central America and Caribbean; rain forests, largest mountain chain on earth, savanna grasslands, driest desert on earth (Northern Chile)
Has second longest river on earth, carrying more water than any other (Amazon).
Panama
not always associated with Central America
Panama Canal and U.S. Intervention
Originally part of Colombia
T. Roosevelt could not get Colombia to agree to allow for canal construction
U.S. encouraged a revolt in Panama, backed up by U.S. warships to stop Colombia
Thus, Panama breaks away forms new state, under U.S. protection
Racial, Ethnic background
Ethnically and racially diverse-; pre-Colombian civilizations: Incas, Aztecs, Mayans. These indigenous peoples. But they are divided into many ethnic groups.
Mestizo- mix of European and Native Indian race. Largest group in L.A.
Mulatto- Mix of African slave and European
Zambos- mix of Indian and African
When did people arrive in Latin America?
Trek across Siberia-Alaska land link between 35,000BC and 10,000BC
Reached tip of South America by 9,000BC
First Agricultural Settlements 3,000BC.
First civilization: Olmecs – Mexico, around 1200BC.
Next were Mayans starting 300AD
Next: Aztecs 450 AD.
Africans brought over in slave trade.
Between 1550-1850, 4 million Africans brought to Brazil; 3 million to Caribbean; another 1.5 million to rest of South America.
After Slavery abolished in L.A. Brazil being last in 1888- other sources of cheap labor
Term thought to be coined by French Emperor Napoleon III, during occupation of Mexico
Reference to cultural commonalities shared by those who speak Romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French.
Confusing point, since some countries in region are English speaking: Belize, Jamaica, Guyana; Suriname- Dutch speaking 34 nations, 590 million
Geography
Region south of Rio Grande to tip of South America. 8 mill sq miles, Huge, 2.5 times size of U.S.
Frozen windswept land of Patagonia to South: Tropics of Central America and Caribbean; rain forests, largest mountain chain on earth, savanna grasslands, driest desert on earth (Northern Chile)
Has second longest river on earth, carrying more water than any other (Amazon).
Panama
not always associated with Central America
Panama Canal and U.S. Intervention
Originally part of Colombia
T. Roosevelt could not get Colombia to agree to allow for canal construction
U.S. encouraged a revolt in Panama, backed up by U.S. warships to stop Colombia
Thus, Panama breaks away forms new state, under U.S. protection
Racial, Ethnic background
Ethnically and racially diverse-; pre-Colombian civilizations: Incas, Aztecs, Mayans. These indigenous peoples. But they are divided into many ethnic groups.
Mestizo- mix of European and Native Indian race. Largest group in L.A.
Mulatto- Mix of African slave and European
Zambos- mix of Indian and African
When did people arrive in Latin America?
Trek across Siberia-Alaska land link between 35,000BC and 10,000BC
Reached tip of South America by 9,000BC
First Agricultural Settlements 3,000BC.
First civilization: Olmecs – Mexico, around 1200BC.
Next were Mayans starting 300AD
Next: Aztecs 450 AD.
Africans brought over in slave trade.
Between 1550-1850, 4 million Africans brought to Brazil; 3 million to Caribbean; another 1.5 million to rest of South America.
After Slavery abolished in L.A. Brazil being last in 1888- other sources of cheap labor