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Latin America
Latin America is the Region of the Americas where Romance Language s – those derived from Latin – are officially or primarily spoken. Latin America is typically contrasted with Anglo-America where English , a Germanic Language , predominates. Definitions for what comprises Latin America vary. From a sociopolitical perspective, Latin America generally includes territories in the Americas where ; most of Central America , South America , and the Caribbean . Territories where other Romance languages such as French (e.g., Quebec in Canada ) or derivatives like Papiamento or Kreyol predominate are frequently not reckoned as parts of Latin America, despite French Origins of the concept. Sometimes, particularly in the United States , the term "Latin America" is used to refer to ''all'' of the Americas south of the U.S., including countries such as Belize , Guyana , Jamaica , and Suriname where non-Romance languages prevail. Geopolitically, Latin America is divided into 20 independent countries and several dependent territories. Brazil is by far the largest country of Latin America, both in area and in population. Its official language, Portuguese, puts it apart from other Latin American countries which predominately use Spanish as their official language. ETYMOLOGY Originally a political term, ''Amerique Latine'' was coined by Napoleon III , who cited ''Amerique Latine'' and '' Indochine '' as goals for expansion during his reign. While the term helped him stake a claim to those territories, it eventually came to embody those parts of the Americas that speak Romance languages initially brought by settlers from Iberia and France in the 15th and 16th Centuries . The term ''Latin America'' has come to represent an expression equivalent to Latin Europe and implies a sense of supranationality greater than those implied by notions of State hood or Nation hood. This supranational identity is expressed through common initiatives and organisations, like the South American Community Of Nations . While the term ''Latin American'' is generally regarded as interchangeable with others, such as Latino and Hispanic , local opinions may differ, especially in non Spanish-speaking countries like Brazil . Many people in Latin America do not speak Latin-derived languages but native ones or languages brought over by immigration. There is also the blend of Latin-derived cultures with indigenous and Africa n ones resulting in a differentiation in relation to the Latin-derived cultures of Europe. Quebec, other French-speaking areas in Canada like Acadia , Louisiana , Saint-Pierre And Miquelon , and other places north of Mexico are traditionally excluded from the sociopolitical definition of Latin America, despite having significant populations that speak a Latin-derived language. This is because these territories do not exist as sovereign states or they are geographically isolated from the rest of Latin America. French Guiana , however, is often included, despite being a dependency of France and not an independent country. The related term '' Iberoamerica '' is sometimes used to refer to the nations that were formerly colonies of Spain and Portugal , as these two countries are located on the Iberian Peninsula . The Organization Of Ibero-American States (OEI) takes this definition a step further, by including Spain and Portugal (often termed the ''Mother Countries'' of Latin America) among its member states, in addition to their Spanish and Portuguese-speaking former colonies in America. HISTORY See Also: History of Latin America The Americas are thought to have been first inhabited by people crossing the Bering Land Bridge , now the Bering Strait . Over the course of millennia, people spread to all parts of the continent. By the first millennium CE, South America’s vast rainforests, mountains, plains and coasts were the home of tens of millions of people. Some groups formed permanent settlements. Among those groups were the Chibchas (or "Muiscas" or "Muyscas") and the Tairona . The Chibchas of Colombia, the Quechuas of Peru and the Aymaras of Bolivia were the 3 most important sedentary Indian groups in South America. This region was home to many indigenous peoples and advanced civilizations, including the Aztecs , Toltecs , Caribs , Tupi , Maya , and Inca . The golden age of the Maya began about 250, with the last two great civilizations, the Aztecs and Incas, emerging into prominence later on in the early-14th and mid-15th centuries respectively. However, with the arrival of the Europeans following Christopher Columbus 's voyages, the indigenous peoples were subjugated, with the Aztecs destroyed by Hernán Cortés and the Incas defeated by Francisco Pizarro . European powers colonized the region, most notably Spain and Portugal ; the region (along with the rest of the uncolonized world) was divided into areas of Spanish and Portuguese control by the Line Of Demarcation in 1493, which gave Spain all areas to the west, and Portugal all areas to the east (the Portuguese lands subsequently becoming Brazil). By the end of the 16th century, they had occupied large areas of Central and South America, extending all the way to the present southern border of the United States. European culture and government was imposed, with the Roman Catholic Church becoming a major economic and political power, as well as the official religion of the region. Diseases brought by the Europeans, such as smallpox, wiped out a large proportion of the indigenous population, with epidemics of these diseases reducing them to 15% of their prior population. These survivors were used as slaves for their European masters in plantations and mines. However, intermarriage between the indigenous peoples and the European colonists was very common, and by the end of the colonial period, people of mixed ancestry (mestizos/mullatoes) formed majorities in many colonies. By the end of the 18th century, Spanish and Portuguese power was waning as other European powers took their place, notably Britain and France. Resentment began to grow over the restrictions imposed by the Spanish government, as well as the dominance of native Spaniards (Iberian-born ''peninsulares'') over the major institutions and the majority population, including the Spanish descendants' Creoles (''criollos''). The turning point came when Napoleon invaded Spain in 1808, which compelled Creole elites to form juntas that advocated independence. Fighting soon broke out between the juntas and the Spanish authorities, with initial victories crushed by Spanish troops, such as Hidalgo and Morelos in Mexico. Under the leaderships of Simon Bolivar , José De San Martin and other Libertadores however, the independence movement gained strength, and by 1825 all of Spanish Latin America except for Puerto Rico and Cuba had gained independence from Spain. Brazil achieved independence as well, with a constitutional monarchy established in 1822. In the same year in Mexico , a Spanish military officer, Agustín De Iturbide , led conservatives who created a constitutional monarchy, with Iturbide as emperor. POLITICAL DIVISIONS Latin America is often seen as encompassing the following countries: And the following dependencies: In addition, some would add Belize , the Falkland Islands , Guyana , and Suriname to this list, even though they are not culturally or linguistically Latin American. They maintain Economic ties with nearby countries, and are grouped by the United Nations in predominantly Latin American Region s ( South and Central America ). However, all except Suriname are also the objects of Long-standing Territorial Claims by their Latin American neighbors. POPULATION The population of Latin America is an amalgam of ethnic groups. The composition varies from country to country; some have a predominance of a racially mixed population, some have a high percentage of people of Amerindian origin, some are dominated by inhabitants of European origin and some populations are even primarily of African origin. ''To see'': Amerindian Languages Demographics Latin Americans are multi-ethnic and vary from country to country. The majority of Latin Americans are of mixed descent, referred to as Mestizo s, and are predominant in countries such as Mexico and Colombia . Their forefathers were primarily of European (mainly Spanish and Portuguese) and Amerindian origin, but there are also segments of African , South Asia n, East Asia n and Middle East ern heritage. While mestizos predominate in the region as a whole, a number of countries vary as European majority populations can be found in Argentina and Uruguay , while Native American populations predominate in countries such as Bolivia and Guatemala , and people of African descent are the majority in Haiti and significant Mulatto (those of mixed European and African ancestry) populations are found in significant numbers throughout the Caribbean and in Brazil . This genetic diversity has profoundly influenced Religion , Music , and Politics , and has given rise to a weak feeling of identity in parts of these mixed cultures. This opaque cultural heritage is (arguably improperly) called Latino in United States' English. Outside of the U.S., and in many languages (especially romance ones) " Latino " just means " Latin ", referring to cultures and peoples that can trace their heritage back to the ancient Roman Empire . Language Spanish is the predominant language in the majority of the countries. Portuguese is spoken primarily in Brazil, where it is the official language. French is also spoken in smaller countries, in the Caribbean , and French Guiana . Many nations, especially in the Caribbean , have their own Creole Languages , derived from European languages and various African tongues. Native American Languages are spoken in many Latin American nations, mainly Peru , Ecuador , Guatemala , Bolivia , Paraguay , and Mexico . Nahuatl is only one of the 62 native languages spoken by indigenous people in Mexico, which are officially recognized by the government as "national languages", along with Spanish. Guarani is, together with Spanish, the official language of Paraguay, and is spoken by the majority of the population. Other European languages are also spoken, such as Italian in Brazil and Argentina , German in southern Brazil , southern Chile and Argentina , and Welsh in southern Argentina. Religion The primary religion throughout Latin America is Roman Catholicism , but one can also find practitioners of Protestant , Pentecostal , Evangelical , Mormon , Buddhist , Jew ish, Islamic , Hindu , Bahá'í , indigenous, and various Afro-Latin American traditions, such as Santería , and Macumba which is a tribal- voodoo religion that is derived from Roman Catholicism. Evangelicalism in particular has been sharply increasing in popularity. ECONOMY Below is a table showing the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) prices and the GDP (PPP) of each Latin American country. This can be used to roughly gauge to the relative Standards Of Living in the region. Data are from the year 2005. The Latin American G7 is composed of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. per capita (PPP)]] (PPP)]] Sources: Data from table are from an April 2005 report by the . GDP (PPP) per capita for Latin America was calculated using population data from List Of Countries By Population CULTURE The culture of Latin America is the product of many influences, derived mainly from:
Painting The development of Latin American painting stemmed originally from the styles brought along by Spanish, Portuguese and French Baroque Painters, which in turn were following the trends of the Italian Masters. This Eurocentrism of the Arts, in general, started to fade in early 20th century, when Latin-Americans begun to acknowledge the uniqueness of their condition and started to follow their own path. Some of the Great Painters from Latin America could include: Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Guatemala
Mexico
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
Uruguay
Literature See Also: Latin American Writers The literature in Latin America has long gain its own identity, evolving from the strong European and, at a later stage, Anglo-American influences, and nowadays it is very recognisable and present internationally, including renowned Nobel Prize Winners. The Colombian Gabriel García Marquez won the prize for writing "One Hundred Years of Solitude", and has established his name as one of the most important writers in the world. In Brazil, there is João Guimarães Rosa , with his well-known book "Grande Sertão - Veredas", and older writers such as Machado De Assis ( "Dom Casmurro" ). Gabriela Mistral and Pablo Neruda (in 1971) are well known Chilean Nobel Prize winners. The Argentine Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) is a solid and influential figure of the Latin-American letters. Other important Latin-American writers are:
Music See Also: Latin American music One of the main characteristics of Latin American music is its diversity, from the lively rythms of Central America and the Caribbean to the more austere sounds of southern South America. Another feature of the Latin American music is its original blending of the variety of styles that arrived to The Americas and that became its influences, from the early Spanish and European Baroque to the different beats of the African rythms. Hispano-Caribbean music, such as Salsa , Merengue , Bachata , etc., are styles of music that have been strongly influenced by African rhythms and melodies. Other main musical genres of Latin American include the Argentine Tango , the Colombian Cumbia and Vallenato , Mexican Ranchera and the various styles of music from Pre-Columbian traditions that are widespread in the Andean region. In Brazil, Samba , American Jazz , European Classical Music and Choro were combined into the '' Bossa Nova '' music. The notable classical composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) worked on the recording of native musical traditions within his homeland of Brazil. These traditions have heavily influenced his classical works. Also notable is the much recent work of the Cuban Leo Brouwer . There is also the guitar work of the Venezuelan Antonio Lauro and the great Paraguayan Agustín Barrios . Arguably, the main contribution to the world music has been through the folklore, where the true soul of the Latin American and Caribbean Countries is really expressed. Musicians such as Atahualpa Yupanqui , Violeta Parra , Victor Jara , Mercedes Sosa , Jorge Negrete and others had given magnificent examples of the heights that this soul can reach. Latin Pop , including many forms of Rock , is very popular in Latin America today (see Spanish Language Rock And Roll ). Film Latin American film is both rich and diverse. The 1950s and 1960s saw a movement towards Third Cinema , led by the Argentine filmmakers Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino . Cinema Of Argentina was a big industry at the first half of the 20th century. After a series of military governments that conditionated culture in general, the industry re-emerged after the 1976-1983 Military Dictatorship to produce Academy Award The Official Story in 1985. Argentine Economic Crisis affected the production of films in the late 1990s, early 2000s, but many Argentine movies produced during those years were internationally acclaimed, including '' Nueve Reinas '' (2000), '' El Abrazo Partido '' (2004) and '' Roma '' (2004). In Brazil , the '' Cinema Novo '' movement created a very particular way of making movies with critical and intellectual screenplays, a clearer photography related to the light of the outdoors in a tropical landscape, and a political message. The modern Brazilian film industry has become more profitable inside the country, and some of its productions have received prizes and recognition in Europe and in the United States . Movies like '' Central Station '' (1999) and '' City Of God '' (2003) have fans around the world, and its directors have also taken part in American and European film projects. Mexican Movies such as '' Amores Perros '' (2000) and '' Y Tu Mamá También '' (2001) have also been successful in creating universal stories about contemporary subjects, and were internationally recognised. See also: Cinema Of Cuba SEE ALSO
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