Latin America (Portuguese: América Latina; Spanish: Latinoamérica or América Latina; French: Amérique latine) is the region of the Americas where Romance languages, those derived from Latin, and in particularly Spanish and Portuguese, are primarily spoken. This article is about the Mexican city for other uses see Monterrey (disambiguation. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. ^[1]

Definition

• In most common contemporary usage, Latin America refers only to those territories in the Americas where the Spanish or Portuguese languages prevail: Mexico, most of Central and South America, plus Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting
• Strictly speaking, Latin America can designate all of those countries and territories in the Americas where a Romance language (i. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Romance languages (sometimes referred to as Romanic languages, or Neolatin languages) are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all e. languages derived from Latin, and hence the name of the region) is spoken: Spanish, Portuguese, French, and creole languages based upon these. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable Language that originates seemingly as a nativized Pidgin. Indeed, this was the original intent when the term was popularized by Napoleon III as part of his campaign to install Maximilian as emperor of Mexico. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Maximilian I Emperor of Mexico (Emperador Maximiliano I de México (6 July 1832 – 19 June 1867 (born Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph was a member of Austria Using this definition, Latin America includes not only all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, but also the current and former French territories in the hemisphere, including Haiti, Quebec in Canada, Louisiana in the United States, Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, French Guiana in South America, and St. Pierre and Miquelon near Newfoundland. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France The Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is a group of small islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, the
• Often, particularly in the United States, the term may be used to refer to all of the Americas south of the U. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the S. , including such countries as Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, and the Bahamas where English prevails. Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. Barbados ( Portuguese word for bearded-ones, bɑrˈbeɪdoʊz -dɒs situated just east of the Caribbean Sea, is an independent Island nation The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Antigua and Barbuda ( Spanish for "Ancient" and "Bearded" is an Island nation located on the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States
• The former Dutch colony Suriname, the Netherlands Antilles, and Aruba are not usually considered part of Latin America, although in the latter two, a predominantly Iberian-derived creole language, Papiamento, is spoken by the majority of the population. Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by The Netherlands Antilles ( Dutch:) previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela Papiamento (or Papiamentu) is the Language spoken on the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao (the so-called
• In historical terms, Latin America could be defined as all those parts of the Americas that were once part of the Spanish, Portuguese, and French Empires, which speak languages stemming from Latin. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Under this definition, much of the U.S. Southwest, Florida, and French Louisiana would be also included in the region. The Southwestern area of the United States could be defined as the states west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37 Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the

The distinction between Latin America and Anglo-America, and more generally the stress on European heritage (or Eurocentrism), is simply a convention by which Romance-language and English-speaking cultures are distinguished, currently being the predominant languages in the Americas. right|250px|right|thumb|Anglo-America dark green indicates countries traditionally included in the region ([[Canada]] and the [[United States]] Eurocentrism is the practice of viewing the world from a European perspective with an implied belief either consciously or subconsciously in the preeminence of European (and There are, of course, many places in the Americas (e. g. highland Ecuador, Bolivia, and Guatemala) where American Indian cultures and languages are important, as well as areas in which the influence of African cultures is strong (e. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. g. the Caribbean, including parts of Colombia and Venezuela, coastal Ecuador, coastal Peru, and coastal Brazil). Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

U. S. American influences shaped the cultures of Latin America, especially of Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico as a U. S. territory. Briefly, the U. S. held a territory in a swath of land in Panama over the 20-mile long Panama Canal from 1903 (the canal opened to transoceanic freight traffic in 1914) to 1979 when the U. Canal Zone may refer to Suez Canal Zone, the informal zone around the Suez Canal in Egypt Panama Canal Zone, the former United States The Panama Canal is a man-made Canal in Panama which joins the S. government agreed to give the territory to Panama.

Etymology

Originally, Amérique latine was a political denomination thought coined by French Emperor Napoleon III, in citing Amérique latine and Indochine as goals for his region's imperial expansion,^[2] thus justifying French imperial claims to the native peoples and their lands; eventually, Amérique latine denominated the Americas colonised by Spanish, Portuguese, and French settlers between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries; nevertheless, Michel Chevalier introduced his alternate etymology, the Southern Americas, in 1836, in Lettres sur l'Amérique du Nord. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. Michel Chevalier ( January 13, 1806 &mdash November 18, 1879) was a French Engineer, statesman Economist and ^[3] In the United States, before the 1890s, Spanish America was the nominal term for the region until early in the twentieth century when Latin America became current. ^[4]

Contemporaneously, Latin America is equivalent to Latin Europe, implying supranationality greater than statehood and nationhood. Supranationalism is a method of decision-making in political communities wherein power is democratically entrusted to independent experienced appointed personalities or to representatives Supranational identity is expressed through common socio-economic initiatives and organizations, such as the Union of South American Nations; nevertheless, the terms Latin American, Latin, Latino, and Hispanic denote and connote different things. __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties Latin is the name of various peoples or ethnicities related to the Latium region in the Italian Peninsula, to the Latin language, or to its descendants Hispanic (hispano hispánico hispânico Hispānus adjective from ''Hispānia'', the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically

Many Latin Americans do not speak Latinate languages, but native tongues transplanted by immigration, e. g. German in Paraguay. Moreover there are Latin European-derived cultures resultant from European immigrants blending with the indigenous peoples and with the imported African slaves, thus, they are Latin American, but not Spanish, Portuguese, and French, as usually connoted by the Latin American term. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States.

Francophone Canada (except Québec) and the U. Quebec (kwɨˈbɛk S. , such as Acadia, French Louisiana, and places north of Mexico are often excluded from the socio-political definition of Latin America, despite significant or predominant populations speaking a Latinate language, because they are not sovereign states and are geographically discrete from Latin America proper; yet, French Guiana, a French dependency, is included. The Association for Computer Aided Design In Architecture ( ACADIA) is a Non-profit organization active in the area of Computer-aided architectural design French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Some Latin American countries do not have a Romance language as the official language, yet are denominated Latin American countries, i. e. Dutch-speaking Suriname, and the Anglophone country Guyana. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by

To avoid the ambiguities inherent to Latin America, the term Ibero-America is used in Spain and Portugal referring to the nations and countries once colonies of itself and of Portugal; Ibero-America derives from the Iberian Peninsula wherein lay Spain and Portugal. Ibero-America is a term which started to be used in the second half of the 19th century to refer collectively to the countries in the Americas which were formerly colonies Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra The Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI — Organzación de Estados Iberoamericanos) extends the definition by including Spain and Portugal (the Mother Countries of Latin America) as member states. The Organization of Ibero-American States (Organização dos Estados Ibero-americanos Spanish: Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos; formally The Organization Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula.

History

Main article: History of Latin America

See also: History of South America for a treatment of pre-Columbian civilisations and a general overview of the region's history. Latin America refers to countries in the Americas where Latin-derived ( Romance) languages are spoken these countries generally lie south of the United The History of South America is the study of the past, particularly the written record, oral histories, and traditions, passed down from

The Americas are thought to have been first inhabited by people crossing the Bering Land Bridge, now the Bering strait, from northeast Asia into Alaska more than 10,000 years ago. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The Bering land bridge was a Land bridge roughly 1000 miles (1600 km north to south at its greatest extent which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia The Bering Strait (Берингов пролив Beringov proliv) is a sea Strait between Cape Dezhnev, Russia, the easternmost point (169°43' A strait is a narrow navigable Channel of water that connects two larger navigable bodies of water Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent Over the course of millennia, people spread to all parts of the continents. By the first millennium AD/CE, South America’s vast rainforests, mountains, plains and coasts were the home of tens of millions of people. Some groups formed permanent settlements such as the Chibchas (or "Muiscas" or "Muyscas") and the Tairona groups. Chibcha, also known as Muisca or Mosca, is "officially" an extinct Chibchan language of Colombia, formerly spoken by Tairona is a group of Chiefdoms in the region of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in present-day Cesar, Magdalena and La Guajira The Chibchas of Colombia, the Quechuas of Peru, and the Aymaras of Bolivia were the three Indian groups that settled most permanently. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. The Aymara are a native Ethnic group in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America; about 1 The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America.

A view of Machu Picchu, a pre-Columbian Inca site in Peru. Machu Picchu (Machu Pikchu "Old Peak" 'mɑtʃu 'piktʃu is a Pre-Columbian Inca site located 2400 meters (7875 ft above sea level Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America.

Archaelogical sites of Chichén-Itzá in Yucatán Mexico. Chichen Itza (tʃiːˈtʃɛn iːˈtsɑː from Chi'ch'èen Ìitsha' "At the mouth of the well of the Itza " is a Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

The region was home to many indigenous peoples and advanced civilizations, including the Aztecs, Toltecs, Caribs, Tupi, Maya, and Inca. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political Toltec-style Vessel 1jpg|thumb|250px|right|A rather expressive orange-ware clay vessel in the Toltec style Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands The Tupi people is one of the main Ethnic groups of Brazilian indigenous people, together with the related Guaraní. The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas 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 fourteenth century and mid-fifteenth centuries, respectively. The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below A Civilization is a society in which large numbers of people share a variety of common elements

With the arrival of the Europeans following Christopher Columbus's voyages, the indigenous elites, such as the Incans and Aztecs, lost power to the Europeans. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Hernán Cortés destroyed the Aztec elite's power with the help of local groups who disliked the Aztec elite, and Francisco Pizarro eliminated the Incan rule in Western South America. Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro 1st Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca ( 1485&ndash December 2, Francisco Pizarro González 1st Marqués de los Atabillos (c 1471 or 1476 &ndash 26 June 1541 was a Spanish Conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire European powers, most notably Spain and Portugal, colonized the region, which 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 in South America subsequently becoming Brazil). Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Line of Demarcation was a Longitude, moved slightly from the line drawn by Pope Alexander VI to divide new lands claimed by Portugal from those of By the end of the sixteenth century, Europeans occupied large areas of North, Central and South America, extending all the way into the present southern 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 and measles, wiped out a large proportion of the indigenous population, with epidemics of diseases reducing them sharply from their prior populations. Smallpox is an Infectious disease unique to humans caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. Measles (rubeola is a Disease caused by a virus specifically a Paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Historians cannot determine the number of natives who died due to European diseases, but some put the figures as high as 85% and as low as 20%. Due to the lack of written records, specific numbers are hard to verify. Many of the survivors were forced to work in European plantations and mines. 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) formed majorities in several colonies. Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry, often creating Multiracial children This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation.

Dates of independence of countries in the Americas.

By the end of the eighteenth century, Spanish and Portuguese power waned as other European powers took their place, notably Britain and France. Resentment grew 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 colonial-born Spaniards (criollos, Creoles). "Peninsular" redirects here For the geographical formation see Peninsula. Institutions are structures and mechanisms of Social order and Cooperation governing the Behavior of a Set of Individuals Criollo is a term that dates back to the Spanish colonial Casta system ( Caste system) of Latin America Napoleon's invasion of Spain in 1808 marked the turning point, compelling Creole elites to form juntas that advocated independence. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. Also, the newly independent Haiti, the second oldest nation in the New World after the United States and the oldest independent nation in Latin America, further fueled the independence movement by inspiring the leaders of the movement, such as Simón Bolívar and José de San Martin, and by providing them with considerable munitions and troops. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco,Venezuelan or commonly known as Simón Bolívar ( July 24, 1783 &ndash José Francisco de San Martín Matorras, also known as José de San Martín ( 25 February 1778 – 17 August 1850) was an Argentine

Fighting soon broke out between the Juntas and the Spanish colonial authorities, with initial Creole victories, including Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in Mexico and Francisco de Miranda in Venezuela, crushed by the Spanish troops. Miguel Gregorio Antonio Ignacio Hidalgo y Costilla Gallaga Mondarte Villaseñor ( May 8 1753 &ndash July 30 1811) also known as Miguel The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Sebastián Francisco de Miranda y Rodríguez ( Caracas, March 28, 1750 – in prison El Arsenal de la Carraca, Cadiz, Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Under the leadership of Simón Bolívar, José de San Martin and other Libertadores in South America, the independence movement regained strength, and by 1825, all Spanish Latin America, except for Puerto Rico and Cuba, gained independence from Spain. Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar Palacios y Blanco,Venezuelan or commonly known as Simón Bolívar ( July 24, 1783 &ndash José Francisco de San Martín Matorras, also known as José de San Martín ( 25 February 1778 – 17 August 1850) was an Argentine Libertadores ( Spanish and Portuguese for "Liberators" refers to the leaders of the revolutions which gained the nations of Latin America independence Brazil achieved independence with a constitutional monarchy established in 1822. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld During the same year in Mexico, a military officer, Agustín de Iturbide, led conservatives who created a constitutional monarchy, with Iturbide as emperor (followed by a republic, 1823). The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Agustín Cosme Damián de Iturbide y Arámburu ( September 27, 1783 &ndash July 19, 1824) was Emperor of Mexico as Augustin A monarchy is a Form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual who is the Head of state, often for life or An emperor (from the Latin " Imperator " is a (male Monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an Empire or another type of This was a very important event because Latin America was low on food and water and Black Death started to spread from Europe.

Political divisions

Latin America is politically divided into the following countries and territories:
The countries included in all definitions are:^[1]

The more expansive definition can include:

Owing to their geographical location the Falkland Islands, Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago could be added to this grouping, but they are not culturally or linguistically Latin American. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The United States of America —commonly referred to as the For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² Saint Barthélemy (Saint-Barthélemy officially the Collectivity of Saint Barthélemy (French Collectivité de Saint-Barthélemy) is an Overseas collectivity The Territorial Collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is a group of small islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, the Aruba is a -long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, north of the Paraguaná Peninsula, Falcón State, Venezuela The Netherlands Antilles ( Dutch:) previously known as the Netherlands West Indies or Dutch Antilles/West Indies, is part of the Lesser Antilles Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Guyana (ɡaɪˈænə or /ɡiːˈɑːnə/ officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana and previously known as British Guiana, is the only Nation state Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ˈtrɪnɪdæd ən təˈbeɪgoʊ is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying northeast of the South American They maintain economic ties with nearby countries, and are grouped by the United Nations in the predominantly Latin American region of South America. Economic geography is the study of the location distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the Earth. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security A subregion is a conceptual unit which derives from a larger Region or Continent and is usually based on location South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a All except Suriname are also the objects of long-standing territorial claims by their Latin American neighbors. Irredentism is any position advocating Annexation of territories administered by another State on the grounds of common Ethnicity or prior historical possession

Demographics

Demographics 'Notable Latin Americans' Fidel Castro Ricky Martin Juanes Shakira Salma Hayek Pelé Diego Maradona Benicio del Toro Evo Morales Gloria Estefan A few examples of famous Latin Americans

Racial groups

The population of Latin America is a composite of ancestries, ethnic groups and races, making the region one of the most — if not the most — diverse in the world. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (born August 13 1926 is a Cuban revolutionary leader who was prime minister of Cuba from December 1959 to December 1976 and then president until Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971) better known by his Stage name Ricky Martin, is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Juan Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez best known as Juanes (born August 9 1972 in Carolina del Príncipe Antioquia) is a Colombian rock musician Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll (born February 2 1977 known simply as Shakira Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez (born February 19 1967 is a Puerto Rican Actor and Film producer. Juan Evo Morales Ayma (born October 26 1959 in Orinoca, Oruro) popularly known as Evo (ˈeβo is the President of Bolivia since Gloria Estefan (born Gloria María Fajardo on September 1, 1957) is a Cuban American singer and songwriter The specific composition varies from country to country: Some have a predominance of a mixed population, in others people of Amerindian origin are a majority, some are dominated by inhabitants of European ancestry and some populations are primarily of African descent. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Most or all Latin American countries have Asian minorities. Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular Europeans and groups with part-European ancestry combine for nearly 80% of the population. ^[5]

Amerindians

Amerindians make up the majority of the population in Bolivia and a plurality in Peru. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America.

The aboriginal population of Latin America, the Amerindians, experienced tremendous population decline particularly in the early decades of colonization. They have since recovered in numbers, surpassing sixty million, though they compose a majority in only one country, Bolivia. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. In Peru they are a plurality, while in Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico, they are large minorities of more than 25%. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Most of the other countries have small Amerindian minorities. In many countries, people of mixed Indian and European ancestry make up the majority of the population (see Mestizo). Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin

Africans

A significant number of Latin Americans are of African ancestry

Millions of African slaves were brought to Latin America from the sixteenth century onward, the majority of whom were sent to the Caribbean region and Brazil. An Afro-Latin American (also Afro-Latino) is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry the term may also refer to historical As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Large numbers of Afro-Caribbean contract workers arrived in Panama during the construction of the Panama Canal (1903-14). Today, people identified as black constitute significant minorities in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico. They compose a majority in Haiti.

Asians

People of Asian descent are numerous in Latin America. For the Asian Hispanic population of United States see Asian Hispanic and Latino Americans. The first Asians to settle in Latin America were Filipino, as a result of Spain's trade involving Asia and the Americas. Filipinos or the Filipino people are the citizens of the Philippines. The majority of ethnic Asians in Latin America are of Japanese ancestry and reside mainly in Brazil, home to the largest ethnic Japanese community outside of Japan itself, numbering 1. The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld A Japanese Brazilian' (日系ブラジル人 in Kanji and Kana Japanese writing nikkei burajiru-jin in Rōmaji Japanese For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. 5 million. ^[6] Peru has important Chinese and Japanese communities. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Indians, Koreans, and Vietnamese are also among the largest ethnic Asian communities in the region. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Korean people are an East Asian Ethnic group. Most Koreans speak the Korean language. The Vietnamese people (người Việt or vi ''người Kinh'' are an Ethnic group originating from what is now northern Vietnam and southern China. In the Panama canal zone there is also a Chinese minority; descendants of migrant workers who built the Panama Canal.

Europeans

Mexicans of European descent are among the three largest groups in the country of Mexico. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School.

Beginning in the late fifteenth century, large numbers of Iberian colonists settled in what became Latin America — Portuguese in Brazil and Spaniards elsewhere in the region — and at present most white Latin Americans are of Spanish or Portuguese origin. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Iberians brought the Spanish and Portuguese languages, the Catholic faith, and many traditions. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Catholic is an Adjective derived from the Greek adjective '' / 'katholikos' meaning "whole" or "complete".

Millions of Europeans have immigrated to Latin America since most countries gained independence in the 1810s and 1820s with most of the immigration occurring in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the bulk of the immigrants settling in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Italians formed the largest group of immigrants, and next were Spaniards and Portuguese. The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west ^[7] Many others arrived such as Germans, Poles, Ukrainians, Russians, Jews, Irish, and Welsh. The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The Irish people ( Irish: Muintir na hÉireann, na hÉireannaigh, na Gaeil) are a Western European Ethnic group who originate The Welsh people ( Welsh: Cymro ("Welshman" Cymraes ("Welsh woman" Cymry ("Welshmen/women" Cymry During the Second Mexican Empire, many more French, Belgians and Ausrians settled in Mexico. The Second Mexican Empire was the name of Mexico under the regime established from 1864 to 1867 Whites make up the vast majority of the population in Argentina, Uruguay,Southern Brazil, Southeast Brazil, and some states in Mexico. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The South Region of Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. In absolute numbers, Brazil has the largest population of whites in Latin America, followed by Argentina and Mexico. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

Latin americans of European descent are predominant in the region of the Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. White People is the second album by Handsome Boy Modeling School. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America The South Region of Brazil is one of the five administrative regions of Brazil

Latin American countries attracted European immigrants to work in agriculture, commerce and industry. Many Latin American governments encouraged immigrants from Europe to civilize the region. ^[8] Despite their different origins, these immigrants integrated in the local societies and most of their descendants only speak Spanish or, in Brazil, Portuguese. For example, people of Italian descent make up half of Argentina's and Uruguay's population, but only a few of them are able to speak Italian. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. The only notable exceptions are some communities of Germans and Italians across Southern Brazil who still preserve their languages. Brazil has the biggest population of Italians outside of Italy; São Paulo city alone has more Italians than Rome. ^[9]

Immigration from the Middle East took place also since the 19th century and consisted largely of Christian Lebanese and Syrians. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية They have generally assimilated into the European-descended population.

Mestizos

Intermixing between Europeans and Amerindians began early and was extensive. The resulting people, known as mestizos, make up the majority of the population in half the countries of Latin America: Belize, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. Mestizo is a Spanish term that was coined during the Spanish Empire to refer to people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry in Latin Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Mestizos additionally compose large minorities in nearly all the mainland countries.

The degree of Amerindian admixture may vary with social class. In Chile, for example, it is higher in the lower classes. Many in Latin America's middle class have about an equal amount of both ancestries.

Mulattoes

Mulattoes are biracial descendants of mixed European and African ancestry, mostly European settlers and African slaves during the colonial period. Mulatto is a term used to describe a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person whose Ancestry is a mixture of black and white The vast majority of mulattoes are found in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Venezuela. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the There is also a small presence of mulattoes in other Latin American countries. ^[5]

Zambos

Slaves often ran away (cimarrones) and were taken in by Amerindian villagers. Maroons redirects here and may refer to Queensland state rugby league team. Intermixing between Africans and Amerindians produced descendants known as zambos. Zambo is a Spanish term (the Portuguese language term is Cafuso) that was used in the Spanish Empire and continues to be used today This was especially prevalent in Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

In addition to the foregoing groups, Latin America also has millions of people of mixed African, Amerindian and European triracial ancestry, mostly in Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil but with a much smaller presence in a number of other countries.

Racial distribution

The following table shows the different racial groups and their percentages for all Latin American countries and territories. ^[5][10]

¹ May include one or more of the previous groups.

Language

See also: Indigenous languages of the Americas

Romance languages in Latin America: Green-Spanish; Orange-Portuguese; Blue-French

Spanish is the predominant language in the majority of Latin American countries. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Portuguese is spoken primarily in Brazil, the most populous country in the region. Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. French is spoken in some countries of the Caribbean, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana and Haiti. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Guadeloupe is an island group or Archipelago located in the eastern Caribbean Sea at, with a land area of 1628 square kilometres (629  sq Martinique is an Island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, having a land area of 1128 km² French Guiana (Guyane française officially fr ''Guyane'' is an Overseas department (French département d'outre-mer, or DOM) of France Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: Dutch is the official language of some Caribbean islands and in Suriname on the continent; however, as Dutch is a Germanic language, these territories are not considered part of Latin America. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname Suriname ( Dutch: Suriname; Sranan Tongo: Sranan) officially the Republic of Suriname (traditionally spelled Surinam by The Germanic languages are a group of related languages that constitute a branch of the Indo-European (IE Language family.

Other European languages spoken in Latin America include: English, by some groups in Argentina, Belize, Nicaragua, Panama, and Puerto Rico; German, in southern Brazil, southern Chile, Argentina, and German-speaking villages in northern Venezuela; Italian, in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and, to a lesser extent, Venezuela; and Welsh, in southern Argentina. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic

In several nations, especially in the Caribbean region, creole languages are spoken. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable Language that originates seemingly as a nativized Pidgin. The most widely-spoken creole language in the Caribbean and Latin America in general is Haitian Creole, the predominant language of Haiti; it is derived primarily from French and certain West African tongues with some Amerindian and Spanish influences as well. Haitian Creole language ( kreyòl ayisyen) often called simply Creole or Kreyòl ( pronounced) is a language spoken in Haiti Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: West Africa or Western Africa is the Westernmost Region of the African Continent. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. Creole languages of mainland Latin America, similarly, are derived from European languages and various African tongues. Native American languages are widely spoken in Belize, Peru, Guatemala, Bolivia, Paraguay, and to a lesser degree, in Mexico, Ecuador, and Chile. Indigenous languages of the Americas (or Amerindian Languages are spoken by indigenous peoples from the southern tip of South America to Alaska and Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the In absolute numbers, Mexico contains the largest population of indigenous-language speakers of any country in the Americas, surpassing those of the Amerindian-majority countries of Guatemala, Bolivia and the Amerindian-plurality country of Peru. In Latin American countries not named above, the population of speakers of indigenous languages is small or non-existent.

In Peru, Quechua is an official language, alongside Spanish and any other indigenous language in the areas where they predominate. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. In Ecuador, while holding no official status, the closely-related Quichua is a recognized language of the indigenous people under the country's constitution; however, it is only spoken by a few groups in the country's highlands. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. Kichwa ( Kichwa shimi, Runashimi, also Spanish Quichua) is a Quechuan language including all Quechua varieties spoken In Bolivia, Aymara, Quechua and Guaraní hold official status alongside Spanish. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. The Aymara are a native Ethnic group in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America; about 1 Guarani is, along with Spanish, an official language of Paraguay, and is spoken by a majority of the population (who are, for the most part, bilingual), and it is co-official with Spanish in the Argentine province of Corrientes. Guaraní /gwaraˈni/ (local name avañe'ẽ) is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí-Guaraní subfamily of the Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Foto-0065jpg|thumb|216px|The Belgrano Bridge]]Plaza 25 de mayo Corrientes In Nicaragua, Spanish is the official language, but on the country's Caribbean coast English and indigenous languages such as Miskito, Sumo, and Rama also hold official status. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Miskito is a Misumalpan language spoken by the Miskito people in northeastern Nicaragua, especially in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region Sumo (also known as Sumu) is the collective name for a group of Misumalpan languages spoken in Nicaragua and Honduras. Rama is one of the Indigenous languages of the Chibchan family spoken by the Rama people on the island of Rama Cay and south of lake Bluefields Colombia recognizes all indigenous languages spoken within its territory as official, though fewer than 1% of its population are native speakers of these. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Nahuatl is 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. Nahuatl ( is a group of related languages and dialects of the Aztecan or Nahuan branch of the Uto-Aztecan language family

Religion

Christ the Redeemer (Cristo Redentor) atop Corcovado mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Corcovado, meaning " Hunchback " in Portuguese, is a mountain in central Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio de Janeiro ("River of January" ˈhiw dʒi ʒʌˈnejɾu in Brazilian Portuguese, /ˈriːoʊ di ʒəˈnɛroʊ/ in English is the second largest city of Brazil |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld

The vast majority of Latin Americans are Christians, mostly Roman Catholics. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth However, membership in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America is declining while membership in Protestant churches is increasing, particularly in countries such as Guatemala, Brazil, and Puerto Rico. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}}

Also, indigenous creeds and rituals are still practiced in countries such as Bolivia, Guatemala, México and Perú. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Mexico State or State of Mexico (often abbreviated to " Edomex " from Estado de México in Spanish) is a state in the Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Various Afro-Latin American traditions such as Santería, Candomblé, Umbanda, Macumba, and tribal-voodoo religions are also practiced, mainly in Cuba, Brazil, and Haiti. An Afro-Latin American (also Afro-Latino) is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry the term may also refer to historical Santería, also known as La Regla de Lukumi (Lukumi's Rule and The Way of the Saints is an Afro-Cuban religious tradition derived from traditional beliefs Candomblé (pronounced /kɐ̃dõˈblɛ/is an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion practiced chiefly in Brazil. Basic beliefs and practices The Umbanda creeds and practices are an eclectic mixture from three main sources from Catholicism Umbanda adopted the ideas of The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole:

Brazil has an active quasi-socialist Roman Catholic movement known as Liberation Theology, and Brazil is also the country with more practitioners in the world of Allan Kardec's Spiritism. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution Liberation theology is a school of Theology within Christianity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Allan Kardec was a pseudonym of the French teacher and educator Hippolyte Léon Denizard Rivail ( Lyon, October 3, 1804 – Paris Spiritism is a Christian philosophical Doctrine, established in France in the mid-nineteenth century Practitioners of the Jewish, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, and Bahá'í denominations and religions exist. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ TalkMormon#Latter Day Saint vs Latter-day Saint --> Mormon Jehovah's Witnesses is a restorationist, millenialist Christian denomination Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind

Emigration

Due to economic, social and security developments that are affecting the region in recent decades, the focus is now the change from net immigration to net emigration. "Emigrant" redirects here For the Butterflies, see Catopsilia. According to the 2005 Colombian census or DANE, about 3,331,107 Colombians currently live abroad. ^[11] Some 60,000 to 80,000 Argentineans a year have been emigrating, but emigration slowed in 2002 after the bank accounts of many people were frozen, so that they had no money for overseas travel. ^[11] The number of Brazilians living overseas is estimated at about 2 million people. ^[12] Remittances to Mexico rose from $6. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. 6 billion to $24 billion between 2000 and 2006, but stabilized in 2007. Much of the reported increase between 2000 and 2006 may reflect better accounting, but the slowdown in 2007 may reflect tougher U. S. border and interior enforcement. ^[11]

Economy

Economic performance

According to ECLAC,^[13] an economic growth rate of 5. The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC or ECLAC was established in 1948 (then as the UN Economic Commission for Latin 3% is estimated for 2006, equivalent to a per capita increase of 3. 8%. This marks the fourth consecutive year of economic growth, and the third consecutive year of rates exceeding 4%, after an average annual growth rate of only 2. 2% between 1980 and 2002. A breakdown of the annual rates of GDP growth (in U.S. dollars at constant 2000 prices) is transcribed as follows:

Country	2004	2005	2006	2007a	2008 a
Argentina	9	9. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. 2	8. 5a	7. 5	5. 5
Bolivia	4. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. 2	4	4. 6	3. 9	5. 4
Brazil	5. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld 7	3. 2	3. 8	5. 4	4. 5
Chile	6	5. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the 7	4	5. 9	5
Colombia	4. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. 9	4. 7	6. 8	6. 6	7. 5
Costa Rica	4. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in 3	5. 9	8. 2	6	5
Cubab	5. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la 4	11. 8	12. 5	N/A	N/A
Dominican Republic	2	9. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with 3	10. 7	8	4. 5
Ecuador	8	6	3. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. 9	2. 7	3. 4
El Salvador	1. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. 9	3. 1	4. 2	4. 2	3. 8
Guatemala	3. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest 2	3. 5	4. 9	4. 8	4. 3
Haiti	-2. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: 6	0. 4	2. 2	3. 2	4. 3
Honduras	5	4. Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. 1	6	5. 4	3. 4
Mexico	4. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. 2	2. 8	4. 8	2. 9	3
Nicaragua	5. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America 3	4. 3	3. 7	4. 2	4. 7
Panama	7. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. 5	6. 9	8. 1	8. 5	8. 8
Paraguay	4. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only 1	2. 9	4. 3	5	4
Peru	5. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. 1	6. 7	7. 6	8. 9	9. 5
Uruguay	11. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America 8	6. 6	7	5. 2	3. 8
Venezuela	18. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the 3	10. 3	10. 3	8	6
Latin America	6	4. 5	5. 3	4. 7	N/A
Notes: a. Estimates b. Figures provided by the National Statistics Office of Cuba, under evaluation by ECLAC Sources: 1. All countries, except Cuba: IMF [1] 2. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Cuba and Latin America: ECLAC [2]PDF (230 KiB)

Inequality and poverty

Inequality and poverty continue to be the region's main challenges; according to the ECLAC Latin America is the most unequal region in the world. The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC or ECLAC was established in 1948 (then as the UN Economic Commission for Latin A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC or ECLAC was established in 1948 (then as the UN Economic Commission for Latin ^[14] Moreover, according to the World Bank, nearly 25% of the population lives on less than 2 USD a day. The countries with the highest inequality in the region (as measured with the Gini index in the UN Development Report^[15]) in 2006 were Bolivia (60. The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. 1), Haiti (59. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: 2), Colombia (58. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. 6), Brazil (58), Paraguay (57. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only 8) and Chile (57. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the 1), while the countries with the lowest inequality in the region were Nicaragua (43. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America 1), Ecuador (43. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. 7), Venezuela (44. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the 1) and Uruguay (44. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America 9). One aspect of inequality and poverty in Latin America is unequal access to basic infrastructure. For example, access to water and sanitation in Latin America and the quality of these services remain low. Water supply and sanitation in Latin America is characterized by insufficient access and in many cases by poor service quality with detrimental impacts on Public health.

Crime and Violence

See also: Crime and Violence in Latin America

Crime and violence prevention and public security have become key social issues of concern to public policy makers and citizens in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Latin American nations have long been considered amongst the most violent societies in the world In Latin America, violence is now among the five main causes of death and is the principal cause of death in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Mexico. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Homicide rates in Latin America are among the highest of any region in the world. From the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, intentional homicide rates in Latin America increased by 50 percent. List of countries by homicide rate Homicide ( Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut kill refers to the act of killing another The major victims of such homicides are young men, 69 percent of whom are between the ages of 15 and 19 years old. ^[16] Many analysts agree that the prison crisis will not be resolved until the gap between rich and poor is addressed. They say that growing social inequality is fuelling crime in the region. Social inequality refers to a lack of Social equality, where individuals in a society do not have equal Social status. But there is also no doubt that, on such an approach, Latin American countries have still a long way to go. ^[17]

Trade blocs

The major trade blocs or agreements in the region are Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations (CAN). Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North The Andean Community ( Spanish: Comunidad Andina, CAN) is a Trade bloc comprising the South American countries of Minor blocs or trade agreements are the G3, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). However, major reconfigurations are taking place along opposing approaches to integration and trade; Venezuela has officially withdrawn from both the CAN and G3 and it has been formally admitted into the Mercosur (pending ratification from the Brazilian and Paraguayan legislatures). The president-elect of Ecuador has manifested his intentions of following the same path. This bloc nominally opposes any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, although Uruguay has manifested its intention otherwise. On the other hand, Mexico is a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement, Chile and Peru has signed an FTA with the United States, and Colombia's legislatures is awaiting its ratification by the US Senate. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Standard of living, consumption, and the environment

The following table lists (in alphabetical order) all the countries in Latin America indicating Gross National Income (GNI), per capita income in current U. Gross National Income (GNI comprises the total value produced within a country (i S. dollars—as used by the World Bank to classify countries according income—,Gross Domestic Product in PPP, a measurement of inequality through the Gini index (the higher the index the more unequal the income distribution is), the Human Development Index (HDI), the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), and the Quality-of-life index. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP The Environmental Performance Index (EPI is a method of quantifying and numerically benchmarking the environmental performance of a country's policies The Economist Intelligence Unit ’s quality of life index is based on a unique methodology that links the results of Subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the GDP and PPP GDP statistics come from the International Monetary Fund with data as of 2006. The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Gini index, the Human Poverty Index HDI-1, the Human Development Index, and the number of internet users per capita come from the UN Development Program. The Human Poverty Index is an indication of the Standard of living in a country developed by the United Nations (UN The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP The number of motor vehicles per capita come from the UNData base on-line. The EPI index comes from the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Quality-of-life index from The Economist Intelligence Unit. The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy is a joint initiative between the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and the Yale Law School. The Economist Intelligence Unit ’s quality of life index is based on a unique methodology that links the results of Subjective life-satisfaction surveys to the The Economist is an English-language weekly news and International affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd and edited in London

Country	GNI per capita[18] (2006) current USD	GDP per capita (PPP)[19] (2006) USD	Income equality[15] (2001-04) Gini index	Poverty Index[20] (2005) HPI-1 %	Human Develop. The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth The Human Poverty Index is an indication of the Standard of living in a country developed by the United Nations (UN [21] (2005) HDI	Envirnm. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP Perfrm. [22] (2008) EPI	Quality of life[23] (2005) index	Motor veh. The Environmental Performance Index (EPI is a method of quantifying and numerically benchmarking the environmental performance of a country's policies [24] (2007) per 1,000 people	Annual economic growth[25] (2007) %	Emissions per capita[26] (2004) ton CO2
Argentina	5,150	12,046	51. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. 3	4. 1	0. 869 (H)	81. 8	6. 969	173	7. 5	3. 7
Bolivia	1,100	3,829	60. The Republic of Bolivia (República de Bolivia) named after Simón Bolívar, is a Landlocked country in central South America. 1	13. 6	0. 695 (M)	64. 7	5. 492	52	3. 9	0. 8
Brazil	4,710	9,081	57. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld 0	9. 7	0. 800 (H)	82. 7	6. 470	118	5. 4	1. 8
Chile	6,810	13,083	54. Chile, officially the Republic of Chile ( Spanish:) is a country in South America occupying a long and narrow Coastal strip wedged between the 9	3. 7	0. 867 (H)	83. 4	6. 789	140	5. 9	3. 9
Colombia	3,120	6,218	58. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. 6	7. 9	0. 791 (M)	88. 3	6. 176	55	7. 5	1. 2
Costa Rica	4,980	9,585	49. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in 8	4. 4	0. 846 (H)	90. 5	6. 624	193	6	1. 5
Cuba[27]	3,500	4,100	N/A	4. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la 7	0. 838 (H)	80. 7	N/A	2	N/A	2. 3
Dominican Republic	3,667	6,412	51. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with 6	10. 5	0. 779 (M)	83. 0	5. 630	111	8	2. 2
Ecuador	2,910	6,973	53. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Ecuador topics. 6	8. 7	0. 772 (M)	84. 4	6. 272	55	2. 7	2. 2
El Salvador	2,680	5,530	52. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. 4	15. 1	0. 735 (M)	77. 2	6. 164	64	4. 2	0. 9
Guatemala	2,590	4,438	55. Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest 1	22. 5	0. 689 (M)	76. 7	5. 321	108	4. 8	1. 0
Haiti	550	1,240	59. Haiti ( English: ˈheɪ·tiː or haɪ·ˈjiː·tiː French Haïti a·i·ti Haitian Creole: 2	35. 4	0. 529 (M)	60. 7	4. 090	20	3. 2	0. 2
Honduras	1,270	3,818	53. Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. 8	16. 5	0. 700 (M)	75. 4	5. 250	14	5. 4	1. 1
Mexico	7,830	12,178	52. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. 1	6. 8	0. 829 (H)	79. 8	6. 766	191	2. 9	4. 2
Nicaragua	930	2,515	43. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America 1	17. 9	0. 710 (M)	73. 4	5. 663	38	4. 2	0. 7
Panama	5,000	9,204	56. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. 1	8. 0	0. 812 (H)	83. 1	6. 361	102	8. 5	1. 8
Paraguay	1,657	4,191	58. Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay ( Spanish: República del Paraguay; Guaraní: Tetã Paraguái) is one of the only 4	8. 8	0. 755 (M)	77. 7	5. 756	69	5	0. 7
Peru	2,980	7,081	52. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. 0	11. 6	0. 773 (M)	78. 1	6. 216	54	8. 9	1. 1
Uruguay	5,310	10,578	44. Uruguay.(official full name in República Oriental del Uruguay;, Oriental Republic of Uruguay) is a country located in the southeastern part of South America 9	3. 5	0. 852 (H)	82. 3	6. 368	154	5. 2	1. 6
Venezuela	6,070	11,150	48. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the 2	8. 8	0. 792 (M)	80. 0	6. 089	120	8	6. 6

Notes: (H) High human development; (M) Medium human development

Culture

Main article: Latin American culture

A type of traditional Mexican dance and costume. Latin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the peoples of Latin America and includes both High culture (literature high art and Popular culture The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America.

The rich mosaic of Latin American cultural expressions is the product of many diverse influences:

• Native cultures of the peoples that inhabited the continents prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
• European cultures, brought mainly by the Spanish, the Portuguese and the French. The culture of Europe might better be described as a series of overlapping cultures The Portuguese people (os Portugueses literally the Portuguese) are the Ethnic group or Nation native to the country of Portugal, in the west Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( This can be seen in any expression of the region's rich artistic traditions, including painting, literature and music, and in the realms of science and politics. The most enduring European colonial influence was language. Italian and British influence has been important as well.
• African cultures, whose presence derives from a long history of New World slavery. The New World is one of the names used for the non-Eurasian/non-African parts of the Earth specifically the Americas and Australia. As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Peoples of African descent have influenced the ethno-scapes of Latin America and the Caribbean. This is manifest for instance in dance and religion, especially in countries such as Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Literature

Main article: Latin American literature

See also: List of Latin American writers

Pre-Columbian cultures were primarily oral, though the Aztecs and Mayans, for instance, produced elaborate codices. Latin American literature rose to particular prominence during the second half of the 20th century largely thanks to the international success of the style known as Magical realism Some of the most important writers from Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by Cultural region and nationality Aztec codices (singular Codex) are Books written by Pre-Columbian and colonial-era Aztecs Oral accounts of mythological and religious beliefs were also sometimes recorded after the arrival of European colonizers, as was the case with the Popol Vuh. For other uses see Popol Vuh (disambiguation The Popol Vuh ( K'iche' for "Council Book" or "Book of the Community" Moreover, a tradition of oral narrative survives to this day, for instance among the Quechua-speaking population of Peru and the Quiché of Guatemala. Quechua ( Runa Simi) is a Native American language of South America. This page is about the Native American people for other uses the dish see Quiché (disambiguation.

From the very moment of Europe's "discovery" of the continent, early explorers and conquistadores produced written accounts and crónicas of their experience--such as Columbus's letters or Bernal Díaz del Castillo's description of the conquest of Mexico. This article is about the Spanish explorer soldiers of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuriesfor other uses see Conquistador (disambiguation A Conquistador Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer Bernal Díaz del Castillo (1496 &ndash 1584 was a Conquistador, who wrote an eyewitness account of the conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards under Hernán During the colonial period, written culture was often in the hands of the church, within which context Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz wrote memorable poetry and philosophical essays. Sor Juana ( November 12, 1651 1648 according to some biographers &ndash April 17, 1695) also known as Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Towards the end of the 18th Century and the beginning of the 19th, a distinctive criollo literary tradition emerged, including the first novels such as Lizardi's El Periquillo Sarniento (1816). Criollo is a term that dates back to the Spanish colonial Casta system ( Caste system) of Latin America The Mangy Parrot The Life and Times of Periquillo Sarniento Written by himself for his Children (El Periquillo Sarniento by Mexican author José Joaquín Fernández

The 19th Century was a period of "foundational fictions" (in critic Doris Sommer's words), novels in the Romantic or Naturalist traditions that attempted to establish a sense of national identity, and which often focussed on the indigenous question or the dichotomy of "civilization or barbarism" (for which see, say, Domingo Sarmiento's Facundo (1845), Juan León Mera's Cumandá (1879), or Euclides da Cunha's Os Sertões (1902)). Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Naturalism is a movement in Theatre, film, and Literature that seeks to replicate a believable everyday reality, as opposed to such Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Albarracín (February 15 1811 &ndash September 11 1888 was an Argentine activist intellectual and writer and the seventh President Facundo Civilization and Barbarism (original Spanish title Facundo Civilización y Barbarie) is a book written in 1845 by Domingo Faustino Juan León Mera Martínez ( June 28, 1832, Ambato &mdash December 13, 1894) was an Ecuadorian Poet, Novelist Euclides (archaic spelling Euclydes) da Cunha ( January 20, 1866 &mdash August 15, 1909) was a Brazilian Os Sertões (translated as Rebellion in the Backlands) (1902 is a book written by the Brazilian author Euclides da Cunha.

At the turn of the 20th century, modernismo emerged, a poetic movement whose founding text was Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío's Azul (1888). Modernismo is Spanish and Portuguese for Modernism, however the term Modernismo also indicates a more specific art movement Félix Rubén García Sarmiento also known as Rubén Darío (Metapa January 18, 1867 &ndash Leon February 6, 1916) was a This was the first Latin American literary movement to influence literary culture outside of the region, and was also the first truly Latin American literature, in that national differences were no longer so much at issue. José Martí, for instance, though a Cuban patriot, also lived in Mexico and the USA and wrote for journals in Argentina and elsewhere. José Julián Martí Pérez ( January 28, 1853 &ndash May 19, 1895) Born in Havana from Spanish parents his short life was dedicated to gaining

However, what really put Latin American literature on the global map was no doubt the literary boom of the 1960s and 1970s, distinguished by daring and experimental novels (such as Julio Cortázar's Rayuela (1963)) that were frequently published in Spain and quickly translated into English. The Latin American Boom ( Boom Latinoamericano) was a Literary movement of the 1960s and 1970s when the work of a group of relatively young Latin American novelists Julio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar ( August 26, 1914 &ndash February 12, 1984) was an Argentine Author Hopscotch (Rayuela is a Novel by Argentine author Julio Cortázar. The Boom's defining novel was Gabriel García Márquez's Cien años de soledad (1967), which led to the association of Latin American literature with magic realism, though other important writers of the period such as Mario Vargas Llosa and Carlos Fuentes do not fit so easily within this framework. Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (born March 6 1927 is a Colombian One Hundred Years of Solitude (Cien años de soledad is a novel by Nobel Prize winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez that was first Magic realism, or magical realism, is an artistic Genre in which magical elements or illogical scenarios appear in an otherwise realistic or even "normal" Jorge Mario Pedro Vargas Llosa (born March 28 1936 is a Peruvian writer Politician, Journalist, and Essayist. Carlos Fuentes Macías (born March 11,1928 is a Mexican writer and one of the best-known living novelists and essayists in the Spanish -speaking world Arguably, the Boom's culmination was Augusto Roa Bastos's monumental Yo, el supremo (1974). Augusto Roa Bastos, (June 13 1917 &ndash April 26 2005 was a noted Paraguayan novelist and one of the most important Latin American writers of the 20th century In the wake of the Boom, influential precursors such as Juan Rulfo, Alejo Carpentier, and above all Jorge Luis Borges were also rediscovered. Juan Rulfo ( 16 May 1917 &ndash 7 January 1986) was a Mexican Novelist, short story writer and photographer Alejo Carpentier y Valmont ( December 26, 1904 – April 24, 1980) was a Cuban novelist essay writer and musicologist who greatly

Contemporary literature in the region is vibrant and varied, ranging from the best-selling Paulo Coelho and Isabel Allende to the more avant-garde and critically acclaimed work of writers such as Diamela Eltit, Ricardo Piglia, or Roberto Bolaño. Paulo Coelho (ˈpau̯lu ˈko̯eʎu (born August 24, 1947) is a Brazilian Lyricist and Novelist. Isabel Allende Llona, (born in Lima, Peru; 2 August 1942 is a Chilean American Novelist. Diamela Eltit (born 1949 Santiago de Chile) is a writer and a Spanish teacher from Chile. Ricardo Piglia (born on November 24, 1941 in Adrogué and raised in Mar del Plata) is one of the foremost contemporary Argentine writers Roberto Bolaño Ávalos ( April 28, 1953 — July 15, 2003) was a Latin American There has also been considerable attention paid to the genre of testimonio, texts produced in collaboration with subaltern subjects such as Rigoberta Menchú. "Testify" redirects here For other uses see Testify (disambiguation and Testimony (disambiguation. Subaltern is a term that commonly refers to the perspective of persons from regions and groups outside of the hegemonic Power structure. Rigoberta Menchú Tum (b 9 January 1959, Chimel Quiché, Guatemala) is an indigenous Guatemalan of the Quiché - Finally, a new breed of chroniclers is represented by the more journalistic Carlos Monsiváis and Pedro Lemebel. Carlos Monsiváis Aceves (born May 4, 1938, in Mexico City) is a Mexican Writer and Journalist on the El

The region boasts five Nobel Prizewinners: in addition to the Colombian Gabriel García Márquez (1982), also the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral (1945), the Guatemalan novelist Miguel Ángel Asturias (1967), the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (1971), and the Mexican poet and essayist Octavio Paz (1990). The Nobel Prize in Literature (Nobelpriset i litteratur is awarded annually since 1901 to an author from any country who has in the words from the will of Alfred Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (born March 6 1927 is a Colombian Gabriela Mistral ( April 7, 1889 — January 10, 1957) was the Pseudonym of Lucila de María del Perpetuo Socorro Godoy Alcayaga Miguel Ángel Asturias Rosales (October 19 1899 – June 9 1974 was a Nobel Prize –winning Guatemalan Poet, Novelist, and Diplomat Pablo Neruda ( July 12, 1904 – September 23, 1973) was the pen name and later legal name of the Chilean writer and politician Octavio Peazy Paz " ( March 31, 1914 – April 19, 1998) was a Mexican Writer, Poet, and diplomat

Art

Main article: Latin American art

See also: List of Latin American artists

Palace of Fine Arts, built in the early 20th century in Mexico City. Latin American art has its origins in the many different indigenous Cultures that inhabited the continent before the Spanish invasion in the 16th Century See also Latin American art A list of Latin American visual artists (painters sculptors photographers video artists etc Palacio de Bellas Artes (" Palace of Fine Arts " is the premier Opera house of Mexico City. Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico

Beyond the rich tradition of indigenous art, the development of Latin American visual art owed much to the influence of Spanish, Portuguese and French Baroque painting, which in turn often followed the trends of the Italian Masters. In general, this artistic Eurocentrism began to fade in the early twentieth century, as Latin-Americans began to acknowledge the uniqueness of their condition and started to follow their own path.

From the early twentieth century, the art of Latin America was greatly inspired by the Constructivist Movement. The Constructivist Movement was founded in Russia around 1913 by Vladimir Tatlin. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Vladimir Yevgrafovich Tatlin ( Russian: Владимир Евграфович Татлин) ( – May 31, 1953) worked as a painter and architect The Movement quickly spread from Russia to Europe and then into Latin America. Joaquin Torres Garcia and Manuel Rendón have been credited with bringing the Constructivist Movement into Latin America from Europe. To help please go to Joaquín Torres García/Translation Joaquín Torres García ( 28 July 1874 &ndash 8 August 1949) Manuel Rendón Seminario (b Paris 1894 - dPortugal 1982 (Also known by Manuel Rendón) was a master Latin American painter

An important artistic movement generated in Latin America is Muralismo represented by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, José Clemente Orozco and Rufino Tamayo in Mexico and Santiago Martinez Delgado and Pedro Nel Gómez in Colombia. A mural is a Painting on a wall ceiling or other large permanent surface Diego Rivera (December 8 1886 &ndash November 24 1957 was born Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez José David Alfaro Siqueiros ( December 29, 1896 in Camargo, Chihuahua, Mexico - January 6, 1974 in Cuernavaca José Clemente Orozco ( November 23, 1883 &ndash September 7, 1949) was a Mexican social realist painter, who Rufino Tamayo ( August 25, 1899 &ndash June 24, 1991) was a Zapotecan Indian Santiago Martínez Delgado (1906 - 1954 was a Colombian painter sculptor Art historian and writer Pedro Nel Gómez (1899 - 1984 was a Colombian engineer architect painter sculptor Some of the most impressive Muralista works can be found in Mexico, Colombia, New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. The City of New York The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo remains by far the most known and famous Latin American artist. Frida Kahlo (July 6 1907 – July 13 1954 was a Mexican painter, who has achieved great international popularity She painted about her own life and the Mexican culture in a style combining Realism, Symbolism and Surrealism. Realism in the Visual arts and Literature is the depiction of subjects as they appear in Everyday life, without embellishment or interpretation "Symbolic" redirects here For other uses see Symbolism (disambiguation and Symbolic (disambiguation. Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members Kahlo's work commands the highest selling price of all Latin American paintings.

Music and dance

See also: Dance and music of Latin America, Latin American music, Latin pop, and Latin dance

Brazilian Carnival

One of the main characteristics of Latin American music is its diversity, from the lively rhythms of Central America and the Caribbean to the more austere sounds of the Andes and the Southern Cone. Latin American Dance and Music is sultry and physical Salsa and the more popular Latin dances were created and embraced into Latin culture Latin music, includes the music of all countries in Latin America (and the Caribbean) and comes in many varieties Latin Pop ( Pop Latino, in Spanish) generally refers to Pop music that has what may be perceived a "Latin" influence The term Latin dance has two meanings depending on whether the context is social or ballroom Dance. The Brazilian Carnival, or Carnaval (Carnaval is an annual festival in Brazil held 4 days before Ash Wednesday and marks the beginning Another feature of Latin American music is its original blending of the variety of styles that arrived in The Americas and became influential, from the early Spanish and European Baroque to the different beats of the African rhythms.

Hispano-Caribbean music, such as Merengue, Bachata, Salsa, and more recently Reggaeton, from such countries as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Panama has been strongly influenced by African rhythms and melodies. Merengue is a type of music and dance that comes from the Dominican Republic. Bachata, a form of Music and Dance that originated in the countryside and the rural neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Salsa music is a diverse and predominantly Latin American Caribbean genre that is popular across Latin America and among Latinos abroad Reggaeton (also spelled reggaetón, and known as reguetón and reggaetón in Spanish) is a form of urban music which became popular Haiti's Compas is a genre of music that draws influence and is thus similar to its Hispano-Caribbean counterparts with an element of jazz and modern sound as well. ^[28][29]

Other Latin American musical genres include the Argentine, and Uruguayan tango, the Antillean Soca, and Calypso, the Central American (Garifuna) Punta, the Colombian cumbia and vallenato, the Chilean Cueca, the Ecuadorian Boleros, and Rockoleras, the Mexican ranchera, the Nicaraguan Palo de Mayo, the Peruvian Marinera and Tondero, the Uruguayan Candombe, the French Antillean Zouk(Derived from Haitian Compas), and the various styles of music from Pre-Columbian traditions that are widespread in the Andean region. Argentine Tango is a Social dance and a Musical genre that originated in Argentina and moved to Uruguay and to the rest of the world later on The form of dance that originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo, Uruguay towards the end of the 1800s as a variation of Argentine tango, a native of Buenos Tango is a style of music that originated among European immigrant populations of Argentina and Uruguay. Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean Music which originated in Trinidad and Tobago at about the start of the 20th century Traditional Punta is a form of Garinagu Dance music performed during celebrations or festive occasions Cumbia is originally a Colombian Folk dance and Dance music and is Colombia 's representative national dance and music along with Vallenato Vallenato, along with Cumbia, is presently the most popular Folk music of Colombia. The Cueca is the national Dance of Chile, where it was officially selected on September 18 1979, and Bolivia. The ranchera is a genre of the traditional Music of Mexico. Although closely associated with the Mariachi groups which evolved in Jalisco Palo de Mayo (Maypole or ¡Mayo Ya! is a type of Afro-Caribbean dance with sensual movements that forms part of the culture of several communities in the RAAS region Marinera is a coastal dance of Peru, generally called the "National Dance of Peru Tondero is a Dance and Guitar rhythm from the Peruvian north coast ( Piura - Lambayeque) Candombe is a Drum -based musical style of Uruguay. Candombe originated among the African population in Montevideo and is based on Bantu Zouk is a style of rhythmic Music originating from the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. The Andes form the world's longest exposed Mountain range. They lie as a continuous chain of highland along the western coast of South America. In Brazil, samba, North American jazz, European classical music, and choro combined to form bossa nova. Samba ( is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Chôro ('ʃoɾu literally "cry" in Portuguese, meaning "lament" traditionally called chorinho ("little cry" Bossa nova ( is a style of Brazilian music popularized by Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes and João Gilberto.

A couple dances Argentine Tango

The classical composer Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) worked on the recording of native musical traditions within his homeland of Brazil. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Argentina topics. Tango is a Musical genre and its associated dance forms that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay and Heitor Villa-Lobos (March 5 1887 &ndash November 17 1959 was a Brazilian Composer, possibly the best-known classical composer born in South America The traditions of his homeland heavily influenced his classical works. ^[30] Also notable is the recent work of the Cuban Leo Brouwer and guitar work of the Venezuelan Antonio Lauro and the Paraguayan Agustín Barrios. Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida (born March 1, 1939) in Havana, is a Cuban Composer, guitarist and conductor Antonio Lauro ( August 3 1917 &ndash April 18 1986) was a Venezuelan Musician, considered to be one of the foremost Agustín Pío Barrios (born May 5, 1885 in San Juan Bautista de las Misiones, Paraguay; died August 7, 1944 in San Latin America has also produced world-class classical performers such as the Chilean pianist Claudio Arrau, Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire and the Argentinian pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. Claudio Arrau León ( February 6, 1903 &ndash June 9, 1991) was a Chilean Pianist of world fame for his deep interpretations Nelson Freire (born October 18, 1944) is a Brazilian classical Pianist. Daniel Barenboim (born November 15, 1942) is a pianist and conductor.

Arguably, the main contribution to music entered through folklore, where the true soul of the Latin American and Caribbean countries is expressed. Musicians such as Yma Súmac, Chabuca Granda, Atahualpa Yupanqui, Violeta Parra, Victor Jara, Mercedes Sosa, Jorge Negrete, Luiz Gonzaga, Caetano Veloso, Susana Baca, Chavela Vargas, Simon Diaz, Julio Jaramillo, Toto la Momposina as well as musical ensembles such as Inti Illimani and Los Kjarkas are magnificent examples of the heights that this soul can reach. María Isabel Granda Larco (Cotabambas Apurímac, Perú, 3 September 1920 &ndash Miami, U Atahualpa Yupanqui ( 31 January 1908 - 23 May 1992) was an Argentine Singer, Violeta del Carmen Parra Sandoval ( October 14, 1917 – February 5, 1967) was a notable Chilean folklorist and visual Víctor Lidio Jara Martínez ( September 28, 1932 – September 15, 1973) was a Chilean teacher Theatre director, Mercedes Sosa (born 9 July 1935) is an Argentine singer immensely popular throughout Latin America. Jorge Alberto Negrete Moreno ( November 30, 1911 &ndash December 5, 1953) is considered one of the most popular Mexican Luiz Gonzaga do Nascimento ( Exu, December 13, 1912 &mdash Recife, August 2, 1989) was a very prominent Brazilian Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso (born August 7, 1942) better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Composer, Singer, Guitarist Susana Baca de la Colina (b Chorrillos, Lima Province, Peru, 1944 is a prominent Peruvian singer of Afro-Peruvian descent Chavela Vargas a Costa Rican - Mexican singer was born Isabel Vargas Lizano in San Joaquín de Flores Costa Rica on April 17 1919. Simón Díaz (born August 8, 1928) is a celebrated Singer and Composer of Venezuelan music whose work is regarded as one of the most important Julio Alfredo Jaramillo Laurido, aka JJ (born October 1, 1935, died February 9, 1978) is considered to have been the greatest " Sonia Bazanta Vides, better known as Totó la Momposina, is a Colombian singer of traditional mixed indigenous Colombian and Afro-Latin music Inti-Illimani (pronounced een'tee ee'yee-mah'nee) is a musical group from Chile, formed in 1967. Los Kjarkas is a Bolivian band one of the most popular Andean pop bands in the country's recent history

Latin pop, including many forms of rock, is popular in Latin America today (see Spanish language rock and roll). Latin Pop ( Pop Latino, in Spanish) generally refers to Pop music that has what may be perceived a "Latin" influence Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Rock en Español ( Spanish for Rock in Spanish) refers to the Spanish-language Rock music. ^[31]

More recently, Reggaeton, which blends Jamaican reggae and dancehall with Latin America genres such as bomba and plena, as well as that of hip hop, is becoming more popular, in spite of the controversy surrounding its lyrics, dance steps (Perreo) and music videos. Reggaeton (also spelled reggaetón, and known as reguetón and reggaetón in Spanish) is a form of urban music which became popular For the ecuadorian afro-rhythm see Bomba (Ecuador Bomba is one of Puerto Rico's most famous Musical styles Although there is some controversy Plena is a folkloric genre native of Puerto Rico. Its creation was influenced by African and Spanish music Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Perreo The perreo, a Puerto Rican dance associated with Reggaeton, is a type of grinding. It has become very popular among populations with a "migrant culture" influence - both Latino populations in the U. S. , such as southern Florida and New York City, and parts of Latin America where migration to the U. S. is common, such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. ^[32]

Film

Main article: Latin American cinema

Latin American film is both rich and diverse. Latin American cinema refers collectively to the Film output and film industries of Latin America. Historically, the main centers of production have been México, Brazil, Cuba, and Argentina.

Latin American cinema flourished after the introduction of sound, which added a linguistic barrier to the export of Hollywood film south of the border. The 1950s and 1960s saw a movement towards Third Cinema, led by the Argentine filmmakers Fernando Solanas and Octavio Getino. Third Cinema (Tercer Cine is a Latin American film movement of the 1960s-70s which decries Neocolonialism, the capitalist system and the Hollywood Fernando Ezequiel 'Pino' Solanas (born 16 February 1936, Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina) is an Argentine Film director Octavio Getino (born in August 6, 1935 in León, Spain) is an Argentine film director who is best known for co-founding along with More recently, a new style of directing and stories filmed has been tagged as "New Latin American Cinema. "

Argentine cinema was a big industry in the first half of the 20th century. The Cinema of Argentina has a long tradition dating back to the late nineteenth century and has played an important role in the Culture of Argentina for more than The industry re-emerged after the 1976-1983 military dictatorship to produce the Academy Award winner The Official Story in 1985. The National Reorganization Process (in Spanish, Proceso de Reorganización Nacional, often simply El Proceso) was the name used by its leaders "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Official Story ( Spanish: es La historia oficial) ( 1985) is a Argentine Drama film directed by The Argentine economic crisis affected the production of films in the late 1990s and early 2000s, but many Argentine movies produced during those years were internationally acclaimed, including Nueve reinas (2000) and El abrazo partido (2004). Nine Queens ( Nueve reinas) ( 2000) is a Argentine Crime drama Film written and directed by Fabián Bielinsky Lost Embrace ( El abrazo partido) ( 2004) is an Argentine, French, Italian, and Spanish Comedy drama film

In Brazil, the Cinema Novo movement created a 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. Brazilian cinema has more recently sparked attention overseas thanks to the success of films like Central Station ( Central do Brasil) and This article is on the Brazilian film movement For the Portuguese movement see Cinema of Portugal. 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 the United States, with movies such as Central do Brasil (1999), Cidade de Deus (2003) and Tropa de Elite (2007). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the City of God (Cidade de Deus is a 2002 Brazilian crime drama Film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund Tropa de Elite ('trɔpɐ ʤi̯e'litʃI English title The Elite Squad.

Cuban cinema has enjoyed much official support since the Cuban revolution, and important film-makers include Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. Although cinema arrived at Cuba at the beginning of the 20th century and the island arrived early to the television phenomena and cinematographic production only around 80 full-length Tomás Gutiérrez Alea ( December 11 1928 &ndash April 16 1996) was an influential Cuban filmmaker

Mexican cinema in the Golden Era of the 1940s boasted a huge industry comparable to Hollywood at the time. The history of Mexican cinema goes back to the beginning of the 20th century when several enthusiasts of the new medium documented historical events &ndash most The Golden Age of Mexican cinema (in Spanish: Época de oro del cine mexicano) is the name given to the period between 1935 and 1959 where the quality and Stars included María Félix, Dolores del Rio and Pedro Infante. María Félix (April 8 1914 - April 8 2002 was a Mexican actress one of the icons of the golden era of the Cinema of Mexico. Dolores del Río ( August 3, 1905 &ndash April 11, 1983) was a Mexican Film actress. José Pedro Infante Cruz ( November 18, 1917 - April 15, 1957) better known as Pedro Infante, is perhaps the most famous actor In the 1970s Mexico was the location for many cult horror and action movies. More recently, films such as Amores Perros (2000) and Y tu mamá también (2001) enjoyed box office and critical acclaim and propelled Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñarritu to the front rank of Hollywood directors. Amores perros is a Mexican Film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu in 2000 Y tu mamá también (literally "And your mother too" released in English-speaking markets under the original title in Spanish) is a Alfonso Cuarón Orozco (b 28 November 1961 is an Academy Award -nominated Mexican Film director, Screenwriter and Film producer Alejandro González Iñárritu (i'ɲaritu born August 15, 1963, to Hector González Gama and Luz María Iñárritu in Mexico City, is an Academy Alejandro González Iñárritu directed in (2006) Babel and Alfonso Cuarón directed (Children of Men in (2006), and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in (2004)). Babel (בָּבֶל Bavel) (بابل Babel) is the name used in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an for the city of Babylon Children of Men is a 2006 dystopian Science fiction Film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a 2004 Fantasy Adventure film based on the novel of the same name by J Guillermo del Toro close friend and also a front rank Hollywood director in Hollywood and Spain, directed Pan's Labyrinth (2006) and produce El Orfanato (2007). Guillermo del Toro Gómez (born October 9, 1964) is an Academy Award -nominated Mexican filmmaker Pan's Labyrinth (Spanish El laberinto del fauno, literally The Labyrinth of the Faun) is a 2006 Spanish language Carlos Carrera (The Crime of Father Amaro), and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga are also some of the most known present-day Mexican film makers. The Crime of Father Amaro ( El crimen del padre Amaro) is a 2002 Mexican film directed by Carlos Carrera. Guillermo Arriaga Jordán (born 13 March 1958) is a Mexican author screenwriter and producer

It is also worth noting that many Latin Americans have achieved significant success within Hollywood, for instance Carmen Miranda and Salma Hayek, while Mexican Americans such as Robert Rodriguez have also made their mark. Carmen Miranda, pron. 'kaɾme͂j mi'rɐ͂dɐ (February 9 1909 – August 5 1955 birth name Maria do Carmo Salma Hayek Jiménez (born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American See also History of Mexican-Americans Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican ancestry Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20 1968 is an American director, writer, producer, Cinematographer, editor and Musician

See also

Trinidad, Cuba

Plantation of Colombian coffee

• Crime and Violence in Latin America
• Anglo America
• Southern Cone
• Hispanic America
• Ibero-America
• United States-Latin American relations
• Americas (terminology)
  • Use of the word American
  • America (disambiguation)
  • Free Trade Area of the Americas
  • Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas
• Caribbean
  • Association of Caribbean States
  • Caribbean Community
  • Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
• Central America
  • Central American Common Market
• North America
  • North American Free Trade Agreement
• South America
  • Andean Community
  • Mercosur
  • Union of South American Nations
• Latin Union, Latin Europe, Latin Africa
• Latino, Latino Canadian, Afro-Latin American, Asian Latin American, White Latin American, Latin American British
• List of Latin Americans
  • List of Latin American artists
  • List of Latin American writers
• Latin American culture
• Latin American studies
• Irish settlement in Argentina

Notes and references

• Julio Miranda Vidal: (2007) Ciencia y tecnología en América Latina Edición electrónica gratuita. Trinidad is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Colombian Coffee is a Protected designation of origin granted by the European Union (September 2007 that applies Latin American nations have long been considered amongst the most violent societies in the world right|250px|right|thumb|Anglo-America dark green indicates countries traditionally included in the region ([[Canada]] and the [[United States]] Ibero-America is a term which started to be used in the second half of the 19th century to refer collectively to the countries in the Americas which were formerly colonies The United States has always had a special conception of its relationship with the nations of Latin America. The Americas, also known as America, are the lands of the Western hemisphere, composed of numerous entities and regions variably defined Use of the word American in the English language differs according to the historic geographic and political context in which it is used The Free Trade Area of the Americas ( FTAA) ( Spanish: Área de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA French: Zone de libre-échange des The Bolivarian Alternative for the People of Our America ( Spanish: Alternativa Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América or ALBA - which also means 'dawn' in The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Association of Caribbean States ( ACS; Spanish: Asociación de Estados del Caribe French: Association des États de la Caraïbe The Caribbean Community ( CARICOM) is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States ( OECS) created in 1981 is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration protection of The Central American Common Market ( CACM; Spanish: Mercado Común Centroamericano, MCCA was an economic trade organisation between five nations of South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Andean Community ( Spanish: Comunidad Andina, CAN) is a Trade bloc comprising the South American countries of Role and potential Some South Americans see Mercosur as giving the capability to combine resources to balance the activities of other global economic powers especially the North __FORCETOC__The Union of South American Nations (Unión de Naciones Suramericanas - UNASUR, União de Nações Sul-Americanas - UNASUL, Unie van Zuid-Amerikaanse Naties The Latin Union is an International organization of nations that use a Romance language. Latin Canadian, and Hispanic Canadian are terms describing a Canadian of Latin American descent or birth An Afro-Latin American (also Afro-Latino) is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry the term may also refer to historical For the Asian Hispanic population of United States see Asian Hispanic and Latino Americans. White Latin Americans are the white population of Latin America. Latin American Britons are British people who were either born in Latin America or who have Latin American Ancestors Significant migration This is a list of notable Latin American people. In alphabetical order within categories See also Latin American art A list of Latin American visual artists (painters sculptors photographers video artists etc Some of the most important writers from Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by Cultural region and nationality Latin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the peoples of Latin America and includes both High culture (literature high art and Popular culture Latin American studies ( LAS) is an Academic discipline dealing with the study of Latin America and Latin Americans Irish settlement in Argentina is part of the story of Immigration in Argentina and the Irish diaspora. Texto completo en http://www.eumed.net/libros/2007a/237/

External links

General information

• The Washington Post Interactive Map of Politics in Latin America
• Andean Community official webpage
• Council on Hemispheric Affairs
• Latin American Network Information Center
• Latin America Working Group
• Washington Office on Latin America
• Politics in Latin America
• Infolatam. Information and analysis of Latin America

Blog

• Travel in South America
• Map of Land Cover: Latin America and Caribbean (FAO)