Latin America: people and culture



What is Latin America? Geography, language and culture explainedWhat is 'Latin America'?The words 'Latin America' are used to describe the group of 21 countries (listed below) in the American continent where Latin languages are spoken. These countries are all located south of the US-Mexico border, starting with Mexico in North America, extending through Central America and parts of the Caribbean and down into the southernmost tip of South America - the region known as?Tierra del Fuego.Latin America shares elements of historical experience, language and culture. This group of countries has more in common with each other, in many respects, than they do with Canada and the US.Having said that, Latin America is also a wonderfully diverse group of countries, as well as a growing political and economic force. This region deserves to be defined on its own terms, beyond dismissive stereotypes, rather than being known simply as the less-well known neighbor of the USA. I hope this brief guide will offer a positive introduction to the varied landscapes, peoples and cultures of Latin America.Countries in Latin AmericaThere are 21 main countries in Latin America, if you go by the definition that it is the region of the Americas where Latin languages are spoken. These languages are Spanish, Portuguese and French - part of the legacy of the colonization of the continent by European powers starting in the 16th century.I have not included the smaller Caribbean island nations as they speak a variety of European languages including English and Dutch. I have also left out Belize and Guyana because although they are located in the same region, they were colonized by Britain in the past and they are English-speaking counties.?List of Countries in Latin AmericaCOUNTRYCAPITAL CITYMAIN LANGUAGE SPOKENArgentinaBuenos AiresSpanishBoliviaLa Paz and / or SucreSpanish, also Quechua, AymaraBrazilBrasíliaPortugueseChileSantiagoSpanishColombiaBogotáSpanishCosta RicaSan JoséSpanishCubaHavanaSpanishDominican RepublicSanto DomingoSpanishEcuadorQuitoSpanishEl SalvadorSan SalvadorSpanishGuatemalaGuatemala CitySpanishFrench GuyanaCayenneFrenchHaitiPort-au-PrinceFrenchHondurasTegucigalpaSpanishMexicoMexico CitySpanishNicaraguaManaguaSpanishPanamaPanama CitySpanishParaguayAsunciónSpanishPeruLimaSpanish, also Quechua, AymaraPuerto RicoSan JuanSpanishUruguayMontevideoSpanishVenzuelaCaracasSpanishLatin America: people and cultureThe peoples and cultures of Latin America are many and various, too-detailed to name individually here. However, there are certain elements of population and culture which are broadly common across Latin America and which distinguish the region from English-speaking America.When European settlers (mainly Spanish and Portuguese) arrived in the 16th century they found a number of thriving?indigenous cultures. As well as the hunter-gatherer tribes of the deep forests they encountered highly developed civilizations such as the Incas in South America and the Aztecs in what is now Mexico. Unlike in the US for example, significant numbers of indigenous people survived the process of colonization - their descendants are an important part of the population culture of Latin America today.People of 100% indigenous descent are the majority in a couple of Latin American countries - Bolivia being a prime example. However, most countries in Latin America have a majority population of people known as 'mestizos', that is, people of mixed indigenous and European descent. While the pure indigenous have a tendency to hold on to traditional culture such as language and dress, mestizos tend to speak a Latin language and their dress is generally the Western uniform of blue jeans and baseball caps.Around 10% of the population in most Latin American countries consider themselves to be of fully European descent. At the same time many of the countries in Latin America have significant Afro-Latin American populations - notably?Ecuador, Haiti and Cuba. These black Latin Americans are mainly the descendants of slaves brought to the region to work on sugar-cane plantations.?The arrival of Southern European colonizers brought one unifying common element to the region - the?Catholic Church. The vast majority of the population of Latin America is Roman Catholic, a fact that distinguishes them from English-speaking America. Thanks in part to the brutality of the Spanish Inquisition, the arrival of Christianity in the region has been almost total - native superstitions have been subsumed and incorporated but the vast majority of the population is church-going Catholics. Evangelical missionaries from other Christian denominations have made some inroads (notably in Central America) in recent times, including the Mormon Church. ................
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