Study Guide Latin America

LATIN AMERICA WHAT IS IT?

* Term thought to be coined by French Emperor Napoleon III, during occupation of Mexico

* Reference to cultural commonalities shared by those who speak Romance languages: Spanish, Portuguese, French.

* Confusing point, since some countries in region are English speaking: Belize, Jamaica, Guyana; Suriname- Dutch speaking 34 nations, 590 million

* Geography

* Region south of Rio Grande to tip of South America. 8 mill sq miles, Huge, 2.5 times size of U.S.

* Frozen windswept land of Patagonia to South: Tropics of Central America and Caribbean; rain forests, largest mountain chain on earth, savanna grasslands, driest desert on earth (Northern Chile)

* Has second longest river on earth, carrying more water than any other (Amazon).

* Panama

* not always associated with Central America

* Panama Canal and U.S. Intervention

* Originally part of Colombia

* T. Roosevelt could not get Colombia to agree to allow for canal construction

* U.S. encouraged a revolt in Panama, backed up by U.S. warships to stop Colombia

* Thus, Panama breaks away forms new state, under U.S. protection

Racial, Ethnic background

* Ethnically and racially diverse-; pre-Colombian civilizations: Incas, Aztecs, Mayans. These indigenous peoples. But they are divided into many ethnic groups.

* Mestizo- mix of European and Native Indian race. Largest group in L.A.

* Mulatto- Mix of African slave and European

* Zambos- mix of Indian and African

* When did people arrive in Latin America?

* Trek across Siberia-Alaska land link between 35,000BC and 10,000BC

* Reached tip of South America by 9,000BC

* First Agricultural Settlements 3,000BC.

* First civilization: Olmecs – Mexico, around 1200BC.

* Next were Mayans starting 300AD

* Next: Aztecs 450 AD.

* Africans brought over in slave trade.

* Between 1550-1850, 4 million Africans...