The People & The People & History of History of

Latin Latin AmericaAmerica

Mayas, Incas, Aztecs, & the Spanish

Regions of Latin America

I. Mexico and Central America

II. Caribbean Islands

III. South America

Mexico

El Salvador

Honduras

Nicaragua

GuatemalaBelize

Costa Rica Panama

Cuba

Jamaica Dominican Republic

Haiti

Trinidad &Tobago

Brazil

Peru

Ecuador

Colombia

Venezuela

Paraguay

Chile

Uruguay

Argentina

FrenchGuiana

Suriname

Guyana

Bolivia

Latin American Vocabulary!1. Andes Mountains11. NAFTA2. Llanos 12. Cultural

Hearth3. Cerrado4. Pampas 13. Oligarchy5. Patagonia 14. Carnival6. Slash-and-Burn 15. Samba7. Push-Pull Factors16. Capoeira8. Tenochtitlan 17. Terrace

Farming9. Mestizo10. Maquiladoras

Landforms/Bodies of Water

1. Mountains: Sierra Madre Occidental/Oriental (Mexico) Andes (South America)

2. Rivers: Amazon (South America) Orinoco (Venezuela) Parana (South America)

3. Islands: Lesser Antilles (Small Islands) Greater Antilles (Large Islands)

Also throughout SouthAmerica, you will

find the Pampas (aplains area) and

Patagonia (plateau)

Island Groups of the Caribbean Greater Antilles –

large islands (Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, & Puerto Rico)

Lesser Antilles – smaller islands southeast of Puerto Rico

Amazon River

Flows about 4,000 miles from west to east

Begins in the Andes Mountains and empties into the Atlantic Ocean Fed by over 1,000 tributaries

Carries more water to the ocean than any other river in the world

Climate and Vegetation

Vegetation: *Rain Forests (Amazon) Desert (Argentina) Grassland

Resources

Most of the region is wealthy in terms of mineral resources (gold, silver, iron, copper, tin, lead, etc.)

Many Energy resources are also found (oil, coal, natural gas, etc.) Oil Reserves in Mexico Central American countries are POOR in

terms of resources Numerous resources in South America Amongst the world’s leaders in mining raw

materials

Slash & Burn •Slash-and-burn farmingSlash-and-burn farming = traditionally used by migrant farmers, they cut down all the plants and strip any trees of bark. After the plants and trees have dried out, they are set on fire, the ash helps the soil, but the soil is only good for 2-3 years, when this happens the farmer moves on and the process repeats itself.

Human-Environment Interaction• Terraced Farming

Growing crops on hillsides

• Urbanization: Push and Pull Factors Encouraged cities to grow

rapidly

Tourism

Pros: Brings in money Creates jobs

Cons: Congestion Pollution Disrupts unsettled lands

Ethnic DiversityEthnic Diversity

Latin America is made up of many different groups of people; natives, Europeans, blacks, and mixed peoples

MestizosMestizos = people of mixed Native American and European descent

MulattoesMulattoes = people of mixed African and European descent

LanguageLanguage

Most regions have adopted the language of the people who colonized them.

DialectsDialects = forms of a language peculiar to a particular place or group

CountryCountry LanguagLanguagee

BrazilPortuguese

Haiti, Martinique, & French Guiana French

Jamaica, The Bahamas, & Guyana English

Suriname Dutch

Rainforest regionsNative Languages

Everywhere else Spanish

Population Density ~a closer look at Mexico and Mexico

City~ ~97.5 million people live in Mexico

It is the most populated Spanish-speaking nation in the world.

Mexico City is ranked the 1111th most populated city in the world

One of the most polluted cities in the world.

The Maya

•Central America

•Tikal – city in modern Guatemala

•Pyramid shaped temples

The Maya … continued… Skilled in

mathematics Developed

concept of zero Calendar – based

on orbit of the earth & sun (365 ¼ day calendar)

Invented Game that is a cross between basketball & soccer

Pictures of Ballcourts

The Incas People of the Andes Mountains

Capital is Cuzco in Peru

Political system with an emperor

Terrace farming – cut into the side of mountains

Domesticated the alpaca & llama

The Incas … continued … QuipuQuipu = a rope with knotted cords of

various lengths and colors, used to keep records and send messages

Machu Picchu – “Lost city of the Inca”

Machu Picchu – Incan city in the Andes mountains - discovered in 1911 untouched!!

The Incas … continued …

Conquistador “Spanish conqueror” Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca

people

The Incas … continued …

Aztecs

Valley of Mexico Capital of Tenochtitlan on

an island in the middle of a lake (modern day Mexico City is built on top)

Advanced farming Chinampas – floating

artificial islands built on large rafts covered with mud.

Chinampas online diagram

http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/ms_wcg_survey/page_build.htm?id=resources/jsp/ani_geo/ani_geo_3

The Aztecs … continued…

Complex political system with an emperor Worshipped many gods & goddesses

ceremonies with prisoner sacrifices Heran Cortes – conquistador from Spain,

conquered the Aztecs

The Aztecs …continued …

Cortez meets the Aztecs …

The Spanish establish rule in Mexico …

Legacy of colonialism

When colonies, Latin America was ruled by kings and queens of Europe.

All became independent by the mid 1800s ruled by a few leaders, called an oligarchy. Did not always

protect people’s basic rights (freedom of speech, and press)

During the 20th century some Latin American countries were ruled by a military dictator, a caudillo.

Ex. Juan Peron of Argentina, whose wife Evita Peron was famous for being loved by the people.

When the government could not control the people, sometimes the military took over, a junta, and was ruled by generals.

Creating Stable Governments

Today all the countries of Latin America except Cuba are democracies.

The goals of Latin America today are to end poverty, pollution, and illiteracy

Art ~ Diego Rivera ~

Used art to educate Created huge murals that combined modern forms with

traditional designs to present the daily life and history of the country.

Most famous mural is in Detroit, Michigan

Art~ Frida Kahlo ~

Mexican artist whose tormented paintings gave her great fame and changed the art world

Featured on the cover of Vogue magazine

2002 movie staring Salma Hayek about her life. (and no we will not watch this movie)

Literature Modernism = 1800s literary movement,

in which writers and poets focused on artistic expression for its own sake.

Gabriela Mistral – writer from Chile Gabriel Garcia Marquez – writer from

Colombia A movie is being made of his book “Love in

a time of Cholera” Both have won a Nobel Prize for

Literature.

Music

Calypso – from Trinidad (combines Africa, Spain and the Caribbean)

Reggae – Jamaica, 1960’s – deals with social problems and religion Bob Marley

Leisure Time & Celebrations Futbol (soccer)

very popular and a national sport in many countries

Jai alai (HY-LY) – a traditional favorite in Mexico and Cuba, fast paced game like racketball

• Brazil has won the World Cup of Soccer 5 times!!

Leisure Time & Celebrations … continued …

Capoeira – martial arts of Brazil

• Samba – Brazilian Dance

Leisure Time & Celebrations … continued …

Carnival – festival celebrated just before the beginning of Lent, the Christian holy season that comes before Easter – the biggest Carnival is held each year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

And now just for FUN!!