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!!