Latin America is a geographical region made up of Mexico, Central America, South America, and some of the islands of the West Indies. The area is known as Latin America because the people generally speak languages that are derived from Latin, such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
European conquest did much to reshape the diverse cultures of this region in centuries past, and the United States greatly influences the economy and culture of the area today. Still, the nations of Latin America have a proud history that predates European colonization, and their cultural traditions remain strong.
The continents of South America and North America, as well as the islands of the West Indies, were created more than 200 million years ago when a giant “supercontinent” broke into pieces. Like all the continents, these lands rest on large landmasses called plates. Over many thousands of years these giant plates have shifted around and given rise to various land formations. (See also continental drift.)
In South America, the shifting of these plates created three major landforms. In the east are two areas of mountains and plateaus, the Brazilian and Guiana Highlands. They rise abruptly from the Atlantic Ocean, crest a short distance inland, and then slope gradually westward. The Andes Mountains extend about 5,500 miles (8,900 kilometers) along the Pacific shoreline of western South America. Between these two highland areas are vast plains.
Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies have landforms common to regions between major continents. These include cays (small islands of sand or coral), rocks, islands, and peninsulas. Rugged terrain dominates this region of Latin America. Earthquakes and volcanoes are also common in this area.
Latin America stretches about 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) from north to south, leading to a great variety of climates. The Amazon River basin of South America lies across the equator and receives heavy rainfall year-round. North and south of this region, rain falls according to season. Some areas go for long stretches without rainfall. Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru contain deserts.
Temperatures near the equator are generally warm. At sea level, the average temperature is 77° F (25° C). In the Andes Mountains, however, the high elevations cause cooler temperatures. Quito, the capital of Ecuador, lies on the equator, but the average temperature is just 55° F (13° C) because the city lies more than 9,000 feet (2,700 meters) above sea level.
Plant life in Latin America, as elsewhere, is closely related to the climate. The consistent rainfall in the Amazon Basin supports one of the world's great tropical rain forests. Much of Central America is covered by lush forests as well. In the areas to the south where rainfall is less certain, the rain forests give way to tropical grasslands and low scrub forests. The deserts have little vegetation.
Animal life is most plentiful in the tropical rain forests. The Amazon Basin and other rain forests are home to jaguars, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, and various kinds of monkeys. Toucans, parrots, and macaws are among the colorful tropical birds. Various kinds of snakes, lizards, rats, mice, and bats are common as well.
Forestry and the clearing of land for human settlement and farming have destroyed large sections of the Central and South American rain forests. As a result, many types of animals that live in rain forests have declined in number. Some have gone extinct, and others may face the same fate. National parks have been established to preserve native habitats and protect these animals.
The earliest people of Latin America were Native Americans, or American Indians. They are believed to have descended from people who crossed the Bering Strait from Asia into North America at least 20,000 years ago. Over thousands of years these people spread south through what is now Canada and the United States into Latin America. Some of them reached the southern tip of South America about 8,000 years ago.
As these people began to farm, many settled in areas where the land produced better crops. Eventually great Indian civilizations were developed by the Inca in the central Andes, the Chibcha in what is now Colombia, and the Maya and Aztec in Mexico and Central America.
Today the people of Latin America represent a mixture of cultures. European conquest, starting in the late 15th century, brought Spanish language and culture to many parts of the region, Portuguese language and culture to Brazil, and French language and culture to many islands of the West Indies. Starting in 16th century Europeans brought slaves from Africa, which resulted in large populations of blacks in many islands of the West Indies. After the slave trade ended in the early 19th century, millions of Europeans moved to South and Central America in search of work. Indians remain a major part of the population as well. Many Latin Americans have some mixture of Indian, European, and African ancestry.
Most people in Latin America speak Spanish or Portuguese. French is spoken on some of the islands of the West Indies. Dutch and English are spoken on other islands, but these are generally not considered part of Latin America. Millions of Latin American Indians have kept their native languages alive.
The Europeans who conquered Latin America brought the Roman Catholic religion with them. Today most Latin Americans are Catholic. Some Indians and people of African descent who are considered Catholics have integrated their traditional beliefs and practices into the Catholic faith.
Children are required to attend primary school in most parts of Latin America. In some remote areas, however, many children still do not go to school. As cities have grown throughout Latin America, more people have had an opportunity to attend college. Yet many young people still choose to study outside of their countries, especially in the United States.
The health of Latin Americans has improved significantly since World War II, particularly in the tropics. Death rates have declined dramatically, partly in response to assistance provided by foreign governments and international relief agencies. In some rural areas, however, doctors and advanced medicines remain hard to find. These areas sometimes lack clean drinking water and face outbreaks of deadly diseases such as malaria and cholera.
Latin America is considered a developing region. Nevertheless, it is far more urbanized and industrialized than parts of Africa and Asia. In the second half of the 20th century many Latin American nations took steps to make their economies more diverse.
Farming is not as big a part of the economy of Latin America as it once was, but it remains important. Many farmers grow only enough food for themselves and their families. Their main crops include corn (maize), beans, squash, potatoes, and yams. Other crops are grown for export. Coffee from Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Brazil is in great demand throughout the world. Cuba and the Dominican Republic export sugar. Bananas are grown on coastal plantations on the Caribbean side of Central America.
Mining has long been an important source of income for many Latin American nations. Minerals are found largely in the eastern highlands and in the Andes, and oil and natural gas are plentiful beneath the interior plains of South America. Venezuela, Ecuador, and Mexico have especially rich supplies of oil and natural gas. Together these products are Latin America's leading export.
Forestry and fishing also contribute to the Latin American economy. The tropical rain forests are a major source of wood products. Valuable woods such as mahogany are used in making furniture. The richest fishing area lies along the Pacific shoreline of South America.
Manufacturing and industry have expanded throughout Latin America in the past century. Brazil and Mexico export automobiles as well as the metals needed to make them. Brazil sells much iron and steel to the United States and other nations. The processing of food products is an important industry in a number of Latin American nations. Service industries such as tourism, banking, trade, and education are a growing source of income and employment in the region.
The arrival of Europeans improved transportation in Latin America. The newcomers introduced wheeled vehicles, horses, mules, and other forms of transportation. Over the centuries networks of roads and trails were created, and beginning in the mid–19th century investors from the United States and elsewhere built railroads to move products to seaports. Latin America's first commercial airline was established in Colombia in 1919. Construction on the Pan-American Highway system began in the mid–20th century, and today it stretches all the way from Argentina through Mexico and up to Alaska in North America.
The history of Latin America dates back many centuries before the arrival of Europeans. As early as 1500 BC the Maya were living in villages in what is now Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Their culture was at its height from about AD 250 to 900. They built more than 40 cities, each with a population between 5,000 and 50,000. The Aztec learned much from the Maya and other advanced people who came before them, such as the Toltec and Zapotec. In the 15th and 16th centuries AD the Aztec ruled over a large empire in what is now central and southern Mexico. At about the same time the Inca were building an empire extending from what is now northern Ecuador to central Chile. Over a century of conquest the Inca became quite wealthy.
In 1492 Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain in search of a sea route to Asia. Instead of finding Asia, however, he landed in the West Indies. This voyage began an era of European exploration and conquest of the Caribbean Sea and the American continents. The effect on the civilizations of Latin America was devastating. In 1521 Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztec, and in the 1530s Francisco Pizarro defeated the Inca. In addition to weapons of war, the Spaniards brought diseases such as smallpox that killed many Native Americans. Within a century of the Spanish conquest, only a quarter of Latin America's Indian population remained.
Following the early conquests, other European powers joined Spain in colonizing Latin America for exploration and trade. The Portuguese established Brazil as a colony, and Great Britain and France claimed islands in the Caribbean. The Europeans brought with them European religion, culture, and technology. They also imported slaves from Africa to replace the laborers they lost as the Indian population died off. The slave trade continued in the region until the early 19th century.
The American and French revolutions in the late 18th century inspired uprisings throughout Latin America. In 1804 Haiti broke free from French rule and became the first independent country in Latin America. Following an unsuccessful rebellion in 1810–15, Mexico won its independence in 1821. In South America battles for independence were led by José de San Martín and Simón Bolívar. By the mid-1820s most of Latin America had been freed.
As Latin America was moving toward independence from European powers, the United States asserted its influence over the region. In 1823 U.S. President James Monroe declared that the United States would take action if any foreign power tried to interfere in the affairs of any nation in the Americas or the Caribbean. This policy became known as the Monroe Doctrine. President Theodore Roosevelt expanded the doctrine in the early 20th century to state that the United States could intervene in the affairs of a Latin American nation considered to be guilty of wrongdoing.
The United States has acted under the Monroe Doctrine many times. In 1898 the United States defeated Spain in the Spanish-American War, which grew out of Cuba's struggle for independence from that country. In the early 20th century the United States took control of a strip of land in Panama for construction of the Panama Canal. Later the United States occupied Nicaragua, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic and intervened in Cuba. Relations between the United States and many Latin American countries improved when President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced his Good Neighbor Policy in 1933.
Europeans continued to influence Latin America as well. They invested heavily in railroads and manufacturing, and millions moved to Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and other countries in search of economic opportunities. By the early 20th century many parts of Latin America were achieving political and economic stability through industrial growth, but many nations remained underdeveloped and in poverty.
Dictatorships and political instability became common in Latin America in the 20th century. In 1959 Cuba became a Communist dictatorship under Fidel Castro, leading to tensions with the United States. Nicaragua, Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile were among the other countries ruled by dictators at various times. Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and other nations faced long civil wars.
In the late 20th century many Latin American countries moved away from military control toward democratic governments. Some also saw the end of long-standing conflicts. But some countries continued to deal with internal revolts, and others, particularly Colombia and Peru, experienced violence stemming from the production of drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Military and political efforts to end the drug trade were complicated by increasing demand for drugs from the United States and Europe. Poverty remained a widespread problem throughout Latin America as well.
Political and economic alliances have helped empower Latin American nations. The Organization of American States was founded by 21 nations in 1948 to solve regional conflicts. Today it includes 35 member countries throughout the Americas, including the United States. In 1992 Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the United States and Canada, which greatly increased trade among these nations. (See also Central America; Mexico; South America; West Indies.)
