Chapter 10 Human Geography

of Latin America: a

Blending of Cultures

Section1: MEXICO

- Maya

- Toltec

- Aztec

Spanish conquest (1519)

Hernando Cortes and 600 men:

weapons (guns, cannons, etc.)

-intimidation (horses, armor)

-disease (esp. smallpox)

- allies

Tenochtitlan (Mexico City): one of

largest cities in the world when

Spanish arrived (still is)

capital - Mexico City

religion - Catholic

population – 102

million

mestizo – mixed

Spanish and Native

heritage

1821 – independence

1917 – revolution and

civil war

1929 – Institutional

Revolutionary Party

2000 – Vicente Fox

elected

2012 – Enrique Peña

Nieto

2/3 of population is urban

Mexico city has nearly 20 million people

maquiladoras

NAFTA

Challenges:

safety:

drugs,

cartels,

violence

emigration:

legal vs.

illegal,

jobs,

money

opportunities:

high

unemployment,

85% school

attendance

Section 2: Central America and the

Caribbean

Central America is an isthmus

between North and South America

cultural hearth:

place from which

important ideas

spread

Maya built many

cities and temples in

present-day Belize,

Guatemala, El

Salvador, and

Honduras

Native and Colonial Caribbean

(see chart on page 224)

Taino

replaced by

African slaves

(10 million)

Panama Canal language – Spanish, English,

French, Dutch

religion – Catholic, Protestant,

Santeria, Voodoo, Rastafarian

Economy:

- mostly

agricultural:

very rich

(owners) and

very poor

(workers)

- income from

sugar cane,

coffee, bananas

and spices

pop culture

combines African,

European, and local

influences - ex:

Calypso and

Reggae

tourism is a

major

provider of

jobs in both

the formal

sector and to

the informal

economy

Section 3: Spanish-Speaking South America

Inca:

- first inhabitants

- built Machu Picchu in the

Andes mountains

- spoke Quechua

1810 – 1830’s: most Spanish

colonies gain independence to some

degree

Simòn Bolivar and José de San

Martin lead countries to

independence, but the countries

struggled with oligarchies

A cultural mosaic:

literature, music, art, and culture

blends traditional and modern

elements to create a unique

mosaic

economies based on natural resources (oil in Venezuela, cattle in

Argentina ), trade, and tourism

education is very important – higher literacy rates than Mexico, Brazil, C.A.

Chile = 96% for adults and nearly 99% for 15-24 year olds

Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): deal between Spain and Portugal to divide

South America then Brazil gained independence from Portugal in 1822

Section 4: Brazil

- traditionally Portuguese in language, religion, culture, etc.

-today has largest Japanese population outside Japan and many

other cultures, languages, religions, etc.

Brasilia is capital

10th largest economy in the world but still a big gap between rich and poor

86% live in the cities – many in favelas (poor slums) – near the sea, but

recent efforts have encouraged people to move to the interior

won soccer’s world cup 5 times (only country in world to do so)

hosting world cup in 2014 and

summer Olympics in 2016

Brazilian life today:

Carnival (festival)

samba (dance)

capoeira (martial art)

Section 1: Rain Forest Resources

biodiversity: variety of

organisms within an

ecosystem

Chapter 11 Today’s Issues:

Latin America

How should the rain forest be used?

Who should decide what happens to the

rain forest?

Pros:

timber for use and trade

jobs and income for very poor

people

Land for housing and farming

for people who often have

neither

Cons:

deforestation

global warming

potential medicines and cures

possible solutions include:

education of rain forest benefits

campaigns to raise awareness and money

debt-for-nature swap

Section 2: Giving Citizens a Voice

oligarchy

junta

caudillo

establishing stable democracies

political reform – more women in

government, more young people involved,

less corruption

economic reform – stable currency, less

unemployment, and land reform

All photos: Sean Simons