Warm-up

As with any small country, Cuba has fewer natural resources than countries such as Brazil. This affects their trade in that Cuba

A. Exports only manufactured goodsB. Should import fewer productsC. Needs to import more productsD. Does not import or export

Spanish & Portuguese Influenceon Latin America

Unit 6 Notes

Discovery of the Americas

• Christopher Columbus was sponsored by Spain.– His mission: find a quick and safe route

to Asia

• Columbus never reached Asia; he landed in the Americas in 1492 and claimed the surrounding land for Spain.

Columbus’ First Landing

Spanish Colonization

• Spanish explored, conquered, and settled areas of Florida, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America.– also claimed many islands in the

Caribbean

• Today, most people in these areas speak Spanish.

Portuguese Colonization

• Portugal claimed the land from the Atlantic Ocean across South America to the Andes Mountains.– It covered most of the vast Amazon

River region, in what is now present-day Brazil.

• Today, most people in this area (Brazil) speak Portuguese.

Cultural Diffusion

• The Spanish and Portuguese spread their culture and religion across the region:– developed colonies that were similar to

the ones in Europe– conquered the natives and forced them

to learn Spanish and Portuguese and convert to Roman Catholicism

Languages in Latin America

green-Spanishorange-Portugueseblue-French

Latin America Today

• The term “Latin America” started in the 1800s.

• It refers to the group of countries that spoke mostly languages based on the ancient Latin language.– Spanish and Portuguese are both

derivatives of Latin.

• The shared religion (Catholic), culture, & languages (Spanish & Portuguese) have united the region.

What does this image tell you about Latin America’s culture?

Diversity in Latin America

• Latin America’s cultures are diverse.– Each region has its own history, languages,

customs, beliefs, foods, music, etc.

• Latin America also has diversity in its races:– Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans are

the largest groups.– Members of these groups have intermarried

and developed unique cultures over time.

Native Americans

• Europeans began colonizing the Americas in the 1500s.– They forced the natives to work on plantations & in

mines.– Many native populations were completely wiped

out by European weapons and diseases.

• Some natives were able to preserve their cultures by moving to remote regions.

• Many people in Venezuela are mestizos (ancestors were both European and Native American).

Africans

• Europeans brought Africans to the New World and forced them to work as slaves.

• Descendants of these people still live in Latin America today.– Many live in Brazil, Panama, and islands

in the Caribbean.

Religion

• The main religion in Latin America is Roman Catholic.

• However, practices of Native Americans & Africans have blended with Christian beliefs.– Example: “Day of the Dead” in Mexico—

blends Native American beliefs about the afterlife with Christian beliefs.

El Dia de los Muertos

El Dia de los Muertos

Cultural Controversy…

• People with European ancestors often have better paying jobs, better education and health care, and more money than people of Native American or African descent.

• Other culture groups have begun to demand equality in their countries.– Example: In Bolivia in 2005, a Native

American was elected president for the first time.

Cultural Collage!

• You are going to create a class collage of cultural information regarding Latin America.

• You may include words, but the majority of space must be filled with interesting and vivid pictures. It is important that all aspects of culture are represented in your collage, so you must include pictures for each of the following examples of culture:

• art• music/dance• food• language• Religion• holidays

Cultural Collage

• You can use your class notes, library books, as well as The World and Its People textbook to find information for your collage. The following pages can be used to find information about the diverse culture in Latin America:

• Mexican Culture pages 203-204• Cultures of the Caribbean pages 219-223 • Brazil's Culture and History pages 235-237• Argentina's People page 241• Venezuela's People page 244• Columbia's Culture page 257• Peru's Culture page 267-268• Ecuador's People page 269• Bolivia's People pages 272-273• Chile's Culture page 274