Chapter 9 = The Cultural

Geography of Latin AmericaSECTION 1 – MEXICO

-world’s most populous Spanish

speaking country (142 PPSM)

-external migration for job

opportunities & better economy-

internal migration b/c limited land

& access to social services

-Mayans & Aztecs main native

groups

-Mayans ruled S. Mexico and N. CA

from 250-900 A.D (video 1 & video 2)

-Aztecs capital Tenochtitlan

(Mexico City); grew crops on chinampas(→)

-Spanish landed in Mexico in 1519

-Hernan Cortez defeated Aztecs in 1521

-many natives blend

Catholic beliefs (those of the Europeans) & native beliefs – called syncretism

•1700’s – LA countries rise up against European rule

• Mexico – led by Fr. Hidalgo, 1821 →

•Rule switched to small

groups of people, mostly clergy, wealthy, military

•Caudillo emerged

•1917 – reforms; became a federal republic w/3

branches, pres w/ ONE 6 year term

Mexico’s president,

Enrique Pena Nieto, elected 12/2012 →

•SECTION 2 – C. A. and CARIBBEAN

•blended w/European, native, & African

•Africans first came as

slaves when natives began dying

•External migration in last 100 years; causes

challenges

•Hispaniola – 1493; 1st

permanent Euro. settlement

Toussaint Louverture, leader of Hatian revolution

• Colombian Exchange- plants, animals, & infectious diseases between Americas and Europe

• Natives wanted freedom

– Freedom brought new issues; many areas

still trying to end corrupt politics

•some countries turned to communism (Cuba)

•Religion tends to mirror the conquering people, normally Catholic in Central America; voodoo is practiced in Haiti & DR

Fidel Castro,

Former Communist

Leader of ←Cuba

Raul Castro,Current

Communist

Leader of Cuba(Fidel’s

Brother) →

• PANAMA CANAL

• 1819 - Panama was part of federation/country of Colombia; Colombia rejected US plans to build a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, so U.S. supported revolution that led to independence of Panama in 1903.

• French attempted construction of a canal in the 1880s; was successfully built from 1904 to 1914

by U.S

• U.S. held land running @ 50 miles across the isthmus of Panama; ownership returned to

Panama in 1999

• It takes @ fifteen hours to traverse canal through three sets of locks (@ half the time

is spent waiting for traffic)

Section 3 – South America•Natives, Africans,Asians, Europeans

•Some of the world’s most populated cities

•Incas were one of the strongest native cultures (video)

•Were hierarchical –emperor, priests, army commander at top; farmers at the bottom

• SA’s population pattern is affected by geography – rainforests, mountains,

and deserts in the interior discourage human settlement

• b/c of this, there are many megacities

(cities w/more than 10 million people) on the coast

•After US & FR

Revolutions, many SA countries fought for

independence

•Simon Bolivar of Venezuela and Jose de San Martin of Argentina

•Most were independent by

the mid-1800’s

SimonBolivar

← Jose de San Martin