Countries of Latin America

Period 3 Latin American History

El Salvador• Head of state: Republic. President – Antonio Saca• Ethnic Groups: Mestizo – 90%, White – 9%,

Amerindian – 1% • Languages: Spanish (Castellano),

English extremely popular at school• Religions: Christian nation (57% Roman Catholic) • Literacy rate: Age 10+ can read and write.

80.2% of population literate• Life expectancy: 72.33 years• Human Development index rank: #103• Population: 7, 066, 403• Population below poverty line: 30.7%• Currency: Adopted the U.S dollar in 2001.

Colombia• Head of State: Bicameral Congress.

President – Alvaro Uribe • Ethnic groups: Mestizo – 58%, White – 20%,

Mulatto – 14%, Black – 4%, Amerindian – 1%• Languages: Spanish • Religions: Roman Catholic – 90%, Other – 10%• Literacy rate: age 15+ can read and write. 90.4% of

population• Human Development index rank: #75• Population: 45 million (growing 1.4% anually) ->

growth rate decreasing due to people fleeing country from drug/violence

• Currency: Columbian peso• Population below poverty line: 49.2%

Dominican Republic • Head of state: Democratic Republic.

President – Leonal Fernandes Reyna• Ethnic groups: Mixed – 73%, White – 16%, Black

– 11%• Languages: Spanish• Religions: Catholic – 95%• Literacy rate: 87%• Life expectancy: 73.7 years• Human Development index rank: 90• Population: 9,650,054• Currency: Dominican peso• Population below poverty line: 42.2%

Chile• Head of state: Multiparty Democracy.

President – (female!) Michelle Bachelet• Ethnic groups: White and Amerindian white – 95.4%,

Mapuche – 4%, Other indigenous – 0.6%• Languages: Spanish (Castellano) • Religions: Catholic – 70%, Evangelical 15.1%, other –

8.3%• Literacy rate: age 15+ can read and write. 95.7% • Life expectancy: 77.34 years• Human Development index rank: #40• Population: 16,601,707• Currency: Chilean peso• Population below poverty line: 18.2%