latin america

Latin America

More Than You Think

The Caribbean

The Caribbean

❏ Cuba

❏ Dominica

❏ Dominican Republic

❏ Grenada

❏ Haiti

❏ Puerto Rico

Central America

Central America

❏ Belize

❏ Costa Rica

❏ El Salvador

❏ Guatemala

❏ Honduras

❏ Nicaragua

❏ Panama

South America

South America

❏ Argentina

❏ Bolivia

❏ Brazil

❏ Chile

❏ Colombia

❏ Ecuador

❏ Falkland Islands

❏ French Guiana

❏ Guyana

❏ Paraguay

❏ Peru

❏ Suriname

❏ Uruguay

❏ Venezuela

The Caribbean

The Part People Don’t know

About

Cuba

● The capital of Cuba is Havana

● The population is 11, 047, 251

● The government of Cuba is

Communist

● The climate is tropical as the

country is located in the

Caribbean Sea

● The geography is mostly flat to

rolling plains, with rugged hills

and mountains in the southeast

Cuba

● The native Amerindian population of Cuba began to decline after the European discovery of the

island by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1492 and following its development as a Spanish colony

during the next several centuries.

● Large numbers of African slaves were imported to work the coffee and sugar plantations, and

Havana became the launching point for the annual treasure fleets bound for Spain from Mexico

and Peru.

● Spanish rule eventually provoked an independence movement and occasional rebellions that

were harshly suppressed. US intervention during the Spanish-American War in 1898 assisted the

Cubans in overthrowing Spanish rule.

● Fidel CASTRO led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule held the subsequent regime

together for nearly five decades. He stepped down as president in February 2008 in favor of his

younger brother Raul CASTRO.

● As a communist nation it has no trade with the U.S. Cuba at times portrays the US embargo, in

place since 1961, as the source if its difficulties.

Dominica

● The capital of Dominica is Roseau

● The population is 73, 499

● The government is a Parliamentary Democracy

● The climate is tropical with vast rainfall

● The geography of Dominica is rugged

mountains surrounded by the Caribbean sea● Christopher Columbus named the island after the day

in which he discovered it, Dominica (Latin for Sunday).

The Spanish eventually left the island after fierce

resistance from the native Caribs. The French took

over the island but eventually ceded it to the British

after the French-Indian War. In 1978 it became an

independent nation.

Dominican Republic

● The capital of the Dominican

Republic is Santo Domingo

● The population is 10,349,741

● The government is a Democratic

Republic

● The climate is tropical with

seasonal rainfall

● The DR is two-thirds of the island

of Hispaniola which lies between

the Caribbean and North Atlantic.

The terrain is rugged mountains

with fertile valleys.

Dominican Republic

● The Taino people inhabited what is now the Dominican

Republic since the 7th century. Christopher Columbus

landed on the island in 1492, and it became the site of the

first permanent European settlement in the Americas,

namely Santo Domingo, the country's capital and Spain's

first capital in the New World.

● In 1697 Spain conceded the western part of the island as a

territory of France. This territory became known as Haiti.

● In 1844 the country gained its independence.

● For more than 100 years the country had an unsettled

government system culmination with the dictatorship of

Rafael Trujillo from 1930-1961.

● Today the country enjoys a free democratic way of life.

Trujillo

Haiti

● The capital of Haiti is Port-au-Prince


● The government is a Democratic

Republic

● The climate is tropical with seasonal

rainfall

● Haiti is one-third of the island of

Hispaniola which lies between the

Caribbean and North Atlantic. The

terrain is rugged mountains with

fertile valleys.

Haiti

● The Taino people that inhabited the island when Columbus discovered

the island were all but slaughtered from the island within three decades

by the Spanish.

● In 1697 France gained control of the island from Spain.

● It became one of the wealthiest islands in the Caribbean but only

because of the continued import of African slaves.

● This heavy import of slaves backfired on the wealthy when in the late

1700s the nearly 500,000 slaves revolted.

● Haiti is now the poorest country in the Caribbean and has been infected

with government instability for a century.

● Eventually in 1957 Francis Duvalier, better known as Papa Doc became

president until 1971. Papa Doc stayed in power and maintained order by

using an organization known as the “Bogeymen” to terrorize the people

and political opponents.

● Papa Docs sone Bebe Doc gained power and was eventually

overthrown. He was followed by Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was also

overthown leaving the country unstable to this day.

PApa Doc

Grenada

● The capital of Grenada is St.

George’s

● The population is 110,152

● The government is a Parliamentary

Democracy

● The climate is tropical with seasonal

tradewinds

● Grenada is volcanic in origin with

central mountains and low flatlands

bordering the oceans

Grenada

● Carib Indians inhabited the island when

Columbus discovered in 1498.

● The French settled Grenada in the 1600s as a

colony to grow sugar and imported African slaves

to help in this task.

● Great Britain took control of the island in 1762.

● In 1974 the country gained its full independence

making it one of the smallest nations in the world.

● In 1983 the island was taken over by Marxist-

communists forcing the United States within a

week to invade the island and take control of the

government to re-establish a free government

system.

Puerto Rico

● The capital of Puerto Rico is San

Juan


● The government is a

Commonwealth

● The climate is tropical marine with

little variation

● Puerto Rico is mountainous with

coastal plains and sandy beaches.

Puerto Rico

● The island was claimed in 1493 for Spain

by….you guessed it.... Columbus.

● After 400 years of rule by Spain the island was

ceded to the United States as part of the

settlement of the Spanish-American War.

● In 1917 Puerto Ricans were granted United

States citizenship.

● The country has been run by governors since

1948 with a constitution enacted in 1952.

● A 2012 vote in the country left open the

possibility of applying for statehood in the

United States.

Central America

Where Mexico Is Not

Belize

● The capital of Belize is Belmopan


● The government of Belize is a

Parliamentary Democracy

● The climate is tropical with hot and

humid conditions and a rainy

season running from May-

November

● The geography is mostly flat and

swampy with southern low

mountains

Belize

● Belize was the site of many of the Mayan

city-states until their decline around the

year 1000 CE.

● In the 1600s and 1700s the Spanish and

British both laid claim to the region.

● Belize became a colony of British

Honduras in 1854.

● The country gained its independence in

1981, though neighboring Guatemala

refused to recognize it until 1992.

● Despite its picturesque setting and tourist

trade Belize has many problems revolving

around high national debt and high crime

rates related to the South American drug

trade.

Costa Rica

● The capital of Costa Rica is San

Jose


● The government of Costa Rica is a

Democratic Republic

● The climate is tropical and

subtropical with a rainy season

running from May-November

● The geography is coastal plains

with rugged mountains several of

which are major volcanoes

Costa Rica

● Initial attempts by the Spanish to colonize

Costa Rica were unsuccessful do to

disease, natives and pirate raids.

● It was finally colonized by Spain in the mid

16th century.

● It declared its independence from Spain in

1821.

● Since the late 1800s only two violent

periods disturbed its development as a

Democratic Republic.

● The country disbanded its armed forces in

1949.

El Salvador

● The capital of El Salvador is

San Salvador


● The government of El

Salvador is a Republic

● The climate is tropical a rainy

season running from May-

October

● The geography is mostly

mountains with a central

plateau

El Salvador

● El Salvador dates back centuries before

European settlement. It was inhabited by

the Pipil who called the area Cuzcatlan

which means “Land of Precious Jewels.”

● El Salvador gained its independence from

Spain in 1821.

● The country joined the Central American

Federation until it left that group in 1839.

● A 12-year civil war that began in 1980

when the government and rebels signed a

treaty to agree on government and military

reform.

● The government has issues to this day but

it does have a platform with a high focus on

environmental protection.

Guatemala

● The capital of Guatemala is

Guatemala City


● The government of Guatemala is a

Constitutional Democratic

Government

● The climate is tropical; hot and

humid conditions in the lowlands and

temperatures in the highlands

● The geography is mostly mountains

with coastal plains

Guatemala

● Guatemala was central area of Mayan

civilization until their decline around the year

1000 CE.

● In the early 1500s Spain explored and

colonized the region.

● Guatemala gained its independence from

Spain in 1821.

● During the latter half of the 20th century the

country endured a three-decade civil war that

left more than 200,000 dead.

● In 1996 a peace agreement was signed to

end the conflict. Sadly to this day former

leaders during the civil war are still being

prosecuted for genocide and crimes against

humanity.

Honduras

● The capital of Honduras is

Tegucigalpa


● The government of Honduras is a

Democratic Constitutional Republic

● The climate is subtropical in the

lowlands and temperate in the

highlands

● The geography is coastal plains

with a mostly mountainous interior

Honduras

● Honduras was another site of many of the

Mayan city-states until their decline around

the year 1000 CE.

● Columbus explored the region in 1502 and

Cortez landed with his forces in 1524 leading

to Spanish conquest of the region.

● Honduras gained its independence from

Spain in 1821.

● Though it did not have the civil wars many of

its neighboring countries did, the Honduran

army constantly fought against Marxist

guerillas looking to gain control of the

government.

● In 2009 a coup d'etat led the transfer of power

from the president to the head of congress.

Nicaragua

● The capital of Nicaragua is Managua


● The government of Nicaragua is a

Republic

● The climate is tropical in the lowlands

with cooler temperatures in the

highlands

● The geography is coastal plains on

the Atlantic side with interior

mountains. Narrow coastal plains on

the Pacific side which is broken up

by volcanoes

Nicaragua

● In the late 1400s the region was settled by

peoples related to the Aztec and Mayan

cultures.

● Spain colonized the area in the early

1500s.

● Nicaragua gained its independence from

Spain in 1821.

● Britain controlled the Caribbean coast in

the early 1800s until ceding control to the

locals.

● The country suffered through civil war for

much of the latter half of the 20th century.

● The current government under Daniel

Ortega is plagued by strong-armed tactics

and corruption.

Panama

● The capital of Panama is Panama

City


● The government of Panama is a

Constitutional Democracy

● The climate is tropical maritime

with a long rainy season running

from May-January

● The geography is mostly steep

rugged mountains in the interior

with rolling coastal plains

Panama

● Panama was explored and settled by the

Spanish in the early 1500s.

● Panama gained its independence from Spain in

1821.

● It joined with Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia

to form Gran Colombia in 1830.

● Though the other countries left shortly after

Panama remained part of Columbia until 1903

when the U.S. encouraged Panama to break

away. This allowed the U.S. to build the

Panama Canal between 1904-1914.

● With U.S. help Panamanian dictator Manuel

Noriega was removed from power in 1989.

● In 1999 the U.S. gave Panama full control over

the canal zone.

South America

The Big Dog on the Block

Argentina

● The capital of Argentina is Buenos

Aires


● The government of Argentina is a

Republic

● The climate is mainly temperate with

arid conditions in the southeast and

subantarctic ones in the southwest.

● The geography includes the Andes

mountains along the west, the plains

area of the Pampas in the north and

the plateau of Patagonia in the south

Argentina

● In 1816 the country came into existence after the

United Provinces of the Rio Plata declared

independence from Spain.

● Bolivia, Uruguay, and Paraguay separated and the

remaining land became Argentina.

● From the mid-19th through mid-20th century the

country was plagued by constant political strife.

● Argentina attempted to seize the Falkland Islands

in 1983 but lost the brief war with Great Britain.

● The political situation in the country is still shaky to

this day though in 2013 Argentina gained a non-

permanent seat on the United nations Security

Council.

Bolivia

● The capital of Bolivia is La Paz


● The government of Bolivia is a

Republic

● The climate is humid and tropical

to cold and semi-arid

● The geography is hills and the

lowland plains of the Amazon

basin combined with the high

rugged mountains of the Andes

Bolivia

● Bolivia was named after independence

leader Simon Bolivar.

● The country gained its independence from

Spain in 1825.

● Ultimately over the next 150 years the

country was plagued by nearly 200 coups

which made for continuous political

instability.

● So-called democracy took effect in 1982

but in that time the country has been

plagued by many social and political

problems.

● The latest incarnation of a constitution

refers to the country as a Social Unitarian

State.

Brazil

● The capital of Brazil is Brasilia


● The government of Brazil is a

Federal republic

● The climate in Brazil is mostly

tropical but the weather is temperate

in the South

● The geography is mostly flat to

rolling lowlands, with plains, hills,

mountains and a narrow coastal belt

Brazil

● Where as a great deal of South America fell

under Spanish rule, Brazil spent 300 years

under Portuguese rule.

● The country gained its independence in 1822.

● Over the next 60 years Brazil remained a

monarchy until slavery was abolished in 1888.

● After the fall of the monarchy the country was

controlled by the wealthy coffee growers until

the rise of Getulio Vargas in 1930.

● The country spent the next 50 years under

military control until 1985 when the military

gave power to the civilian population.

● Today, Brazil is the leading economic power

in the region.

Chile● The capital of Chile is Santiago but

the National Legislature sits in

Valparaiso


● The government of Chile is a

Republic

● The climate is temperate with desert

in the north, Mediterranean in the

central region and cool and damp in

the south

● The geography has the Andes in the

east, fertile central plains, and low

coastal mountains

Chile

● The Inca and Mapuche ruled most of Chile before

the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500s.

● The country declared its independence from

Spain in 1810 but it wasn’t totally free until 1818.

● In the late 1800s Chile won a war against Bolivia

and Peru to carve out what is now its current

territory.

● The country had free elections but fell under the

strict rule of Salvador Allende until he was

overthrown in a coup led by Augusto Pinochet in

1973.

● Pinochet led the country until 1990 when free

elections were held again.

● Today, Chile is the a stable democracy and

influence in the region and holds a seat on the

UN Security Council

Colombia

● The capital of Colombia is Bogota


● The government of Colombia is a

Republic

● The climate is tropical along the

coasts with cooler temperatures at

higher elevations

● The geography is flat lowlands

along the coast, eastern lowland

plains (Llanos), central highlands,

and the Andes mountains

Colombia

● Colombia declared its independence from Spain in

1810 but had to fight until 1822 to gain its freedom.

● It was part of Gran Colombia until 1830 when other

countries separated.

● The U.S. helped Panama separate in 1903.

● Colombia was paid 25 million dollars by the U.S. in

1921 as part of the redress for helping Panama.

● In the 1990s the country found itself under heavy

control by drug lords, one of the most famous being

Pablo Escobar.

● As a result the country is unstable today even though

the drug lords power has evaporated. The government

has been in conflict with guerrillas and paramilitary

forces who wanted to seize control of the country

● In 2012 peace negotiations started to stabilize the

country.

Ecuador

● The capital of Ecuador is Quito


● The government of Ecuador is a

Republic

● The climate is tropical along the

coast and Amazonian lowlands

with cooler temps at higher

elevations

● The geography is coastal

plainswith central highlands and

flat to hilly jungles

Ecuador

● What is now Ecuador was the heart of the Inca

empire until Spanish conquest in the 1500s.

● Quito became the center of Spanish government

and is still the capital today

● Quito gained its independence in 1822.

● Quito became part of Gran Colombia but withdrew

in 1830 and changed its name to “Republic of the

Equator.”

● Ecuador lost territories between 1900 and 1942

due to wars with neighbors.

● The country fought a border war with Peru from

1995-1999.

● Over the last 40 years the country has been

plagued with political instability.

Falkland Islands

● The capital of the Falkland Islands

is Stanley


● There is no government type as it

follows British laws

● The climate is cold marine with rain

on half the days and occasional

snow all year

● The geography is rocky, hilly, and

mountainous with rolling hills and

plains

Falkland Islands

● The country is also known as Islas Malvinas.

● The British landed on the islands in 1690.

● The French first settled a colony on the islands in

1764.

● Two years later the French gave the colony to Spain

and ever since the territory has been disputed, first

by Spain and Britain and then by Argentina and

Britain.

● Argentina invaded the islands in April of 1982. The

British sent troops in May, and by June of 1982

Argentina surrendered.

● Argentina called for Britain to relinquish control of

the islands again and as a result a vote was held by

Falkland Island residents in 2013.

● 99.8% of the residents voted to remain as part of

Great Britain.

French Guiana

● The capital of French Guiana is

Cayenne


● The government is part of France

● The climate is tropical maritime

● The geography is coastal flat with

low mountains and inaccessible

rainforests

French Guiana● The area was initially inhabited by the indigenous

peoples of the region.

● The French attempted to colonize the region in 1763

but failed when 80% of the 12,000 colonists died of

tropical diseases.

● Eventually France turned the region into a penal

colony. The most famous part of the colony being the

infamous Devil's Island.

● Of the 56,000 prisoners sent there less than 10%

survived due to starvation and tropical disease.

● In 1946 French Guiana as a whole became a

department of France.

● Devil’s Island was closed in 1953.

● During the 1970s the French helped Hmong refugees

escape Laos and set up colonies in French Guiana.

Devils IslandThe infamous Île du Diable (Devil's Island) was the site of a small

prison facility, part of a larger penal system by the same name, which

consisted of prisons on three islands and three larger prisons on the

mainland, and which was operated from 1852 to 1953. In addition, in

the late nineteenth century, France began requiring forced residencies

by prisoners who survived their hard labor.

Île du Diable is rocky and palm covered. It rises 130 feet above sea level. Its development as a penal

colony was begun in 1852 by the government of Emperor Napoleon III. The island is surrounded by

rocky promontories and shoals, strong cross-currents and shark-infested waters. Landing on the

island by boat is so treacherous that prison officials constructed a cable car system to connect the

island to the nearby Île Royale. They used the cable car for years to travel the 600 foot wide channel

between the two islands.

In 1953, the prison system was closed. In 1965, the French government transferred the responsibility

for the island, with the rest of the group, to its newly founded Guiana Space Centre. The CNES space

agency, in association with other agencies, has restored buildings classified as historical monuments.

Since tourism facilities have been added, the islands now receive more than 50,000 tourists each

year.

Guyana

● The capital of Guyana is

Georgetown


● The government of Guyana is a

Republic

● The climate is tropical hot and

humid with two rainy seasons

running from May-August and

November-January

● The geography is low coastal

plains, rolling highlands, with a

savannah in the south

Guyana

● Guyana was originally a Dutch colony.

● By 1815 the territory fell under British rule.

● Eventually as slavery was abolished former

slaves and indentured servants from India

relocated to urban areas to work the sugar

plantations.

● Ethnic divides fomented during this time leading

to discontent and class and racial hostilities

which would cause political problems.

● In 1966 Guyana gained its independence from

Britain.

● Socialist governments were the norm until 1992

when the country held what is thought of as its

first free elections.

Paraguay

● The capital of Paraguay is

Asuncion


● The government of Paraguay is a

Constitutional Republic

● The climate is subtropical to

temperate with substantial rainfall

in the east to semi-arid conditions

on the west

● The geography is grassy plains

and wooded hills and dry forests

and scrub in other parts

Paraguay

● Paraguay gained its independence from

Spain in 1811.

● Paraguay fought the War of the Triple

Alliance between 1865-170 with Brazil,

Argentina, and Uruguay.

● The country lost a large portion of its land and

65% of the country’s adult males died in the

war.

● A 1932-35 war with Bolivia gained the country

more area in the Chaco lowlands.

● For nearly 40 years the country was ruled by

military dictator Alfredo Stroessner.

● In 1989 the country held its first free elections

towards political democracy.

Peru

● The capital of Peru is Lima


● The government of Peru is a


● The climate is tropical in the east,

dry in the west, with frigid

temperatures in the Andes

● The geography is coastal plains in

the west, lowland jungle of the

Amazon basin in the east and the

rugged Andes mountains in the

center

Peru

● Peru was the seat of the Inca empire.

● The Spanish took control in 1533.

● Peru declared its independence from Spain in 1821.

● In 1840-1860 Peru enjoyed peace and earned

revenue through guano exporting.

● Peru fought in the War of the Pacific in 1879.

● The country gained political stability in the early

1900s.

● Peru fought a series of wars with neighboring

countries through the early to mid 20th century with

indeterminate outcomes.

● The election of Alberto Fujimori in 1990 prompted an

economic turnaround for the country.

● Over time varied presidents have kept the country on

a path of progress.

Suriname

● The capital of Suriname is

Paramaribo


● The government of Suriname is a

Constitutional Democracy

● The climate is tropical and

moderated by the tradewinds

● The geography is mostly rolling

hills, coastal plains, with swamps

Suriname

● Suriname was first explored by the Spanish in

the 1500s and then settled by the British in the

1600s.

● In 1667 it became a Dutch colony.

● Peru declared its independence from Spain in

1821.

● Slavery was abolished in 1863 which cleared the

way for workers from Java and India to come

seeking jobs.

● The country gained its independence in 1975

● Communists/Marxist governments took control.

● In 1991 it went to a democratic form of

government due to international pressure.

● In 2010 the country elected its former

military/marxist leader to president.

Uruguay

● The capital of Uruguay is

Montevideo


● The government of Uruguay is a


● The climate is warm temperate

and freezing temperatures

● The geography is mostly rolling

hills and fertile coastal lowlands

Uruguay

● Montevideo, founded by the Spanish in 1726 as a

military stronghold became an important commercial

center.

● Claimed by Argentina but annexed by Brazil in 1821.

● Uruguay declared its independence four years later and

secured its freedom in 1828 after a three-year struggle.

● The administrations of President Jose BATLLE in the

early 20th century launched widespread political, social,

and economic reforms that established a statist tradition.

● A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement named the

Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's

president to cede control of the government to the

military in 1973.

● Civilian rule was not restored until 1985.

● Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the

freest on the continent.

Venezuela

● The capital of Venezuela is

Caracas.


● The government of Venezuela is

a Federal Republic

● The climate is tropical hot and

humid with moderate temps in the

higher elevations

● The geography is central plains

with the Andes mountains, the

Maracaibo lowlands, and Guiana

highlands in the southeast.

Venezuela● Venezuela was one of three countries that emerged from the

collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830.

● For most of the first half of the 20th century, Venezuela was

ruled by generally benevolent military strongmen, who

promoted the oil industry and allowed for some social

reforms.

● Democratically elected governments have held sway since

1959.

● Hugo CHAVEZ, president from 1999 to 2013, sought to

implement his "21st Century Socialism," which purported to

alleviate social ills while at the same time attacking capitalist

globalization and existing democratic institutions.

● His hand-picked successor, President Nicolas MADURO,

continues CHAVEZ's socialist programs.

● Current concerns include: a politicized military, rampant

violent crime, over dependence on the petroleum industry

with its price fluctuations, a decline in the quality of

fundamental human rights.

Mexico

The North American One

Mexico

● The capital of Mexico is Mexico

City


● The government of Mexico is a

Federal Republic

● The climate in Mexico varies from

tropical to deserts.

● The geography includes deserts,

high plateaus, rugged mountains,

and low coastal plains

Mexico

● Mexico is the home of the advanced Amerindian

civilizations of the Maya, Inca, Toltec, Zapotec, and

Olmec.

● Mexico was conquered by the Spanish in the 1500s.

● Spain had control over Mexico for 300 years until

Mexico claimed its independence in the early 1800s.

● Dictator/General Santa Anna held a tight grip. until

1836 when the territory of Texas and other regions

declared independence.

● In 1846 the Mexican-American War ended 2 years later

with Mexico conceding half its land to the U.S. This land

included California, New Mexico, and more area of

Texas. Eventually the U.S. purchased the territory that

is now Arizona.

● Today Mexico is a tourist destination but it is plagued

with open drug wars that have hurt the industry.

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