Did you know that it is Hispanic Heritage Month? ( Sept . 15 th -Oct. 15 th )

2. Did you know that it is Hispanic Heritage Month?(Sept. 15th-Oct. 15th)

3. In Puerto Rico, it is very well-mannered to kiss someone on the cheek when greeting them. During your conversation, it is also appropriate to stand very close to the person who you are talking to. Spanish and English are the official languages, but Spanish is without a doubt the dominant language. English is spoken by about 1/4 of the population-with limited capabilities. English is required in all federal matters. English is spoken in all major tourist areas. Puerto Rico • Many of the words that Puerto Ricans use for building names, household items and food products originated from the Taino Indians, who lived in Puerto Rico before Christopher Columbus founded the island. The tasty and spicy food of Puerto Rico comes from a mixture of Spanish, America, British and African inspirations. • The United States gained Puerto Rico as a territory after the Spanish-American War in 1898. The Treaty of Paris that was signed to end the war allotted the island country to the United States in 1917. This also meant that every citizen of Puerto Rico was granted U.S. citizenship.

4. The name "Argentina" comes from the Latin word for silver, argentum. The original European settlers believed the country was full of silver. • Adults and children both travel home after lunch each day to take a siesta. Siestas are short naps that people all around the country partake in. During siestas many businesses and schools close down, and everyone in the country relaxes. There are even a few hotels in the capital city that rent rooms specifically for siestas. Argentina • In 1913, Argentina was the world's 10th wealthiest nation per capita. Now it's the 54th. • In 2001, Argentina had 5 presidents in 10 days. • Argentina was the first country to utilize fingerprinting in order to determine if a person was guilty of a crime. The first instance of fingerprinting occurred after a particularly gruesome murder occurred in a small Argentinean town. The murder was not witnessed by anyone; however the murderer left a bloody fingerprint at the crime scene. The police used the bloody fingerprint to correctly identify the murderer.

5. The name Bolivia comes from a leader in the Spanish American wars of independence, Simon Bolivar, becoming official in 1825. • La Paz is the highest capital city (11,910 ft) in the world. The official capital is in Sucre but the working capital of government is La Paz. Bolivia • The most dangerous road in the world is in Bolivia—“The Road of Death”, Only about 30% of all roads in Bolivia are paved (mostly in the city). • Bolivia has over 30 official languages and 36 native cultures. The main language spoken is Spanish, Quechua and Aymara. • In the Andes Mountains, many live at over 10,000 feet in the air (as high as some planes fly). Clouds go through their living rooms.

6. Over 1/3 of the world’s copper production is produced in Chile, and they are the 5th largest exporter of wine in the world. They also have the second largest reserve of lithium and has substantial reserves of iron, silver, salt, zinc, manganese, molybdenum, gold, coal, and iodine. • In 2000, the Casa de Vidrio, a transparent glass house, was placed in the center of Santiago. A young actress lived in it for two weeks, revealing even intimate aspects of her daily routine to curious Santiaguinos. The controversial glass house was an unprecedented attempt to lay bare the double standards of Chilean morality and protest against café con piernas, which are Chilean stand-up bars where customers are served by scantily dressed waitresses. Chile • Chile is one of the few countries on earth that has a government-supported UFO research organization. The UK got rid of theirs to be able to fund the wars in the Middle East. • Tierra del Fuego, or “Land of Fire,” is an archipelago off the southern tip of South America. Ferdinand Magellan named the islands in 1520 when he noticed smoke rising from Indian campfires on the shore. Magellan actually first called it “Land of Smoke,” but Spanish King Charles I thought “Land of Fire” might be more poetic. Tierra del Fuego’s largest island, Isla Grande de Tierra de Fuego, is divided between Chile (70%) and Argentina (30%).

7. Cuba’s economy is based on its socialist government. Their economy is a state controlled planned economy that thrives through various sectors tobacco farming, fish, coffee farming and nickel mining. Dance is very important in Cuba. The Bolero, Mambo and Cha Cha was invented in the country. Cuba • There is a statue of John Lennon from The Beatles in the country of Cuba. It was erected in 2000 by Fidel Castro, after Castro declared John Lennon to be a music revolutionary. • The only cars that Cuban citizens can own legally are cars created and bought before 1959. After this year, the Cuban government seized all of the cars, and owns them all to this day. Most of the pre-1959 cars in the country are from the United States. Cuba used to depend greatly on the Soviet Union to stabilize its economy. When the Soviet Union collapsed, Cuba went through a time termed the Special Period in which their economy rapidly declined. To help recover, they legalized the use of the US dollar in business and began allowing self-employment.

8. Costa Rica is still considered a developing country by the World Bank, and still has many economic downfalls. • Women do not take their husband’s last name when they get married. Instead, the woman uses her maiden name throughout her entire life. Children will take the last name of their fathers. Costa Rica • Costa Ricans have one of the highest life expectancies in the world. On average, they live until their late 70s. • Milk is sold in a plastic bag, not in a carton. • Pura Vida is the national saying of Costa Rica, and it translates into pure life. Costa Ricans use the saying to wish someone good will, say goodbye and ask someone how they are doing. • The country has a 96% literacy rate. In areas that are poor and very rural, children often can’t afford to go to school, so the country set up a school system that can be listened to over the radio. These children learn all of the same lessons over the radio as kids do who attend school.

9. There are 1600 different species of birds in Ecuador, which accounts for 15% of all of the bird species in the world. • The Ecuadorian flag is comprised of 3 colors; yellow for the diversity in the country, red for the blood that was shed for the country’s independence and blue for the sky and the ocean. Ecuador • The name Ecuador came from the word equator since the equator passes directly through the country. • Most of the festivals and holidays celebrated in Ecuador are based on their religion. 95% of the country is Catholic, therefore they celebrate many Saints days and Christian Holidays. • The country has had its ups and down economically, but in recent years has flourished greatly and is once again becoming a country to watch in Latin America. • The United States dollar has been used as the country’s currency since a banking crisis in 1999. In March of 2000, the country officially made the U.S. dollar their currency in order to avoid hyperinflation.

10. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America and is smaller than the state of Massachusetts. This mountainous country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, Guatemala, and Honduras. The Spanish took over in 1528 and forced the native people to become servants. El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and full independence in 1841. El Salvador About half of all Salvadorans live in the countryside. They are poor and don’t have electricity or running water in their homes. Most of the wealthy families live in San Salvador in houses and apartments. • El Salvador's democratic government has added manufacturing jobs—but faces the challenges of poverty, crime, and natural disasters. Rice, beans, and tortillas are the main foods in El Salvador. Most people cannot afford meat and do not have enough food to eat every day. Malnutrition is a leading cause of death among the poor rural people. Literacy rate in El-Salvador is 82%. Education is free up to high school. 

11. Guatemala has an unequal distribution of income. More than half of the country lives under the poverty line, while many other citizens have high paying jobs. • The Mayans were the first civilization to determine the number zero. Guatemala • Blue denim was first invented in Guatemala. Shortly after their invention, the Levis brand began distributing blue jeans around the world. • Guatemala is one of the poorest countries in Latin America. It per capita GDP of only $5,200 classifies it as a developing country. • Traditional food in Guatemala today is still based on the traditional food eaten by the Mayans. Their diet is largely based on corn, beans and chilies. • Funerals in Guatemala occur as soon as the person passes. It is traditional to have a funeral quickly in order to allow the person’s soul to pass into Heaven sooner. Funerals are often decorated with many candles in remembrance of the deceased. Loud crying and mourning occurs only at funerals of adults, children are mourned quietly.

12. The national day of Honduras is celebrated on the 15th of September every year. The day is declared a national holiday and is celebrated to commemorate the country's independence from the Kingdom of Spain on September 15, 1821. The five stars on the Honduran flag represent the five countries of Central America. With the middle star representing Honduras, because it’s the only country that touches four of the Central America countries. Honduras • It’s completely normal to find blonde haired, blue eyed Hondurans on the bay islands. They are direct descendents of the British Pirates that came here over 500 years ago. The capital of Honduras is composed of two cities: Tegucigalpa and Comayagüela. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America and has the world's highest murder rate. More than half of the population lives in poverty and per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. • “Soccer War” is known as the armed conflict that occurred as a result of a military aggression of El Salvador against Honduras after a soccer match between the two countries in 1969. The real reason of the aggression was to contain the Salvadoran population pressure.

13. The country is comprised of thirty-one states and one Federal District. It follows a federal constitutional republic government, and elects a President each year. Mexico City sinks between 0.2 and 1.3 feet each year. The country is slowly sinking into the ocean, due to over extraction of ground water throughout the country. México Soccer is extremely popular in Mexico. The country even hosted the World Cup in 1970 and 1986. • A 95 mile long river flows underground beneath Mexico. The river flows through limestone caves and crevices that are below the Yucatan Peninsula. Mexico not only borders the United States, but it also shares borders on the east by Guatemala, Belize and the Gulf of Mexico. • Dia de losMuertos is a traditional Mexican holiday that celebrates and honors family and friends who have passed away. It is a national holiday, and people build altars to honor their friends and relatives and make sugar skulls and traditional foods to celebrate their passed relatives’ and friends’ lives. Celebrations are fun, upbeat and full of colors.

14. The infamous Dual Volcano is located in Nicaragua. It is the only volcano in the world that is fed by two different magma flows, meaning that it can erupt with two types of magma channels. • Religious freedom is a significant part of the Nicaraguan culture, and therefore the country does not have an official religion. Roman Catholicism is widely practiced. Nicaragua • Nicaragua’s economy has grown exponentially in recent years. Their economy is largely based on agriculture, manufacturing and mining, and has made them a driving force in Central America. • There are 70 protected regions of land and water in Nicaragua, which aid in saving many rare endangered species found in the country. These species include various monkeys, sloths, sea turtles and boa constrictors. • The name Nicaragua comes from the words nicarao and agua. Nicarao Indians were the first Indian tribes to occupy Lake Nicaragua, and the world agua means water in Spanish. When the Spaniards arrived in the country in the 1500s, they named it after the people they met and the vast amount of water in and around the country.

15. When Peruvians aren’t celebrating events with food and alcohol, they like to play sports. Soccer and volleyball are played throughout the country, and are often a part of traditional celebrations. • It is completely acceptable and normal in many areas of Peru to eat cat. Perú • The entire country is home to over 30 million people, making it the 40th largest country in the world by population alone. Its capital city Lima is home to 7.6 million inhabitants. • The World Bank has classified Peru as having an upper middle class income, and as being one of the fastest growing economies in the world. • Lake Titicaca is located in Southern Peru and is the highest navigable lake in the world, along with being the largest lake in South America. • Peru has numerous different climates. The western part of the country is full of coastal desserts and beaches, while the Andean mountains have a very cool and wintry climate. Peru also is home to numerous jungle regions which are tropical and humid.

16. Spain began using the Euro as its main form of currency in 1999 after it was first introduced into the European Union. All of the coins and paper notes didn’t begin circulating until 2002 though. Every year Spain holds the Running of the Bulls festival. The festival occurs on St. Fermin’s Day in July and over 1 million people attend it each year to see people run the streets with Spanish bulls. Spain • Spain’s divorce rate is very low, and only 5% of children in Spain are born to unmarried parents. • Spain has a very high living expense. People who live in Spain often spend more money on their living expenses than they do on education. • La Tomatina is a huge festival in Spain, and is considered to be the world’s largest food fight. It is held every August, and people throw over 150,000 tomatoes each year. • In Barcelona, Spain Portal de l’Angel is the most walked street, clocking in over 3500 people per hour.

17. Most Venezuelans do not own hot water heaters, and take cold showers each night. Bath tubs are also not very common. • “The Simpsons” television show is considered inappropriate in Venezuela and is banned from public television. Venezuela School children in Venezuela can choose between attending classes in the morning or the afternoon throughout their entire school career. Older children can even choose to take night classes if they wish. • In Eastern Venezuela, the Warao Indians live in thatched roof huts along the river. Their people have lived this way for over 100 years. • Venezuela runs under a federal presidential constitutional republic. Since their current constitution came into power in 1999, they have had the same President. Venezuela only has two weather seasons, the hot and dry season and the hot and wet season.

18. But we are different within our cultures !!!! We are all Latino/ Hispanic!!!!

19. Which term do you believe should be used to refer to Spanish people, Latino or Hispanic? Vote now!