Understanding Latin America's Cultural Geography

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2. The Cultural Geography of Latin America Chapter Focus Section 1Population Patterns Section 2History and Government Section 3Cultures and Lifestyles Chapter Assessment Click on a hyperlink to go to the corresponding content area. Press the ESC (escape) key at any time to exit the presentation. Contents

3. Carnival, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Chapter Focus Introduction

4. Geographic Setting More than 70 percent of the people of Latin America live in urban areas. Geographic Setting

5. Chapter Objectives • Understandthat the people of Latin America represent diverse ethnic groups. • Recognize that Latin American countries were once European colonies.  • Explain how Roman Catholicism has influenced Latin American culture. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Chapter Objectives

6. Geographic Themes • Section 1 Population PatternsREGION The people of Latin America represent diverse ethnic groups, with more than one-half being of mixed ethnic heritage.  • Section 2 History and Government MOVEMENT Latin American countries were once European colonies.  • Section 3 Cultures and Lifestyles PLACE Roman Catholicism has influenced Latin American culture. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Geographic Themes

7. End of Chapter Focus

8. Population Patterns Read to Discover… • the ethnic diversity of Latin America.  • the population density and distribution in Latin America.  • the urbanization of Latin America.  Key Termsmestizos, mulatto, dialect, primate city Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides. Section 1-1a

9. Population Patterns Identify and LocateMexico, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, El Salvador, Dominican Republic, Caracas, Santiago, Patagonia, Mexican Plateau, Barbados, Bahamas, Suriname, Mexico City, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Montevideo Section Objectives 1. Appreciate the ethnic diversity of Latin America.  2. Examine population density and distribution in Latin America.  3. Discuss the urbanization of Latin America. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides. Section 1-1b

10. Introduction • While Latin Americans have diverse backgrounds, common threads bind the people into a single culture region. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-2

11. MOVEMENT Human Characteristics • The approximately 500 million people who live in Latin America have different backgrounds and are members of various ethnic groups, including…  • Native Americans.  • Europeans.  • Africans.  • Asians.  • mixtures of these groups. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-3

12. Ethnic Diversity • Native Americans were the first to settle present-day Latin America. These great civilizations included…  • the Aztec of Mexico.  • the Maya of the Yucatán Peninsula and surrounding areas of Central America.  • the Inca of the highlands of Peru.  • Even though other groups conquered and settled in the region, many Native American cultural characteristics still remain. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-4

13. Ethnic Diversity (cont.) • Today most Native Americans in Latin America live in isolated villages in Mexico, Central America, and the Andes area of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.  • The Native Americans continue to practice the traditional ways of their ancestors, working to preserve their own cultures.  • Europeans first arrived in present-day Latin America in the late 1400s.  • Early European settlers were mostly Spanish and Portuguese. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-5

14. Ethnic Diversity (cont.) • Many other groups came as well, including Italians, British, French, and Germans.  • Africans first came in the 1500s as enslaved people, forcibly brought by the Europeans to work the plantations in Brazil and the Caribbean Islands.  • Asians first settled Latin America during the 1800s, arriving voluntarily, to work the plantations. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-6

15. Chart Supplement 1.1

16. A Blending of Peoples • The blending of peoples can be seen throughout Latin America.  • In some countries, such as Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador, mestizos– people of mixed Native American and European descent–make up the biggest part of the population.  • In other countries, such as Cuba and the Dominican Republic, mulattoes– people of mixed African and European descent–form a large percentage of the population. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-7

17. Language • Most of the countries of Latin America adopted the languages of the countries that colonized them.  • Brazil’s language is Portuguese.  • Haiti’s and Martinique’s language is French.  • Jamaica’s and Guyana’s language is English.  • Today Spanish is the official language of most of the countries of Latin America. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-8

18. Language (cont.) • Each nation also has its own dialects, forms of a language peculiar to a particular place or group, changed by the addition of certain Native American words.  • Millions of Latin Americans speak Native American languages such as Quechua, Guaraní, and Mayan. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-9

19. Map Supplement 1.1

20. REGION Population Density and Distribution • The people of Latin America are not evenly distributed across the region. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-10

21. Population Distribution • Much of Latin America is not densely populated, with most Latin Americans living on only one-third of the land.  • Latin Americansare clustered around the coasts of South America and in a broad strip of land that reaches south from central Mexico into Central America.  • More than 66 percent of Latin Americans live in South America, most in or around cities on or near the coast. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-11

22. Population Distribution (cont.) • Geographers often divide “the populated rim of South America” into two major parts:  • The larger is along the eastern edge of South America–from the mouth of the Amazon River in Brazil to the grasslands around Buenos Aires, Argentina.  • The smaller is along the coast and in the Andes, stretching along the western side of South America from Caracas, Venezuela, to Santiago, Chile. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-12

23. Population Distribution (cont.) • The next largest number of Latin Americans live in Middle America, mostly in the Mexican Plateau and along the Pacific coast of Central America, largely in the highlands. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-13

24. Population Density • Population density varies greatly in Latin America.  • Mexico is the most populated Spanish-speaking nation in the world.  • After Brazil, Mexico is the second most heavily populated country in Latin America.  • Suriname is the most sparsely populated country. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-14

25. Population Density (cont.) • Caribbean countries are small, have high birth rates, and have areas that are unsuitable for settlement or for farming. These factors lead to a very high population density.  • In South America, population densities are relatively low.  • In most Latin American countries, population density varies by region.  • In most of the island countries of the Caribbean, however, people tend to be more evenly distributed. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-15

26. MOVEMENT Urbanization • In the past most Latin Americans lived in the countryside and worked the land.  • Now most live in urban areas. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-16

27. One-Way Migration • Living conditions are so poor in much of rural Latin America that Latin Americans migrate to the cities to find…  • a better education.  • higher-paying jobs.  • broader markets.  • decent health care.  • The inability to read and write and lack of necessary skills leaves most unable to qualify for the jobs. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-17

28. One-Way Migration (cont.) • The urban population explosion has brought problems, including…  • a lack of resources to meet the needs of the people.  • people with little or no money.  • slums and shantytowns. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-18

29. The Cities • As a result of people moving to the cities, today most Latin American nations are urbanized.  • Four cities in the region rank among the 15 largest urban areas in the world:  • Mexico City, Mexico  • São Paulo, Brazil  • Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  • Buenos Aires, Argentina Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-19

30. The Cities (cont.) • Many Latin American cities have become primate cities, cities with a concentrated urban population that dominates the economy, culture, and government.  • Some of the fastest-growing cities in the world are in Latin America.  • Mexico City, the nation’s capital, functions as Mexico’s leading business, industrial, and cultural center.  • Mexico City also is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 1-20

31. In what two general areas do most Latin Americans live? Most Latin Americans live in a broad strip of land that reaches south from central Mexico well into Central America and around the coasts of South America. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Section 1-Assessment 1

32. Latin America has been called the “melting pot of the Western Hemisphere.” What reasons can you give for this? Ethnic diversity and intermarriage in the region have resulted in Latin America becoming a “melting pot.” Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. Section 1-Assessment 2

33. End of Section 1

34. History and Government Read to Discover… • the native American civilizations of Latin America.  • the European empires of Latin America.  • the status of modern government in Latin America.  Key Termschinampas, quipu, conquistador, viceroy, fazenda, caudillo Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides. Section 2-1a

35. History and Government Identify and LocateYucatán Peninsula, Lake Texcoco, Tenochtitlán, Cuzco, Ecuador, Chile, Lima, Brazil, Haiti, Mexico, Cuba  Section Objectives 1. Locate Native American civilizations of Latin America.  2. Describe European empires of Latin America.  3. Discussmodern government in Latin America. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Additional lecture notes appear on the following slides. Section 2-1b

36. Introduction • Latin America’s past includes Native American civilizations, European colonial empires, and struggles for independence. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-2

37. REGION Native American Empires • Native Americans came to the Western Hemisphere thousands of years ago, probably across the Bering Strait.  • Years before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492, three Native American civilizations emerged:  • the Maya  • the Aztec  • the Inca Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-3

38. The Maya • The Maya created an empire in Central America and southern Mexico, building many cities, temples, terraces, and courts.  • Priests and nobles ruled the cities and surrounding areas.  • The Maya economy was based on trade and agriculture.  • The Maya used a number system based on 20, developed a symbol for zero, and created a calendar based on the earth’s orbit of a little more than 365 days. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-4

39. The Aztec • The Aztec were originally wanderers.  • In the 1300s they built a permanent capital city, called Tenochtitlán, on an island in the center of a large lake.  • Farmers grew crops of beans and maize on chinampas, floating artificial islands.  • An emperor headed the complex Aztec political system.  • The Aztec worshiped gods and goddesses and held ceremonies to win the deities’ favor and guarantee good harvests. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-5

40. The Inca • At the same time, the Inca were establishing an empire that stretched along the Andes from Ecuador to Chile.  • The Inca built their capital, Cuzco, in Peru and ruled their lands through an emperor.  • Incan farmers cut terraces into the slopes of the Andes, built irrigation systems, and domesticated animals.  • The Inca had no written language but kept records and sent messages using a quipu, a rope with knotted cords of various lengths and colors. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-6

41. Map Supplement 2.1

42. MOVEMENT European Empires • In the late 1400s, when European explorers set out to find new trade routes to Asia, the explorers reached the Americas.  • Spain and Portugal vied for land in the Americas.  • To avoid conflicts, the Pope drew an imaginary line, the Line of Demarcation, that ran from the North Pole to the South Pole, to split up the territory. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-7

43. Map Supplement 2.2

44. Spanish Conquests • The European search for trade routes eventually turned into a search for riches and for opportunities to convert Native Americans to Christianity.  • Spanish conquistadors, or conquerors, overpowered the Aztec and Inca empires, seizing their wealth for Spain.  • Spain established colonies from Mexico to Bolivia, mining gold and silver. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-8

45. Spanish Conquests (cont.) • The Spaniards set up plantations, farms, and huge cattle ranches.  • Initially, the Spaniards used Native Americans to work the plantations.  • When hundreds of thousands of Native Americans died from enslavement conditions and European diseases, the Spaniards brought in enslaved Africans.  • Viceroys from distant Spain governed the colonies, resulting in a strict social structure with Europeans at the top and Native Americans and Africans at the bottom. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-9

46. The Portuguese and Brazil • The Portuguese had claimed Brazilas early as 1500.  • The land had brazilwood–a tree from which red dyes could be made–andwas good for raising livestock.  • On the coastal lowlands, the Portuguese built sugar plantations called fazendas.  • The Portuguese relied on enslaved Native Americans and later Africans to work the plantations. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-10

47. Independence • Beginning in the late 1700s, many people in Latin America began to resent European rule.  • Haiti was the first Latin American country to rid itself of French rule in 1804.  • In 1824 Mexico became the first Spanish-ruled nation in Latin America to gain freedom.  • By the mid-1800s most Latin American countries had gained independence. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-11

48. Independence (cont.) • Only one nation, Brazil, became independent without revolution, choosing monarchy, rule by a king or queen, as its government.  • With the exception of Haiti, independence took longer for the islands of the Caribbean.  • Many of these islands did not gain their independence until well into the 1900s. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-12

49. REGION Dictatorships and Democracies • Wars of independence created political and economic confusion in Latin America countries.  • Leaders of the newly independent countries wanted to build stable governments and prosperous economies.  • The huge size of many of the new countries and such physical barriers as mountains and dense rain forests made communications and trade difficult. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-13

50. Power of the Strong • New leaders, known as caudillos, or “strong men,” promised to solve Latin America’s problems.  • Almost all caudillos were military rulers ruling as dictators and supported by wealthy landowners.  • In the later 1800s and early 1900s, caudillos ruled as dictators in many Latin American countries. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Section 2-14