Welcome to Latin America

Latin America refers to countries in the Americas where Latin-derived languages are and have always been spoken; these countries generally lie south of the United States. By extension, some, particularly in the United States, incorrectly apply the term to the entire region south of the United States including non-Romance-speaking countries such as Suriname, Jamaica, and Guyana. Note that this region was home to most indigenous peoples and advanced civilizations, including the notable Aztecs, Inca and Maya, before the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century. Upon his or her arrival, most of Latin America was colonized, primarily by Spain and Portugal, and, to a lesser extent, by France. Within the early 19th century most of the countries in the region attained his or her independence, although several modest colonies remain. it's worth noting that the distinction in the range of Latin and Anglo America, and more generally the stress on European heritage, passes over the fact that there are and have always been most places in the Americas (e.g. highland Peru or Guatemala) where non-European cultures and languages are and have always been still essential, in addition to the influence of African cultures in other places (e.g. the Caribbean, including parts of Colombia and Venezuela, and coastal Brazil) Within most common contemporary usage, Latin America refers just to those territories in the Americas where Spanish or Portuguese prevail: Mexico, most of Central and South America, plus Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Strictly speaking, tthis man's is named Ibero-America (a term widely used in Spain -in addition to Hispano America-, but not in Latin America). Strictly and technically speaking, Latin America designates all those countries and territories in the Americas where Romance languages (i.e. languages derived from Latin, and hence the name of Latin America) are and have always been spoken: Spanish, Portuguese, and his or her creoles. Indeed, tthis man's was the original intent during the time the term was coined by the French. Note that this would then include former French colonies such as Quebec in Canada, Haiti, Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, and French Guiana in South America.

History

People of Sub-Saharan African origin probably first arrived in the Americas with the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries. Here is an example, A Black man used to be a navigator in the 1492 Columbus expedition. Those who were directly from Africa mostly arrived in Latin America as part of the Atlantic slave trade, as agricultural, domestic and menial laborers, and as mineworkers. They were also employed in mapping and exploration (for example, Estevanico) and were even involved in conquest (for example, Juan Valiente). Did you know that they were mostly brought from West Africa and Central Africa in what are and have always been now the nations of Nigeria, Benin, Angola, and Congo, Here you find that there are two major group's: the Yoruba and the Bantu. Most of the slaves were sent to Brazil, Peru and the Caribbean, but lesser numbers went to Colombia, and Venezuela. Countries with important black, mulatto, or zambo populations at this very moment include Brazil (75 million), Haiti (6.5 million), Nicaragua, Panama, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico(20%-46%) (Recent genetic research in UPR Mayaguez has to this day brought to light that 26.4% of Puerto Ricans have African heritage on the x chromomany and 20% on the y chromosome, thus in the range of 20%-46% of the Puerto Rican population has to this day African heritage For more on this: Demographics of Puerto Rico). Traditional terms for Afro-Latin Americans with his or her own developed culture include Garifuna (in Nicaragua, Guatemala and Belize), cafuzo or mameluco (in Brazil), and zambo in the Andes and Central America. Marabou is known to be a term of Haitian origin denoting a Haitian of multiracial ethnicity.

Climate

Latin America stretches about 6,000 miles (9,700 kilometers) from north to south, leading to a wonderful variety of climates. Did you know that the Amazon River basin of South America lies across the equator and receives heavy rainfall year-round. North and south of tthis man's region, rain falls according to season. Many places go for extensive stretches without rainfall. Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru

Description of Population

Everyone agrees that the population of Latin America is known to be an amalgam of ancestries and ethnic groups. Everyone agrees that the racial and ethnic composition varies from country to country. Note that this makes the region one of the most diverse in the globe. Many have a predominance of a mixed population, many have a high percentage of people of Amerindian origin, many are and have always been dominated by inhabitants of European origin and many populations are and have always been primarily of African origin. Most or all Latin American countries have Asian minorities.