2. Notes Chapter 9 Cultural Geography of Latin America Human Characteristics: Latin America has a population of 525 million people, roughly 9% of the world’s population. Diversity in the population: Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Asians, and mixtures of these groups. Various Ethnic Groups: Have created distinct cultures in each region, while some indigenous cultures are the ways they have been for centuries.

3. Indigenous Peoples Maya: The Mayan civilization was found in the Yucatan Peninsula and parts of Guatemala.

4. Aztec: The Aztec were found in the Valley of Mexico.

5. Inca: The Inca were found in the highlands of Peru

6. Large Native Population: Mexico, Central America, Andes Region There are still descendants of the natives in L. America today. Many have worked to keep their traditions alive while adopting features of other cultures European Immigration European immigration began in the late 1400’s. Since then millions of European immigrants have come, most from Spain and Portugal, but others as well including Britain, France Germany, and Italy. African Descent Africans were brought to Latin America as slaves in the 1500’s to work on plantations in Brazil and the Caribbean islands. African culture influenced the region in food, music, art and religion. Asians: Asians began to settle in the region during the 1800’s as temporary workers. Many settled there. Guyana has people of S. and SE Asian Descent. There are Chinese immigrants in Mexico and Cuba. And there are Japanese communities in Brazil and. Peru.

7. Cultural Blending There has been a blending of the many cultures of Latin America over the centuries. In Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador people of mixed native and European descent (Mestizo) make up the largest part of the population. In the Caribbean people of Mixed African and European descent (Mulatto) make up a large percentage of the population. In Haiti a blending of W. African religion and Roman Catholicism led to the creation of a new religion, Voodoo.

8. Language European Languages Spanish: Primary language of most L. American countries. Portuguese: Brazil French: Haiti and Martinique English: Jamaica, Belize, and Guyana. Dialects: Each country has developed its own dialect, or different form of a language. Meanings of words, or even words themselves, can differ from region to region. Native Languages Many people speak languages which have been spoken by native populations for centuries. Nahuatl: Aztec family of languages Bilingual: Many L. Americans speak two languages, often their native language and a European language. Patois: Dialects the blend indigenous, European Africa, and Asian languages.

9. Where Latin Americans Live High Population Growth: The region’s population is expected to reach about 800 million by the year 2050, increasing 55%. Influence of Environment on Population Distribution Varied climates and landscapes influence where people live. Physical barriers limit areas where people can live, the population only lives on about 1/3 of the land. Coastal Areas Most Densely Populated. Populated Rim Most people live along the Coast in S. America Most other people live in valleys or plains.

10. Brazil: Capital Relocation In 1960 the government of Brazil relocated its capital city from Rio de Janeiro to Brasília. This was a way to make people move away from the over- populated coastal area to inland areas.

11. Caracas and Santiago Capitals of Venezuela and Chile Densely populated coastal areas. Exceptions E. Coast between the Amazon's mouth and Caracas, sparsely populated and Patagonia is sparsely populated. Population Density Area vs. Population Density The population of this region is unevenly distributed. The size of a country can throw off the numbers for population density, one has to factor in distribution. Climate and Population Density: Affects Population Den. and Dist. Uneven Population Distribution: Prevalent

12. Migration Migrating North: Many people in Latin America migrate in search of a better life. Immigrants from L. America live in every US state, with large numbers in CA, TX, NY, IL, FL, and Virginia. This has changed the culture of the US. Push Factors: Things that make people want to leave a country. Civil War Lack of Economic Opportunity Personal and Religious Persecution Lack of Political Freedom Pull Factors: Things that make people want to enter a country. Peace Economic Opportunity Educational Opportunity Freedom Family Ties

13. Internal Migration: Movement of people within L. America. Urbanization People are moving from rural to urban areas because of better job opportunities. A lot of this is due to lack of fertile farmland. Rapid organization causes many problems in already crowded urban areas. Urban Setting Mega cities: cities with more than 10 million people. Mexico City: 18 million people Primate City: Urban area that dominates it country’s economy, culture, and political affairs. Includes Caracas, Venezuela Montevideo, Uruguay Santiago, Chile Buenos Aires, Argentina, And Havana, Cuba.

14. Urban Challenges Rapid urbanization often exceeds the capacity of cities to provide services. People arrive and find there are not the jobs and housing that they hoped for. These poor areas lack water and sanitation. Shantytowns often develop outside of major cities.

15. The Panama Canal Construction began in 1904 and was finished in 1914 The canal connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans enabling ships to pass through the canal instead of having to sail all the way around South America. The canal was owned by the United States, but ownership of the canal passed back to Panama in 1999.

16. Section 2: History and Government Native American Empires Several native empires flourished prior to European colonization These included: Aztec: Valley of Mexico Capital city of Tenochtitlan, island was built on man made islands called chinampas.

17. Maya Found in Mexico and Central America. Great cities such as Tikal. Where skilled in math, they developed calendars and predicted solar eclipses. They developed their own hieroglyphic writing system. Abandoned their cities, we don’t know why.

18. The Inca Capital city of Cuzco, in what is now Peru Built great temples and cities, Built 20,000 miles of roads to unite their empire. Domesticated the alpaca and llama. Used quipu, a series of knot-tied cords to record records.

19. Empires to Nations European Conquest: European explored and colonized much of Latin America. Conquistador: A Spanish Conqueror. The two most famous were Hernán Cortéz who defeated the Aztec in 1521 and Francisco Pizarro who destroyed the Inca Empire in 1535. Viceroys European colonies sprung up throughout Latin America. In Spanish-ruled territories they set up political system under officials appointed by the kings, these were called Viceroys. Catholic Influence The Roman Catholic church became the unifying force for the region. Missionaries converted the natives and forced them to give up their native religions.

20. Colonial Economies Exploitation of Gold and Silver (God, Gold, and Glory) Wood Cash Crops: Coffee, Bananas, and Sugar Cane. Used natives to work the land. Smallpox killed off a large percentage of the native population. African slaves were imported to replace the devastated native population.

21. Gaining Independence In the late 1700’s resentment to European rule increased. Many colonies wanted self-rule First country to gain independence was Haiti, led by Francois Toussaint-Louverture, a solder of enslaved parents. Mexico was the first Spanish-ruled country to win independence, led by a priest Father Miguel Hidalgo, it became independent, finally, in 1821. By the mid-1800’s most countries had achieved independence through revolution of some sort. The Caribbean islands were the last to gain independence.

22. Simon Bolivar leader of several independence movements throughout South America, collectively known as Bolívar's War. Credited with leading the fight for independence in what are now the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Panama, and Bolivia, he is referred as a hero in these countries and throughout much of the rest of Hispanic America. Bolívar is known as "El Libertador", The Liberator

23. José Francisco de San Martín Matorras, commonly known as José de San Martín Led forces across the Andes helping to win independence for Chile and Peru.

24. Era of Dictatorships Caudillo After gaining independence, many of the countries in this region were politically unstable. Political power often stayed in the hands of the upper class. Written constitutions were ignored, and there were revolts, with the military forced to keep order. Military dictators, or caudillos, became the absolute rulers. Movements for Change Civil Unrest: During the 1900’s there were many political, social and economic changes as European rule declined. Middle classes emerged, but in rural areas progress was limited.

25. In Cuba in 1959 there was a Communist revolution led by Fidel Castro. Many countries in Central America experienced civil war in the 1980’s including Nicaragua and El Salvador. The civil war in El Salvador lasted from 1980 to 1992 and killed 75,000 people. There were many socialist movements which wanted land reform for the poor. The United States was against these movements and intervened in several nations’ civil wars.

26. Section 3: Cultures and Lifestyles Religion: Religion plays an important role in the lives of many people in this region. Most people are Christian, but other religions here include Native beliefs, African religions, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and some Judaism. Roman Catholicism: Most Christians in Latin America are Roman Catholic. Catholicism was brought over by European conquerors and many natives were forced to convert to the religion. Church officials played a role in political affairs in the region, many backed the upper class. During the late 1900’s the church began to work more for land reform and helping the poor.

27. Protestantism Various Protestant groups settled with the British and Dutch. In the late 1900’s it grew quickly, it gave lay people a role in religious life and was more personal than the Catholic Church. Mixed Religions Syncretism: A blending of beliefs and practices from different religions into a single faith. Some worship at church on Sunday, but follow indigenous practices during the week. Voodoo (Condomblé/Santería) A blending of West African religion and the Catholic faith. This religion has a negative reputation, but is not evil. It believes in the honoring of spirits in nature and veneration of ancestors.

28. The Arts Native Art forms Weaving, woodcarving, pottery and metalwork.

29. Murals and Mosaics Were often used to decorate native ceremonial buildings.

30. Modern Art Diego Rivera Mexican artist who focused on murals that illustrated Mexico’s history, especially the struggles of the poor. Seller of Flowers Girl with Pink Dress

31. Flower Seller The Quarry Worker

32. Liberation of the Peon

33. Teatro Insurgentes

34. Frida Kahlo: was a Mexican painter who depicted the indigenous culture of her country in a style An active communist supporter, she was the wife of Mexican painter Diego Rivera. Frida was in a severe accident as a child and suffered long-term pain and reproductive damage. She often expressed this pain through her art. She is famous for her unusual self- portraits.

35. Self-Portrait at the Border Between Mexico and the United States 1932

38. Other art forms Music: Brazilian Samba, Cuban Salsa, and Mexican Mariachi Reggae and Calypso in the Caribbean Steel Drum Bands

39. Everyday Life Family: Very important in this region Extended Family: Several generations living together. Compadres, or godparents play an important role in family life, they sponsor new babies and are responsible for the religious and moral upbringing of their child. Machismo Spanish and Portuguese tradition of male supremacy. Changing role of women More women are making advances in public life and education. Mireya Elisa Moscoso Rodríguez de Arias was the President of Panama from 1999 to 2004

40. Education and Health Care Uneven educational opportunities Urban areas have better educational systems than rural areas. Lack of money for supplies can cause people to have to leave school, many children must drop out to work and help support their families. Health care and standard of living There is a wide gap between rich and poor. Some countries have good health care, and some do not. Haiti is very poor, and has low life expectancy.

41. Sports and Leisure Fútbol: Soccer, is the national sport in many countries. Baseball is popular in some areas. Jai alai game like handball, played with ball and long basket strapped to the wrist. Popular in Mexico and Cuba.

42. Carnival Celebrates the week before the start of Lent. Rio de Janeiro is home to one of the biggest Carnival celebrations in the world.