1. Unit 8: Latin America & the Caribbean History and Culture

2. Photos of the Day

4. Aztecs Mayans Incas PYRAMIDS TIKAL MACHU PICHHU
Steep sides, flat top with temple
Spectacular Mayan city in Guatemala
Ancient Incan city

5. EUROPEAN INFLUENCES
In 1494, SPAIN and PORTUGAL signed a TREATY that divided control of SOUTH AMERICA.
Portugal gained the present-day territory of BRAZIL – it became Portugal’s largest COLONY

6. In the 1500s, Europeans arrived and CONQUERED the AZTECS and INCAS
Aztecs were conquered by HERNANDO CORTES and Spanish CONQUISTADORS in 1521
Incas were conquered by FRANCISCO PIZARRO in the early 1500s

7. By the 19th century, the Caribbean islands were claimed by FIVE different EUROPEAN nations:
SPAIN
FRANCE
GREAT BRITAIN
NETHERLANDS
DENMARK

8. When Europeans colonized Latin America and the Caribbean, they brought with them their:
1. LANGUAGE: mostly SPANISH & PORTUGUESE, but also ENGLISH, FRENCH, and DUTCH
*There are also hundreds of INDIGENEOUS languages
still spoken in Latin America today

9. 2. Religion: ROMAN CATHOLICISM
Dominant religion of MEXICO and CENTRAL AMERICA
BRAZIL has the LARGEST Catholic population in the world
Many beautiful CATHEDRALS can be found in Latin America

11. AFRICAN INFLUENCES
After establishing colonies, Europeans ENSLAVED native peoples in the CARIBBEAN and BRAZIL to work on SUGAR PLANTATIONS
After many natives DIED from DISEASE and MISTREATMENT, Europeans brought AFRICANS over the ATLANTIC OCEAN by force to REPLACE the natives → this began the ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

12. More Africans were brought to BRAZIL than to any other area in the Americas → an estimated 3.6 MILLION total (nine times as many brought to the English colonies)
By 1820, EIGHT TIMES as many Africans as Europeans had arrived in the Caribbean and SIX TIMES as many Africans as Europeans had arrived in Brazil.

13. SOCIAL
STRUCTURE
Eventually the NATIVES, EUROPEANS, and AFRICANS began to INTERMARRY. This led to a very rigid SOCIAL STRUCTURE
MESTIZO: Someone who is part NATIVE (Indian) and part EUROPEAN (Spanish)

14. MUSIC
REGGAE
(JAMAICA)
CALYPSO
(TRINIDAD)
STEEL DRUMS
(TRINIDAD)

15. TRADITIONAL DANCES MERENGUE → origins in Haiti and D.R.
BOLERO → Spanish in origin, adapted in Cuba
CHA-CHA → Cuban, derived from the mambo
MAMBO → Cuban, grew popular at end of WWII
MERENGUE → origins in Haiti and D.R.

16. SALSA → developed by Puerto Ricans in New York
SAMBA → native Brazilian dance
TANGO → originated in Argentina

17. FUTBOL
The game of FUTBOL (Spanish) or FUTEBOL (Portuguese) is played throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. In the United States the game is called SOCCER
PELE is one of the most famous soccer players in history. He scored 1,281 goals in his 22-year career.

18. FOOD
Caribbean meals often include SPICES, BEANS, RICE, FRUIT, and COCONUT MILK.
Popular Caribbean dishes include ARROZ con POLLO (chicken with rice), Jamaican JERK CHICKEN, and CURRIED GOAT STEW.

19. Ingredients in Mexican dishes include CORN, TOMATILLOS, FRIJOLES, and CHILES
Popular Mexican dishes are TACOS, ENCHILADAS, EMPANADAS,
and QUESADILLAS

20. ART & LITERATURE
DIEGO RIVERA
FRIDA KAHLO
GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

21. POPULATION & CITIES
Years of colonization led to a DISPARITY (GAP) of income DISTRIBUTION and contributed to an extreme DIVIDE between the RICH and those in POVERTY
In Latin America there is NOT a large MIDDLE CLASS

22. Part of the reason for the DISPARITY OF INCOME DISTRIBUTION is because a very SMALL % of the population owns MOST of the land in Latin America
Since most people do not own a lot of land, they can only grow enough food to survive on. This is known as SUBSISTENCE FARMING. In addition, some people in Mexico work on EJIDOS (COMMUNALLY OWNED and operated farms)

23. Latin America has been experiencing RAPID POPULATION GROWTH in recent years because of IMPROVED standards of living.
Because of the POVERTY in RURAL areas, people move to the CITIES to find JOBS and have a better life. People moving to cities is called URBANIZATION

24. Many of the islands in the Caribbean are densely populated
More than 85% of people in ARGENTINA, CHILE, and URUGUAY live in cities
The steady flow of people into cities has caused several MEGACITIES to form - a megacity has at least 10 MILLION people living there

25. BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
MEXICO CITY, Mexico
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina
SANTIAGO, Chile

26. One problem associated with these megacities is POLLUTION
One problem associated with these megacities is POLLUTION. Mexico City has a problem with SMOG because the city is surrounded by mountains which trap the polluted air.

27. Another major problem associated with Latin American megacities is that the INFRASTRUCTURE (systems that serve a city – communication, transportation, schools, etc.) cannot keep up with the growing populations.
This leads to people moving out of the cities, known as OUT-MIGRATION. They move to places called SQUATTER SETTLEMENTS.

28. Squatter settlements are called by several names:
- FAVELAS (Brazil)
- ranchos (Venezuala)
- barriadas (Peru)
- colonias letarias (Mexico)
A SQUATTER is a person who lives in these settlements because they cannot afford to buy land LEGALLY

29. Squatter settlements lack services and infrastructure such as CLEAN WATER, ELECTRICITY, SCHOOLS, and market places