Latin America & Caribbean For Your Quiz: You need to be able to label and identify each of the countries and their capital cities, the

additional cities listed (PLEASE label them on your maps!).

Political Features

Countries Mexico Cuba Bahamas Jamaica Dominican Republic Haiti Puerto Rica (U.S.) Guatemala Belize Honduras El Salvador Nicaragua Costa Rica Panama Colombia Venezuela Colombia Ecuador Peru Bolivia Chile Paraguay Uruguay Argentina Brazil Guyana Suriname

Political Features

Capital Cities Bogota Quito Lima La Paz Sucre Santiago Buenos Aries Asuncion Brasilia Georgetown Caracas Mexico City Havana Kingston San Jose Panama City San Salvador Guatemala City Belmopan Managua Nassau Santo Domingo Port-au-Prince San Juan

Other Cities Juarez Monterrey Guadalajara Durango Brasilia Sao Paulo Rio de Janeiro Belo Horizonte

Geography

Physical Features

Gulf of Mexico Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Caribbean Sea Archipelago of Tierra del Fuego Andes Mountains Amazon Rainforest Amazon River Amazon River Basin Brazilian Highlands Guiana Highlands Orinoco Rivers Orinoco River Basin Paraguay/Parana River Paraguay/Parana River Basin Llanos (grassland region) Atacama Desert Caribbean Reef Florida Keys Copper Canyon Lake Titicaca Straits of Magellan

Cultural Landscape Roman Catholic Churches Megacities Slums Town squares/plazas Archaeological/ancient ruins and temples Forts

OVERVIEW OF THE REGION (South American continent, Mexico, Brazil and Cuba)

MexicoHistory

The Olmec people, Mexico's first complex society, emerged in the southeastern part of the country around 1200 B.C. They were later followed by the Maya, the Toltec, and the Aztec peoples.

Mexico's ancient societies built great cities and huge pyramids, created remarkable works of art, and even studied the stars and planets to determine when to plant crops and hold ceremonies.

In the early 1500s, the Spanish arrived in Mexico. The Aztec people got sick from smallpox and other diseases that the Spanish brought with them. The Spaniards also seized and destroyed the Aztec capital, called Tenochtilán.

The Spanish ruled Mexico until 1821.

Government and Economy

Mexico is a country with great problems and great potential. It is rich in natural resources, like oil, silver, copper, and agricultural products. But political and economic failings have kept much of the population in poverty.

The Mexico-United States border is the largest economic divide on Earth. For many Mexicans, the best chance for a better life lies in the much more prosperous United States. Hundreds of thousands of Mexicans come to the U.S., legally and illegally, each year in search of work.

South America South America, the fourth-largest continent, extends from the Gulf of Darién in the northwest to the Tierra del Fuego

archipelago in the south. Along with the islands of Tierra del Fuego, the continent includes the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), Easter Island (Chile), the Falkland Islands (United Kingdom), and the Chiloé and Juan Fernández archipelagos (Chile).

South America and North America are named after Italiannavigator Amerigo Vespucci, who was the first European to suggest that the Americas were not part of the East Indies, but an entirely separate landmass. The portions of the landmass that lie south of the Isthmus of Panama became known as South America.

Today, South America is home to the citizens of Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

South America’s physical geography, environment andresources, and human geography can be considered separately. South America’s human landscape is deeply influenced by indigenous populations and their connection to the physical

environment. These deep relationships continue to flourish on the continent through celebration, religion, and political action.

Cultural GeographyHistoric Cultures

The historic cultures of South America developed in connection with distinct regional landscapes. The three principal regions of early development were the Pacific coast, suited to fishing and trading societies; the major rivers of the Amazon basin, with abundant water, plant, and animal resources; and the Andes, where mountains provided security.

The Incan Empire is the most well known indigenous culture of South America. The Inca Empire was established in 1438 in the Andean city of Cuzco, Peru. Over a period of 100 years, the empire expanded to include parts of present-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Argentina, and Colombia.

In order to communicate throughout this vast region, the Inca built an expansive network of roads. This network was made up of two main north-south roads, one running along the Pacific coast and another through the Andes. Many east-west roads connected the two. The Inca built forts, inns, food storage facilities, and signal towers along this impressive “foot highway.” These sites, and the highways that connected them, facilitated the Inca’s domination over most of the western part of the continent.

The importation of African slaves represented a major shift in the cultural landscape of South America. Most slaves were brought to Brazil. Their unique cultural practices were integrated with indigenous Indian beliefs as well as European rituals.

The religious practice of Candomblé, for example, is a uniquely Afro-Brazilian cultural tradition. Candomblé is a combination of traditional beliefs from the Yoruba, Fon, and Bantu cultures of Africa. Priests and other followers of these religions interacted with one another in large Brazilian slave communities. These faiths are polytheistic, meaning they honor many gods and goddesses. Slave owners and church leaders put slaves under intense pressure to convert to Catholicism, a monotheistic, or one-god, religion. Over time, the Candomblé faith incorporated parts of Christianity, such as saints and the display of crucifixes.

Other historic cultures of South America developed with the physical, as well as cultural, landscape. A distinct gaucho (or “cowboy”) culture developed in the Pampas, for instance. In the mid-18th century, gauchos hunted herds of wild horses

and cattle that roamed freely on the extensive grasslands. They then sold their hides and tallow—waxy fat used in making candles and soap—at a high price to European traders.

Much like the North American cowboy, the gaucho was praised as free-spirited, strong, and honest. A popular culture of songs, stories, and films developed around the gaucho image. Gaucho culture still persists, especially in Argentina and Uruguay, where gaucho dress, song, and food are used to evoke national pride.

Contemporary Cultures

South America’s rich history is explored by contemporary cultures. Organizations are reaching a broader global audience in order to spread social and political messages, and bring in revenue from tourism and investment.

Indigenous societies continue to have a strong presence in South America. COICA, the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, integrates nine organizations that represent each country of the Amazon region. COICA protects indigenous practices, focusing unsustainable use of resources. The group has worked on issues such as environmental legislation, cultural representation, and leadership training for indigenous peoples.

Religious practices remain the backbone of many South American cultures. While Catholicism dominates the continent, other spiritual beliefs have influenced both spiritual and secular activities.

The Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a festival held every year about 40 days before Easter, is an important example of a religious celebration that has been adopted by secular culture. It is both an important event in the Catholic calendar and one of the largest revenue generators in Rio.

The Rio Carnival is the largest carnival event in the world, attracting millions of Brazilian and foreign tourists. During Carnival season, hotel prices are often four times higher than average. Some tourists pay hundreds of dollars to participate in the parade.

Most participants, however, are Brazilian. The Rio Carnival incorporates two important social groups—samba schools and blocos. Samba schools are large social groups, often with thousands of members, which create elaborate floats and costumes for the Carnival parade. Blocos are smaller groups that often gather in neighborhoods to dance during Carnival festivities.

Political Geography Political geography is the internal and external relationships between governments and citizens. South America’s history

and development have been shaped by its political geography.

Historic Issues The European colonization of South America defined the continent’s early political geography. The Treaty of Tordesillas of

1494 granted Spain and Portugal the exclusive right to colonize all lands outside of Europe. The treaty also established a line of demarcation, which gave all land west of the line to Spain and all land east of the line to Portugal. Spain colonized the majority of South America and Portugal colonized present-day Brazil.

The dominance of the Spanish and Portuguese languages on the continent is a result of Catholic missionaries’ educational work. They also developed writing systems for native oral traditions such as Quechua, Nahuatl, and Guarani.

Marriages between European colonizers and native populations established the mestizo class. Mestizos are people of mixed indigenous and European ancestry. Today, mestizos make up large parts of the populations of many South American countries, such as Paraguay (95 percent), Ecuador (65 percent), and Colombia (58 percent).

Mestizos were at the heart of South America’s revolutionary movement. Inspired by the American and French Revolutions, mestizos fought in several wars of independence from 1806 to 1826. These wars and other regional conflicts established the relatively stable boundaries of South America’s present-day countries. Among the revolutionary leaders were the Venezuelan Simón Bolívar and the Argentinean José de San Martín. Bolívar and San Martín remain among the most recognized and respected figures in South American history.

South America has also suffered violent political transitions, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. These decades were defined by the Cold War, a global struggle between democratic Western nations and repressive nations with communist economies.

The successful Cuban revolution of 1959 brought communism to Cuba. The United States and other western nations feared that communism would spread throughout Latin America, which includes Central and South America and parts of the Caribbean. Communist leaders did, in fact, gain some power in South America during the 1960s. Hoping to destroy the communist presence, U.S.-backed military dictatorships overthrew the governments of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

These dictatorships detained tens of thousands ofpolitical prisoners. Many of them were tortured and killed. These nations’ current democratic governments continue to investigate the atrocities that occurred during the dictatorship era.

Contemporary Issues Today, South America’s political geography can be defined by a desire to reduce foreign influence. The nationalization and

privatization of industry, as well as the influence of indigenous groups, are the primary political issues affecting South America.

Nationalization is a type of ownership where the state controls an industry, as opposed to private companies. Some South American nations have nationalized industries, such as electricity or oil production, in order to encourage economic development.

Chile nationalized its copper mines in 1971, for instance. Before nationalization, large foreign companies controlled Chilean copper mines. Today, CODELCO, the National Copper Corporation of Chile, is the largest copper company in the world, with more than $12.1 billion worth of sales in 2009.

Two important leaders of the current trend of nationalization are Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and Bolivian President Evo Morales. Chávez enacted a Hydrocarbons Law in Venezuela, which took effect in 2002 and nationalized all oil production and distribution activities. Morales has nationalized the oil and natural gas industry of Bolivia. Morales also bought water distribution rights in the capital of La Paz from a private French company. Other leaders, such as Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, have threatened to nationalize industries if foreign companies do not respect the rights of the countries they are doing business in.

Many believe that nationalization has improved the lives of local populations, and the poor of Venezuela and Bolivia strongly support Chavez and Morales. Others argue that nationalization has worsened the quality of services and given too much control to the government. Chávez and Morales are well-known around the globe, seen as both popular leaders and power-hungry dictators.

Some South American countries have done the opposite of nationalization—they have privatized industries. In these countries, such as Brazil and Argentina, the government has sold industries to mostly foreign investors and companies.

Much like nationalization, privatization has had mixed results. Many industries are now more efficient producers of resources such as steel. Services such as water and sewage are also more reliable under private ownership. However, privatization has contributed to higher unemployment rates and increased the costs of goods and services.

Indigenous populations of South America have aimed to increase their local and global influence. In 2009, for instance, Bolivia passed an important new constitution. It guaranteed political representation of indigenous groups, recognizes their communal forms of property, and grants them the right to use indigenous justice systems. The Bolivian Education Ministry is expanding its native-language programs. President Morales, an Aymara Indian and the nation’s first indigenous president, has been central to the increased representation of Bolivia’s indigenous majority.

In 2006, two indigenous women, Hilaria Supa and María Sumire, became the first two people to be sworn into the Peruvian Congress using an indigenous language, Quechua. Their work to support the rights of indigenous people has led to the creation of many Quechua-language materials and media, including Quechua versions of the Google search page and the Microsoft Windows software system.

Future Issues Urbanization will define the human geography of South America in years to come. Latin America is the most urbanized of

the world’s developing regions. It is the only developing region with more poor people in cities than in rural areas. Individuals and families face increasing job insecurity, lower wages, and a reduction in social services such as electricity and water.

Urbanization and industrialization are also destroying the unique biomes of South America. The Amazon rain forest is being burned at a rate of one acre every second. Trees are harvested for the timber industry, while the plains of the rain forest are turned into ranches, farms, and towns. This development is increasing the amount of air and water pollution in the Amazon basin and elsewhere.

South America’s rural areas will suffer as more and more investment is made in the continent’s cities. In rural areas, poor people face the consequences of geographic isolation and limited public investment in education, health care, and housing. The continent’s poorest communities are indigenous populations in remote mountain areas in Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador.

Another important predictor of South America’s political and financial future is its efforts to minimize the effects of climate change.

The regulation or reduction of carbon emissions is perhaps the most important part of reducing global warming, the most recent period of climate change. As part of the 2009 international agreement known as the Copenhagen Accord, some South American countries agreed to reduce emissions. Brazil, a rising industrial power, agreed to reduce emissions by 36.1 percent by 2020. The oil-rich countries of Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador, however, have decided not to engage with the Copenhagen Accord.

In fact, Bolivian President Morales and Venezuelan President Chávez were some of the most vocal critics of the Copenhagen Accord. They argue that the agreement was drafted by a small group of powerful countries. They say developed countries such as the United States and those in the European Union already developed their industries and infrastructure in the 20th century, without concern for carbon emissions. The Copenhagen Accord, they say, is unfair to underdeveloped countries that would face the challenges of development with greater responsibilities.

BrazilGEOGRAPHY

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest nation in the world. It forms an enormous triangle on the

eastern side of the continent with a 4,500-mile (7,400-kilometer) coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It has borders with

every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.

The Brazilian landscape is very varied. It is most well known for its dense forests, including the Amazon, the world's largest

jungle, in the north. But there are also dry grasslands (called pampas), rugged hills, pine forests, sprawling wetlands,

immense plateaus, and a long coastal plain.

Northern Brazil is dominated by the Amazon River and the jungles that surround it. The Amazon is not one river but a

network of many hundreds of waterways. Its total length stretches 4,250 miles (6,840 kilometers), making it the longest

river on Earth. Thousands of species live in the river, including the infamous piranha and the boto, or pink river dolphin.

Southeastern Brazil was once completely covered with dense forest. Now it is the country's industrial capital, home to

Brazil's biggest cities: São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. It covers only 11 percent of the country but houses 43 percent of its

population.

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Most Brazilians are descended from three ethnic groups: Amerindians, European settlers (mainly from Portugal), and

Africans. Starting in the 19th century, waves of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, and even Japan added to this mix.

This diversity of cultures has created a rich religious, musical, and culinary culture.

Brazilians are soccer crazy, and their country has produced some of the best players. The most famous of all is Edson

Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé. Brazil has won the World Cup soccer finals five times, more than any other

nation, and is hosting the tournament this year.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

Brazil is a federal republic with a president, a National Congress, and a judiciary. From 1888 until recently, the country

struggled with democracy. But in 1985, the military government was peacefully removed, and by 1995, Brazil's politics and

economy had become fairly stable.

Brazil has many different soils and climates, so it can produce a great variety of crops. Its agricultural exports include

sugarcane, latex, coffee, cocoa beans, cotton, soybeans, rice, and tropical fruits.

Brazil is also South America's most industrial nation, producing chemicals, steel, aircraft, and cars.

HISTORY

Until recently, scientists thought Brazil was first settled by Asians about 10,000 years ago. But new evidence shows there

were people living there at least 32,000 years ago. Some experts think they may have arrived from islands in the Pacific

Ocean.

Brazil was added to the map of the world during the great European explorations in the late 15th century led by Portugal

and Spain. When Europeans first reached the coast of Brazil, the country was home to about 30 million indigenous people,

or Amerindians. Today, only about 300,000 remain, living primarily in Brazil's remotest places.

Portugal established its first colony in Brazil in 1530. Colonists created sugarcane plantations along the coast and sent

diamonds and gold back to Europe. Soon, people from West Africa were brought to Brazil to work as slaves. The discovery

of large inland gold reserves brought thousands of people from the coasts and as far away as Europe to the interior of the

country.

In 1789, Brazilians tried to kick out their Portuguese rulers. The rebellion was soon put down, but it started a movement

toward independence. By 1822, Brazil was a sovereign nation. Kings of Portuguese blood ruled until 1888, when military

leaders and landowners expelled the king, and Brazil became a federal republic.

CubaGEOGRAPHY

Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean Sea. Cuba and its neighbors form the Greater Antilles, a chain of islands created

millions of years ago when two of Earth's tectonic plates collided.

Cuba is a long and narrow island. It stretches 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from east to west, but is only 60 miles (100

kilometers) wide in most places.

High mountains and rolling hills cover about one-third of Cuba. The other two-thirds of the island are lowland plains used

mainly for farming.

PEOPLE & CULTURE

The mixture of native, African, and European influences in Cuba gives this island a lively culture that is known around the

world. The introduction of communism to the country in 1959 has had a big impact on the people, both positive and

negative.

Cuba's history is reflected in its food, language, art, and, most of all, its music. All year round, it seems as if bands are

everywhere in Havana. The main musical form is called son, which combines lively rhythms with classical guitar.

Unlike most countries in Latin America, Cuba's favorite sport is not soccer. It's baseball! Baseball came to Cuba from the

United States in the 1860s. Many international baseball stars have come from Cuba, and the Cuban national team is one of

the best in the world.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

Cuba is a socialist state run by the Cuban Communist Party. Cubans vote for their leaders, but the communist party is the

only legal party. Fidel Castro was president, prime minister, and commander of the armed forces until February 2008, when

he stepped down due to a lengthy illness.

The United States has been hostile toward Cuba since the communists took power. Cuba had close ties to Russia until 1991,

when the Soviet Union broke up. The breakup caused an economic crisis in Cuba, which had relied on financial help from

Russia.

HISTORY

Cuba's original inhabitants were the Ciboney and Guanahatabey people. About a thousand years ago, the Taino people

from Venezuela took over the island. In 1511, forces from Spain defeated the Taino and claimed the island as a Spanish

territory.

The Spanish forced many of the Taino people into slave labor. Most died from overwork and from diseases brought by the

Europeans. Hundreds of thousands of African slaves were then brought to Cuba, mainly to plant and harvest sugarcane.

American forces helped drive the Spanish out of Cuba in 1898, and by 1902, Cuba had won independence. But the United

States had a strong influence over the island. In 1959, communist revolutionaries, led by Fidel Castro, took control.

Map 1: the CaribbeanDirections: Please label the countries of the Caribbean and their capital cities. If their capital city is not labeled on the map, please draw it in on the map.

Map 2: Central AmericaDirections: Please label the countries of Central America and their capital cities. If their capital city is not labeled on the map, please draw it in on the map.

Map 2: Central AmericaDirections: Please label the countries of Central America and their capital cities. If their capital city is not labeled on the map, please draw it in on the map.

Map 3: MexicoDirections: Please label Mexico the Mexican Cities listed on the front page. If the city is not identified on the map, please draw it in on the map.

Map 4: South America Directions: Please each South American country and their capital cities. Also label other important cities as listed on the first