What geographic areas does music of Latin America refer to?

Festival of San Juan, Bolivia. Latin America is a cultural fusion of Amerindian, African and European traditions.

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What is 'Latin America'?

The words 'Latin America' are used to draw the grouping of 21 countries (listed below) in the American continent where Latin languages are spoken. These countries are all located south of the US-Mexico edge, starting with Mexico in Due north America, extending through Central America and parts of the Caribbean and downward into the southernmost tip of S America - the region known as Tierra del Fuego.

Latin America shares elements of historical experience, language and culture. This group of countries take more in common with each other, in many respects, than they do with Canada and the United states of america.

Having said that, Latin America is also a wonderfully various group of countries, too equally a growing political and economic force. This region deserves to be defined on its own terms, beyond dismissive stereotypes, rather than being known simply as the less-well known neighbour of the USA. I hope this brief guide will offer a positive introduction to the varied landscapes, peoples and cultures of Latin America.

The Incas of Latin America has an advanced civilization in the 14th and 15th century.

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Countries

There are 21 primary countries in Latin America, if you become by the definition that information technology is the region of the Americas where Latin languages are spoken. These languages are Spanish, Portuguese and French - office of the legacy of the colonization of the continent by European powers starting in the 16th century.

I have not included the smaller Caribbean island nations every bit they speak a variety of European languages including English and Dutch. I have also left out Belize and Guyana because although they are located in the same region, they were colonised by Uk in the past and they are English language-speaking counties.

Listing of Countries in Latin America

State	CAPITAL City	Principal LANGUAGE SPOKEN
Argentina	Buenos Aires	Spanish
Bolivia	La Paz and / or Sucre	Spanish, also Quechua, Aymara
Brazil	Brasília	Portuguese
Chile	Santiago	Spanish
Republic of colombia	Bogotá	Spanish
Republic of costa rica	San José	Spanish
Cuba	Havana	Spanish
Dominican Republic	Santo Domingo	Spanish
Ecuador	Quito	Spanish
El Salvador	San Salvador	Spanish
Guatemala	Republic of guatemala City	Spanish
French Guyana	Cayenne	French
Haiti	Port-au-Prince	French
Honduras	Tegucigalpa	Spanish
Mexico	Mexico Metropolis	Spanish
Nicaragua	Managua	Spanish
Panama	Panama Metropolis	Spanish
Paraguay	Asunción	Spanish
Peru	Lima	Castilian, also Quechua, Aymara
Puerto Rico	San Juan	Castilian
Uruguay	Montevideo	Spanish
Venzuela	Caracas	Castilian

Latin America stretches from Mexico due south to Chile

The Snow-capped Andes are a world away from the Amazon basin.

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The rainforests of S and Central America are habitation to a wide range of colourful wildlife such every bit this Macaw.

Geography and Climate

Latin America encompasses a vast and very diverse surface area of the world. The main natural features of the region include the pampa grasslands of the southern cone, the Andean mountain range, the Amazonian rainforest, the forests and volcanoes of Central America and some of the tropical islands of the Caribbean.

South America has three main habitats - the high mountain range of the Andes, the lush Amazon rainforests and the dry out grasslands of the 'cono sur'.

The Andes mountains stretch from Chile due north into Bolivia, Peru, Republic of ecuador, and southern Colombia. The Andes have many snow-capped peaks reaching over 6,000 metres above sea-level, and are also home to glaciers and active volcanoes. It is a dry, cold climate, difficult to survive though many indigenous people manage to live there in very humble circumstances, supported by the farming of llamas and guinea pigs, and by the cultivation of hardy crops such as quinoa, potatoes and peanuts.

The Amazon river basin covers much of the eye of South America, and is the earth's largest and most significant rainforest, covering an area of most two.5 million foursquare miles. The climate here is hot and humid, supporting lush forest and a vast array of exotic wild animals. Scientists have catalogued:

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Many medical scientists promise that a cure for cancer will be found among the Amazon's as however undiscovered plants, but this is endangered equally a growing number of settlers are cutting their way into the rainforest and establishing farms where wood once grew. This practice is particularly prevalent in and Brazil.

The grasslands of the Cono Sur are known as the 'pampa' and have a libation climate. This region dominates much of southern Argentina and Chile and is platonic for the raising of cattle. Thus Argentinian beef is exported effectually the world. The cattle-herds who work in this area, mainly travelling on horseback, are known as 'gauchos' and live a semi-nomadic existence.

Key America and Mexico tends to have a hot climate except in mount areas which are typically cooler. In that location are significant bodies of rainforest, specially in the east of the region. In that location are likewise the rarer but ecologically very important cloud forests - a cooler mountain forest - in Panama and Costa Rica. Again many rare and exotic plants and animals alive in this region. There are also many agile volcanoes in the surface area - Nicaragua having the greatest number.

The Caribbean is a grouping of tropical islands. Many accept beautiful sandy beaches and attract large numbers of tourists every twelvemonth. Unfortunately this has had some negative effects especailly on fish stocks and on coral reefs which have been damaged in places from excessive sunscreen in the h2o. The climate is hot and sunny, year round again contributing to the popularity of the region equally a tourist destination.

Some of the many wild animals unique to Latin America include Capybaras, Tapir, Caimans, Jaguars, Macaw parrots, several species of monkeys including Capuccin and Howler monkeys, and Toucans. Many endangered species live in the Amazon region, including River Dolphins, Manatee and Armadillos.

Markets are an important part of the indigenous style of life in the Andes.

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Afro-Latin Americans have greatly influenced the musical culture of the region. Havana, Republic of cuba.

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People and civilization

The peoples and cultures of Latin America are many and diverse, likewise-detailed to name individually here. All the same, there are certain elements of population and culture which are broadly common beyond Latin America and which distinguish the region from English-speaking America.

When European settlers (mainly Castilian and Portuguese) arrived in the 16th century they institute a number of thriving indigenous cultures. Every bit well equally the hunter-gatherer tribes of the deep forests they encountered highly developed civilisations such as the Incas in South America and the Aztecs in what is at present Mexico. Different in the US for example, meaning numbers of indigenous people survived the process of colonisation - their descendants are an important function of the population culture of Latin America today.

People of 100% indigenous descent are the majority in a couple of Latin American countries - Bolivia being a prime number case. Still, almost countries in Latin America have a majority population of people known as 'mestizos', that is, people of mixed ethnic and European descent. While the pure ethnic have a tendency to hold on to traditional culture such as language and dress, mestizos tend to speak a Latin linguistic communication and their apparel is generally the Western uniform of blue jeans and baseball caps.

Around 10% of the population in nearly Latin American countries consider themselves to be of fully European descent. At the same fourth dimension many of the countries in Latin America have pregnant Afro-Latin American populations - notably Ecuador, Haiti and Republic of cuba. These blackness Latin Americans are mainly the descendants of Africans who were enslaved and transported to the region to work on saccharide-cane plantations.

The arrival of Southern European colonizers brought one unifying common element to the region - the Catholic church. The vast majority of the population of Latin America are Roman Catholic, a fact which distinguishes them from English-speaking America. Thank you in part to the brutality of the Spanish Inquistion, the arrival of Christianity in the region has been most total - native superstitions accept been subsumed and incorporated but the vast majority of the population are church-going Catholics. Evangelical missionaries from other Christian denominations have made some inroads (notably in Key America ) in contempo times, including the Mormon Church.

The fusion of indigenous, African and European tradition had lent a groovy richness to Latin American civilisation. At that place are two fields of cultural try where this fusion has caused Latin Americans to gain a worldwide reputation for excellence - literature and music.

Latin American literature is noted for its 'magical realsim', where authors have incorporated the supernatural beliefs common in the local civilization into stories told with lyrical and literary language. Famous authors from the region include Nobel prize-winners such as Gabriel Garcia Mazquez and Mario Vargas Llosa, and the ever-popular Isabel Allende.

The music of Latin America is every bit diverse every bit its people. The Andes are abode to the pan-pipes, while Cuban music is a wonderful fusion of African and Hispanic elements. Nicaragua has an amazing tradition of politically-committed ballads, while Argentina gave us the globe famous Tango trip the light fantastic.

To try to describe the character of Latin American people runs the risk of falling into broad generalisations. But in my xiv months travelling this marvellous region I did detect some mutual characteristics that were very unlike to the Western civilization I grew upwards in.

People in Latin America accept a lot more than of what the French call ' joie de vivre'. Even some of the poorest indigenous people always seemed to have time for a joke and a grinning with their friends. While people will work very hard there to survive, they are not and so motivated to piece of work to go rich - time spent with family unit is more of import to them. And they all seem to be musical - everyone in Latin America tin can trip the light fantastic like a professional. It was pretty embarrassing for this Irish girl to endeavour a few moves alongside them, I tin tell y'all!

Latin America has given the globe many foods

Diego on June 12, 2020:

I constitute this all interesting

ddsds on May 25, 2020:

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CluckLord72 on February 12, 2020:

what is happining

info~chan on February 11, 2020:

amazing manner to put Latin America an hii

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cool info and hii knjh how are u

bruh on Jan 24, 2020:

great:))))))

Yas on Jan 08, 2020:

Cool

kaden smitb on December 11, 2019:

hullo anyone only reading this and are bored af and doing this for school piece of work and for fun? XD

peppa on November 19, 2019:

its me!!!!!!!!!

reEeeEeE on November 19, 2019:

whats the main thought????

Turtle need plastic on November 19, 2019:

Who else is just hither reading the comments lol

uyghuhiuhi on November 18, 2019:

im in class doing research rn

a concerned citizen on November 06, 2019:

i am very displeased that Belize is non featured as a country in south america my grandad went there every bit a child and got a carving of a parrot.

Nathan on September 27, 2019:

Andy do u similar this

jade on September 05, 2019:

what yous do in the mean time

craven on May 13, 2019:

this helped thanks

Lexxie on March 28, 2019:

Marie McKeown your articles are very helpful! Keep upwardly the great work! :)

terra on March 08, 2019:

@Fior

this sounds very interesting. i promise you lot have adjusted well. could y'all maybe tell us more about you culture and who you are?

swaggirl21 on February 25, 2019:

this helps alot.

Hi on February 07, 2019:

This site is very helpful ;)

Hullo xD

ppp on Jan 23, 2019:

its really helpful but maybe shorten it downwardly and so similar some people tin can understand it

#KIND on December 17, 2018:

Thank you for the passage

#KIND on December 17, 2018:

Thanks

oof boy im 1 on December 12, 2018:

what is the main idea?

Patrick star on December 06, 2018:

:( oof

Still patrick star on Dec 04, 2018:

I don't care what color your skin is I'll stil treat you the same. Even if you were blueish. :D

Btw I'm supposed to be doing homework just I'yard stalling :)

patrick star on December 04, 2018:

this helped

Your mum on December 03, 2018:

Who read the whole affair?

Scgoolworks on November 27, 2018:

I do not similar this site but it is getting me the data 50 demand

lgklgl on November 27, 2018:

good

random guy on November 27, 2018:

Latin America made tomato jelly :O

Fior on July 23, 2018:

I am a Latina educated woman, immigrated to the Usa in 1969, teaching was very important for me as I told myself that I was non going to be similar many of my older family members who were illiterate from books but were well disciplined and hard working individuals. I prayed to God always not to let me to forget about family values. Information technology is very sad how our youngsters are destroying themselves doing negative stuffs that practice not aid them obtain or proceeds positive results, or exist cocky sufficient in society, cocky respect, and hey forget their cultural values from their parents. May the higher ability help all of us

jeff lemmur on April 24, 2018:

i exercise not agree FGTeeV, so BEGONE THOT

james peach on Apr 19, 2018:

FGTeeV is foolish

Tom Prowl on April 17, 2018:

Superlative Gun was a good movie

nicky cage on April 12, 2018:

i actually appreciate the article for it was very helpful for my assignment, simply information technology would exist better to put more logic in information technology for latin america is in scotland land of the ass eaters

?? on Apr x, 2018:

Post more than info on people and dates

A very sad mexican on March 26, 2018:

Why can't I ever get out of here.

James on March 16, 2018:

actually interesting but why would they recollect latin america is in egypt.

clara on March xiv, 2018:

hi honey this

W0T M8 on March 13, 2018:

Why would you think Latin America was in Arab republic of egypt? Latin America is its' ain place.

bobitybob on February 02, 2018:

This would probably be my go to IF i was locked in a big room having to learn about Latin america. :)

I'm slowly forgetting English language on January 09, 2018:

Way also many words I literally got lightheaded reading it

Anoymous on Jan 09, 2018:

I didn't know Latin America made ketchup, the american pastime in dipping sauces!

Brya on Jan 08, 2018:

i did not know mucilage was a Latin American food

Alex on January 08, 2018:

To much reading

ciara on January 08, 2018:

i hold with Jordan it is interesting but don't actually know nearly but i would recommend it for people that are inserted.

jordan on January 08, 2018:

very interesting i did non know alot about latin america but now i know alot more about its civilization!!

Joob on January 08, 2018:

Mayas????

Jur on January 05, 2018:

Hey everybody. Mayhap someone can recommend me some book well-nigh Latin America? something similar to this topic?

fer on November 28, 2017:

and what nigh the mayas??

piggies on November 25, 2017:

i agree

? on November 06, 2017:

I don't see how you take the time to do this?

Harlie on August 19, 2017:

There are a lot of mistakes in some of the paragraphs. But other than that awesome article i actually loved reading this.

Martins on April 21, 2017:

guyana and haiti are non latin americans

Mary Cloudless on Feb xi, 2017:

Cheers, Marie, for your commodity. You accept information for which I was looking and your site allowed me to print it. You lot certainly fabricated me want to travel in that location!

dick on December 17, 2016:

this is squeamish

Pikestaff on November 01, 2016:

This was very interesting I loved information technology

Yari on August xiv, 2014:

Spanish is too spoken in Belize and is considered a Latin land since it was non to long agone function of Republic of guatemala. They share the same traditions, foods, dances, and even Spanish accent. I know considering I am Guatemalan. :)

Marie McKeown (author) from Ireland on April 04, 2013:

Glad you liked it!

lerornardo garzon on April 04, 2013:

i thing that is a good things for the kids besause they tin learne more of latin america

Marie McKeown (author) from Republic of ireland on January 02, 2013:

Partly yes, but also from Anglo Saxon which is a Germanic language.

niceperson on January 01, 2013:

English is also derived from Latin

Marie McKeown (writer) from Republic of ireland on August 22, 2012:

Thanks. Its in now. There are a lot of smaller Caribbean islands and it is hard to include them all!

jay on August 20, 2012:

You forgot Puerto Rico

Marie McKeown (author) from Ireland on February 22, 2012:

Within the terminal year.

John Smith on Feb 21, 2012:

When was this concluding updated?

Sharon Smith from Northeast Ohio Usa on April 02, 2011:

Great information and inquiry here Marie! I learned a lot ~ voted UP and USEFUL!

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Source: https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/What-is-Latin-America

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