Download Unit 3: Cultural Geography

Unit 5: Cultural Geography of
Latin America
Population
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2009 Population – 568,000,000
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White/Caucasian
36.1%
Mestizo
30.3%
Mulatto
20.3%
American Indian
9.2%
Black/African American 3.2%
75% of population lives in urban areas
Language
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Spanish is the dominant language
Portuguese is the second most common
language
A wide variety of indigenous languages,
Dutch, English, and French are also
spoken
Religion
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Christian –
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78.4%
Catholic – 71%
Protestant – 6.4%
Indigenous/tribal, Muslim,
Atheist, agnostic, no particular belief,
other –
21.6%
Society
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Income
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Per capita income varies widely from country
to country
Many Latin Americans live subsistence lives
Poverty rates are very high, especially in
urban areas
Favela in Caracas, Venezuela
Favela in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Slums of Mexico City
History
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Native Americans
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Maya, Aztec (Mexico)
Inca (Peru)
many other indigenous peoples scattered
throughout Latin America
Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
Chichen Itza, Yucatan, Mexico
Machu Pichu, Peru
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Immigrants
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Spain
Portugal
Africa
France
Netherlands
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European conquest
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Colonial period (1492-present)
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Independence movements/revolutions
(early 1800s)
Government
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Most Latin American nations have some form of
democratic and/or republican government
Most nations are dominated by a single political
party; other parties come and go and vary in
significance
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Strong military influence in government
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Military coup d'état (illegal takeover) not
uncommon
Economy
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Free market/free enterprise
Subsistence farmers
High urban poverty rates
Brazil ranks 8th in national GDP; Mexico is
14th
Haiti is the poorest country in Latin
America; its per capita GDP is $1,255
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National currencies include the peso,
dollar, Euro, nuevo sol, real
Agriculture – coffee, sugar, soybeans,
cocoa, rice, corn
Manufacturing – petroleum, food
products, building materials
Tourism – Caribbean, Angel Falls, Machu
Pichu, Rio de Janeiro (Carnaval)
Art
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Visual Art
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Folk art – much indigenous art is sold to
tourists
Mexican Muralist Movement (1930s)
Diego Rivera
 José Orozco
 David Siqueiros
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José Orozco
Diego Rivera
Architecture
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Colonial and early republic styles were
heavily influenced by European
architecture
Oscar Niemeyer
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Brazilian architect who designed the
government buildings in Brasilia (1950s)
Museum of Contemporary Art,
Niterói, Brazil
Congress Building, Brasilia, Brazil
National Cathedral, Brasilia, Brazil
Music
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Habanera – Cuba, mid-1800s
Samba – Brazil, c.1900
Calypso – Trinidad, early 1900s
Conjunto/Norteño – Mexico, 1950s
Bossa Nova – Brazil, 1950s
Salsa – Cuba, 1960s
Reggae – Jamaica, 1960s
Conjunto (Mexico)