human geography of latin america: a blending of cultures
TRANSCRIPT
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY OF LATIN AMERICA: A BLENDING OF CULTURES
SECTION 1: MEXICO
NATIVE AMERICANS AND THE SPANISH CONQUEST Many native groups Toltecs, Maya, and
Aztecs are major groups
Spanish Conquest began in 1519 when Hernando Cortés landed
Conquered Tenochtitlán (Aztec capital) by 1521
COLONY AND COUNTRY
Mexico became a Spanish colony
Independence won in 1821
1822: Agustín Iturbide declares himself emperor
Mid 1800s: Benito Juaréz becomes the first president of Mexico
COLONY AND COUNTRY CONTINUED Porfirio Díaz
succeeds Juárez He was dishonest Led to revolution led
by Francisco Madero, Pancho Villa, and Emiliano Zapata
1917: new constitution adopted—redistributes land to peasants
ONE-PARTY RULE
1929: Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) rises to prominence
Did not tolerate opposition
Led to corruption Ousted in 1997 2000: Vicente Fox
becomes first non-PRI president in 71 years
A MEETING OF CULTURES
AZTECS AND THE SPANISH
Aztecs came from northern Mexico
C. 1200 A.D.: Settled in Tenochtitlán in Lake Texcoco
Performed human sacrifices
1521: Cortés destroys Tenochtitlan and builds Mexico City on top
AZTECS AND SPANISH CONTINUED
Spanish brought language, Catholicism
Mestizos: people of mixed Spanish and Native American heritage
MEXICAN PAINTERS
Painting became public art
Large murals on public buildings
Famous artists: José Orozco, Diego Rivera, David Siquerios, and Juan O’Gorman, Frida Kahlo
ECONOMICS
OIL AND MANUFACTURING
Large oil reserves Manufacturing is the
most important Maquiladoras:
factories that assemble imported materials into finished products that are then exported
Many are companies from the U.S.
NAFTA
North American Free Trade Agreement
1994 Goal: eliminate
trade and investment barriers between Mexico, U.S., and Canada
EMIGRATION, WORK, AND SCHOOL 2000 mile border
with the U.S. Many leave to
search for work Many uneducated
in Mexico
SECTION 2: CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
MAYA INFLUENCE
Mayans built cities in present-day Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras
Central city was Tikal, in northern Guatemala
SPANISH IN CENTRAL AMERICA Spain ruled Central
America until the 19th century
Mexico ruled it until 1823
United Provinces of Central America declared independence from Mexico
Late 1830s: UPCA split into El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Honduras
CARIBBEAN INFLUENCES
1492: Columbus reaches Caribbean islands
Called natives “Los Indios”
They were the Taino Spanish settled and
set up sugar plantations
Used Taino as slave---many died of disease and abuse
CARIBBEAN INFLUENCES CONTINUED African slaves
were brought to replace Taino
The Caribbean today is heavily influenced by African life and culture
COLONIAL MOSAIC
By 19th century, Spanish, French, Dutch, British, and Danish all had Caribbean claims
They relied on sugar
This brought more and more African slaves
CARIBBEAN INDEPENDENCE
1790s: Haiti becomes first independence movement in Latin America
Slave revolt led by Toussaint L’Ouverture
Won in 1804 Cuba independent
from Spain in 1898 Jamaica and Trinidad
and Tobago in 1962 from Britain
CULTURE OF CENTRAL AMERICA
2 major elements: 1) Native
American influence
2) Spanish Catholicism is
major religion
CULTURE OF THE CARIBBEAN Spanish, Dutch,
French, British, Danish, African, and Native American influences
Mix of Catholic and Protestant
Santeria, Voodoo (Haiti), and Rastafarianism (Jamaica)
ECONOMICS: JOBS AND PEOPLE
FARMING AND TRADE
Caribbean: Sugar is largest export crop
Bananas, citrus fruits, coffee, and spices also important
Pay is low for workers Per-capita income low Central America:
commercial farming Panama Canal:
canal running through Panama, connecting the Atlantic Pacific Oceans
WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND WHY Central America:
Most live in rural areas because most people work on farms
Caribbean: most live in cities
Hope to find jobs in tourism
POPULAR CULTURE, TOURISM, AND JOBS
MUSIC OF THE CARIBBEAN
Calypso: music that began in Trinidad and combines musical elements from Africa, Spain, and the Caribbean
Reggae: music that developed in Jamaica in the 1960s and is rooted in African, Caribbean, and American music, often dealing with social problems and religion
TOURISM AND THE INFORMAL ECONOMY Hotels and resorts
are an important industry in the Caribbean
Informal economy: jobs outside official channels, w/o benefits for workers
Ex: street vendors
SECTION 3: SPANISH-SPEAKING SOUTH AMERICA
INCA
Civilization in the Andes (Peru)
Centered in Cuzco Empire extended
2500 miles at height
Built roads
SPANISH CONQUEST
Francisco Pizarro conquers Inca empire
Harsh treatment of natives
Inca language Quechua, taken over by Spanish
Quechua is still spoken today
INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENTS
Began in 1st half of 19th century
Simón Bolívar led rebellions for Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia
José de San Martín helped to liberate Argentina, Chile, and Peru
GOVERNMENT BY THE FEW
Oligarchy (rule by few) and military rule are common in S. America
Authoritarian rule—obedience to authority over individual freedom—also is common
CULTURAL MOSAIC
LITERATURE
Gabriel Garciá Márquez (Colombia)
Most famous S. American author
Won Pulitzer Prize for literature in 1982
MUSIC
Pop music and folk music Music combines Indian, African, and
European elements Classical music is also very important
throughout the region
ARTS AND CRAFTS
Artisan works popular
Pottery, textiles, glasswork, and metalwork
Mix of aesthetics and usefulness
ECONOMICS: RESOURCES AND TRADE Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana: crops
for export Colombia and Venezuela: oil, coffee,
narcotics Peru and Ecuador: fishing Argentina: grain and livestock Paraguay: beans, cotton
CHILE’S SUCCESS STORY
S. America’s economic success story
Rich mines (copper is Chile’s largest export)
Fruits and vegetables Associate member of
Mercosur: an economic common market that began operations in 1995 (Think of NAFTA)
LITERACY IN S. AMERICA
Higher literacy rates than Central America
Literacy rate among women is about equal with men
LITERACY IN CHILE
Literacy rate is 95% in Chile
98% among those 15-19
Education is highly valued in Chile
SECTION 4: BRAZIL
HISTORY: A DIVIDED CONTINENT Spain and Portugal
were competing for colonies
To avoid conflict, Pope Alexander VI created the Treaty of Tordesillas (1494)
This divided the world between Spain and Portugal
Portugal got Brazil in S. America
PORTUGUESE CONQUEST
Colonists arrive early 1500s
1-5 million natives already there
Search for gold and silver was fruitless
Sugar plantations set up instead
Settlement patterns were on the coast
African slaves brought
INDEPENDENCE FOR BRAZIL
Napoleon defeated in 1815
Demand for independence
Petitioned the king of Portugal
People asked that Dom Pedro, son of the king, rule the independent Brazil
Sept. 1822: Brazil declared independent
A mix of Portuguese, African, and Native elements…
A NATIONAL CULTURE
THE PEOPLE OF BRAZIL
Only around 200,000 natives remain
Many immigrants They come from
Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain, Lebanon, and Syria
Brazil has largest Japanese population outside of Japan
LANGUAGE AND RELIGION
Speak Portuguese Catholic majority
(largest Catholic population in the world)
20% Protestant Other: mix of
African and Catholic practices
Brazil is a growing economic power. It has abundant natural resources
AN ECONOMIC GIANT AWAKENS
AN INDUSTRIAL POWER
Rich in iron, bauxite, tin, manganese
Gold, silver, titanium, chromite, tungsten, and quartz also available
Hydroelectricity Large oil and natural
gas reserves One of the most
industrialized countries in S. America
MIGRATION TO CITIES
Large gap between rich and poor
Urbanization occurs to improve life
87% now live in cities
MIGRATION TO THE INTERIOR
Capital city of Brasília built in 1957 to attract people to the interior
Commercial ag in the Cerrado (Great Plains of S. America) draws new jobs to interior
BRAZILIAN LIFE TODAY
FROM CARNIVAL TO MARTIAL ARTS Carnival: most
colorful feast day in Brazil
Big in Rio de Janeiro
Samba: Brazilian dance with African influences
Capoeira: martial art; blends Brazilian dance; brought from Angola
CITY LIFE IN RIO DE JANEIRO
Rio is the cultural center of Brazil
Sugarloaf Mountain, Guanabara Bay, Copacabana Beach are popular tourist sites
Favelas: very poor slums—high crime rate