Latin America Definition of Latin America Latin America

Latin America

Definition of Latin America? • Latin America is the region of the Americas where Romance languages, those derived from Latin (particularly Spanish and Portuguese), are primarily spoken. • Contrasted with Anglo-America

Ancient Civilizations

European Powers • Christopher Columbus • Spain/ Portugal • Diseases: small pox, measles • Rising powers: Britain/ France • Independence of Haiti • 1825: all of Spanish Latin America gained independence from Spain

Independent Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Rep. Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela French dependencies French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Netherlands dependencies Aruba Netherlands Antilles United States dependencies Puerto Rico

Trade Blocs • Mercosur and the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) • G 3 : Columbia, Mexico, Venezuala • Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) • Venezuela’s withdrawel

Andean Community(CAN) • • Establishment as the Andean Pact: 1969 as the CAN 1996 Current members: Bolivia Colombia Ecuador Peru

Venezuala

Hugo Chávez • This admirer of Fidel Castro's Cuba and avowed anti-globalist was pushed from office on 12 April, 2002 - as a result of his attempts to take control of the world's fifthbiggest oil industry.

• Revolutionary promises • The former army paratrooper burst back on to the political scene in 1998, promising to transform Venezuela.

Chavez and Castro both oppose US domination

Latin America Politics • Che Guavara and the Cuban Revolution • Fidel Castro • Chávez- the new Castro?

Who is CHE? ?

• "The person who wrote these notes died the day he stepped back on Argentine soil, " Guevara wrote in his diary. "Wandering around our 'America with a capital A' has changed me more than I thought. "

• "Along the way, I had the opportunity to pass through the dominions of the United Fruit, convincing me once again of just how terrible these capitalist octopuses are. I have sworn before a picture of the old and mourned comrade Stalin that I won’t rest until I see these capitalist octopuses annihilated. "

Che’s Fight for Revolution • The Cuban Revolution • Relationship with Fidel Castro • Congo • Death in Bolivia

Fidel Castro steps down

Chavez, the new Castro?

Latin America Liberation may be on its way - but there's a long was to go.

Questions for discussion • What are Latin America’s problems? • What have you learned about Latin America? • Do you know anyone from Latin America? What do you think about the relationship about Taiwan and Latin America countries? • Che is a socialist and clearly has a great influence on Castro and Chavez. Why do we see his icon everywhere on the streets but object Chavez’s doings thinking that he’s this evil dictator? • Have you ever had a life changing, or maybe just idea changing trip? Share. • What would you do if you saw what Che saw on a trip like his in your country?

Latin America & the Caribbean the facts • Between 1972 and 2000 the urban population rose from 58. 9% to 75. 3% of the total population. • Air pollution affects more 80 million people in the region and is the main cause of 2. 3 million annual cases of respiratory disease in children.

• The region has more than 30% of the world's forest area containing 160 million cubic merit of wood - a third of the world total. • The rate of deforestation is the highest in the world; of the 418 million hectares of natural forest lost during the past 30 years, 190 million were in Latin America.

• Total land area 2, 017. 8 • Total land forested in 1, 011. 0 • Loss of forested land 1990 -2000 46. 7 million hectares.

• Latin America has 7 odd's 25 biologically richest ecoregions, containing between them 46, 000 plant, 1, 597 amphibian, 1, 208 rep 1, 267 bird and 575 mammal species. • As a result of habitation 31 of the 178 ecoregions are in a critical state, 51 are fingered and 55 are vulnerable.