Transcript LatinAmericaNotes_IQP#11to12

Government in Central
America
 Dictatorships
 From time to time, Central America has been
ruled by dictators.
 The opponents of dictators often are arrested
or even killed.
 Dictatorship also has led to corruption in many
countries
 Democracy
 Today the region's countries have elected
governments.
Cuba
 Cuba is the largest and most populated
country in the Caribbean.
 Cuba has had a Communist government
since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959.
 Many Cubans have escaped Communist
by migrating to the United States (Florida).
Food and Festivals
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Food
Central America shares many traditional foods with Mexico and South America.
 These foods include corn and sweet potatoes.
 This region is also home to tomatoes, hot peppers, and cacao.
Festivals
 Saints’ Feast Day
 Each town and country celebrates special saints' feasts days.
 Images of the saints are paraded through the streets.
 Carnival
 Carnival is a time of feasts and parties before the Christian season of lent.
 It is celebrated with big parades and beautiful costumes.
Music
 Calypso
 Began in Trinidad and Tobago
 A blend of African, Spanish, and Caribbean
 Use of steel-drum
 Reggae
 Began in Jamaica
 Songs deal with poverty and
religion
 Bob Marley
Baseball
Baseball is a very popular sport in the
Caribbean. Many major league players
are from the Caribbean.
South America
 South America is divided into two regions
 Spanish Speaking South America
 Includes: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile,
Colombia, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru,
Uruguay, and Venezuela
 Portuguese South America
 Brazil
The Incan Empire
 The Inca ruled much of western South America.
 The Inca built structures out of large stone blocks
fitted tightly together without cement.
 Buildings in the Andean city of Machu Picchu have
survived earthquakes and the passing of centuries.
 Inca metalworkers created gold and silver objects,
some decorated with emeralds.
IQP# 11: The Incan Empire
was concentrated within the
Andes Mountains and centered
around Peru.
The Inca Empire
 To cross the steep Andes
valleys, the Inca built
suspension bridges of rope.
 Runners carried messages
throughout the land
 They used quipus.
 Numerical information about important events,
populations, animals, and grain supplies were
recorded on quipus.
Spanish Conqueror
 Led by Francisco Pizarro the Spanish
conquered the Incas and controlled
South America.
 Spanish were looking for gold and silver
 Forced Incas and other natives to work on
plantations
 Millions of natives were abused and killed
 Converted many natives to Christianity
Independence
 Inspired by the American
Revolution, Spanish colonies
began to revolt beginning in
the mid 1800s.
 Simon Bolivar
 Helped liberate Colombia,
Ecuador, and Bolivia
 Jose de San Martin
 Helped free Argentina, Chile, and Peru
Oligarchy and Dictatorship
 Oligarchy (government by a few) and
Dictatorship (military rule) have
characterized South America since
independence.
 Authoritarian rule which stresses
obedience to authority over individual
freedom has delayed the development of
democracy.
 Today most counties are democratic.
Cultural Mosaic
 The Andes Mountains and deserts
has isolated many societies within
South America.
 These countries form a cultural
mosaic—a number of societies with
different cultures living near each
other but not mixing.
Economy of South America
 Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana grow crops
for export on large farms.
 Colombia and Venezuela both have huge oil reserves
 In the west, Peru has an important fishing industry.
 Ecuador exports huge quantities of shrimp.
 Bolivia has deposits of tin, zinc, and copper.
 Argentina and Uruguay produces great quantities of
grain and livestock on its vast pampas.
 Paraguay exports products such as soybeans, cotton,
and animal hides.
Mercosur
 Mercosur is an economic common market that
operates in the southern part of South America.
 Goals of a free-trade zone among member nations:
1. to make member economies more stable
2. to increase trade within region and decrease
dependency on unstable global markets
3. to channel some of the profits of improving
economies to those people and groups that most
need help.
IQP #12: NAFTA is similar free trade agreement
similar to Mercosur but includes Canada, Mexico
and the United States.
Education and the Future
 Education is an important issue in South
America as more people are moving from
the rural area to the city.
 It is necessary for South America to
decrease the income gap between rich
and poor.
 South America has a very low literacy
rate