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<div style="float: right; margin: 0 0 1em 2em; width: 20em; text-align: right; font-size: 0.86em; line-height: normal;"><!-- start of floated right section -->
<div style="border: 1px solid #ccd2d9; background: #f0f6fa; text-align: left; padding: 0.5em 1em; text-align: center;"><!-- start of slate grey box -->
<big>'''Latin America'''</big>
<div align=center>
[[Image:LocationWHLatinAmerica.png|190px]]
</div>
{| style="background: transparent; text-align: left; table-layout: auto; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0; font-size: 100%;" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Area
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 21,069,501&nbsp;km²
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Population
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 569 million<ref name=CIAEG/>
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Countries
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 21
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Dependencies
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 10
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | GDP
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | $3.33 Trillion ([[exchange rate]]) <br/>$5.62 Trillion ([[purchasing power parity]])
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Languages
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[Spanish language|Spanish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Quechua]], [[Aymara]], [[Nahuatl]], [[Mayan languages]], [[Guaraní language|Guaraní]], [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]], [[Haitian language|Haitian Creole]], [[Spanish creole]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], and many others
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Time Zones
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | [[UTC-2]] (Brazil) to [[UTC-8]] (Mexico)
|-
! style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top; text-align: left;" | Largest Metropolitan Areas
| style="border-top: solid 1px #ccd2d9; padding: 0.4em 1em 0.4em 0; vertical-align: top" | 1. [[Mexico City]]<br/>2. [[São Paulo]]<br/>3. [[Buenos Aires]]<br/>4. [[Rio de Janeiro]]<br/>5. [[Bogotá]] <br/>6. [[Lima]]<br/>7. [[Belo Horizonte]]<br/>8. [[Santiago, Chile|Santiago]]<br/>9. [[Guadalajara]]<br/>10. [[Porto Alegre]]<br/>11. [[Santo Domingo]]<br/>12. [[Caracas]]
|}
</div><!-- end of slate grey box -->
</div><!-- end of floated right section; article starts here -->
<!--Population and economic figures from IMF, October 2007, and include core countries only (those in dark green), hence the lower pop figure; from CIA for Puerto Rico-->

'''Latin America''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]]: ''América Latina'' or ''Latinoamérica''; [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]: ''América Latina''; [[French language|French]]: ''Amérique latine'') is the [[region]] of the [[Americas]] where [[Romance languages]] (i.e., those derived from [[Latin language|Latin]]), particularly [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], are primarily spoken.<ref name=Colburn>{{cite book |title=Latin America at the End of Politics |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=qBCVB3mxCK8C&dq=%22latin+america+at+the+end+of+politics%22&pg=PP1&ots=Hsc6JIiWF0&sig=3-bdK4pc-bXg0abCFag4agEPwo8&hl=en&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3D%2522Latin%2BAmerica%2Bat%2Bthe%2BEnd%2Bof%2BPolitics%2522&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail#PPA10,M1 |last=Colburn |first=Forrest D |date=2002 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |isbn=0691091811}}</ref>

==Definition==
* In most common contemporary usage, Latin America refers only to those territories in the Americas where the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] or [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] languages prevail: [[Mexico]], most of [[Central America|Central]] and [[South America]], plus [[Cuba]], the [[Dominican Republic]], and [[Puerto Rico]] in the [[Caribbean]].
* Strictly speaking, Latin America can designate all of those countries and territories in the [[Americas]] where a [[Romance language]] (i.e. languages derived from [[Latin]], and hence the name of the region) is spoken: Spanish, Portuguese, and [[French language|French]], and [[creole language]]s based upon these. Indeed, this was the original intent when the term was popularized by [[Napoleon III]] as part of his campaign to install [[Maximilian I of Mexico|Maximilian]] as emperor of Mexico.{{Fact|date=December 2007}} Using this definition, ''Latin America'' includes not only all Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries, but also the current and former French territories in the hemisphere, including [[Quebec]] in [[Canada]]; [[Louisiana]] in the [[United States]]; [[Haiti]], [[Martinique]] and [[Guadeloupe]] in the Caribbean; [[French Guiana]] in South America; and [[St. Pierre and Miquelon]] near Newfoundland.
* Often, particularly in the [[United States]], the term may be used to refer to ''all'' of the Americas south of the U.S., including such countries as [[Belize]], [[Jamaica]], [[Barbados]], [[Trinidad and Tobago]], [[Guyana]], [[Antigua and Barbuda]], and [[the Bahamas]] where [[English language|English]] prevails.
* The former Dutch colony [[Suriname]], the [[Netherlands Antilles]], and [[Aruba]] are not usually considered part of Latin America, although in the latter two, a predominantly [[Iberian]]-derived creole language, [[Papiamento]], is spoken by the majority of the population.
* In historical terms, ''Latin America'' could be defined as all those parts of the Americas that were once part of the Spanish, Portuguese, and French Empires, and that speak languages stemming from [[Latin]]. Under this definition, much of the [[Southwestern United States|U.S. Southwest]], [[Florida]], and [[French Louisiana]] would be also included in the region.

The distinction between ''Latin America'' and ''[[Anglo-America]]'', and more generally the stress on European heritage (or [[Eurocentrism]]), is simply a convention by which Romance-language and English-speaking cultures are distinguished, currently being the predominant languages in the Americas. There are, of course, many places in the Americas (e.g. highland [[Ecuador]], [[Bolivia]], [[Guatemala]], and [[Paraguay]]) where [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|American Indian]] cultures and languages are important, as well as areas in which the influence of [[Africa]]n cultures is strong (e.g. the Caribbean, including parts of [[Colombia]] and [[Venezuela]], coastal [[Ecuador]], coastal [[Peru]], and coastal [[Brazil]]).

U.S. influences shaped the cultures of Latin America, especially those of Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico as a U.S. territory. In addition, the U.S. held a [[Canal Zone|territory]] in a swath of land in Panama over the 20-mile-long [[Panama Canal]] from 1903 (the canal opened to transoceanic freight traffic in 1914) to 1979 when the U.S. government agreed to give the territory to Panama.

==Etymology==
{{wiktionary}}

Originally, ''Amérique latine'' was a political denomination thought coined by French Emperor [[Napoleon III of France|Napoleon III]], in citing ''Amérique latine'' and ''[[Indochina|Indochine]]'' as goals for his region's imperial expansion,<ref>[http://wais.stanford.edu/LatinAmerica/latinamerica_latinamerica03102004.htm Latin America<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> thus justifying French imperial claims to the native peoples and their lands; eventually, ''Amérique latine'' denominated the Americas colonised by Spanish, Portuguese, and French settlers between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries; nevertheless, [[Michel Chevalier]] introduced his alternate etymology, the ''Southern Americas'', in 1836, in ''Lettres sur l'Amérique du Nord''.<ref name="alternate etymology"> In his ''Lettres sur l'Amèrique du Nord''</ref> In the United States, before the 1890s, ''Spanish America'' was the nominal term for the region until early in the twentieth century when ''Latin America'' became current.<ref name="Latin American"> {{cite web |title=Latin American |url=http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00297655 |accessdate=2006-07-15}} </ref>

Contemporaneously, ''Latin America'' is equivalent to [[Latin Europe]], implying [[supranational]]ity greater than statehood and nationhood. Supranational identity is expressed through common socio-economic initiatives and organizations, such as the [[Union of South American Nations]]; nevertheless, the terms ''Latin American'', ''[[Latin peoples (linguistic)|Latin]]'', ''[[Latino]]'', and ''[[Hispanic]]'' denote and connote different things.

Many Latin Americans do not speak Latinate languages, but native tongues transplanted by immigration, e.g. German in Paraguay. Moreover there are Latin European-derived cultures resultant from European immigrants blending with the [[Indigenous peoples of America|indigenous]] peoples and with the imported [[African]] slaves. Thus, they are Latin American, but not Spanish, Portuguese, and French, as usually connoted by the ''Latin American'' term.

Francophone Canada (except [[Québec]]) and the U.S., such as [[Acadia]], [[French Louisiana]], and places north of Mexico are often excluded from the socio-political definition of ''Latin America'', despite significant or predominant populations speaking a Latinate language, because they are not sovereign states and are geographically discrete from Latin America proper; yet, [[French Guiana]], a French dependency, is included. Some Latin American countries do not have a Romance language as the official language, yet are denominated Latin American countries, i.e. [[Dutch language|Dutch]]-speaking [[Suriname]], and the Anglophone country Guyana.

To avoid the ambiguities inherent to ''Latin America'', the term ''[[Ibero-America]]'' is used in Spain and Portugal referring to the nations and countries once colonies of itself and of [[Portugal]]; ''Ibero-America'' derives from the [[Iberian Peninsula]] wherein lie Spain and Portugal. The [[Organization of Ibero-American States]] (OEI — Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos) extends the definition by including [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]] (the ''Mother Countries'' of Latin America) as member states.

==History==
{{Expand-section|information beyond 1825|date=July 2008}}
{{Main|History of Latin America}}
{{See also|History of South America}} ''for a treatment of pre-Columbian civilizations and a general overview of the region's history.''

The [[Americas]] are thought to have been first inhabited by people crossing the [[Bering Land Bridge]], now the [[Bering Strait|Bering]] [[strait]], from northeast [[Asia]] into [[Alaska]] more than 10,000 years ago. Over the course of millennia, people spread to all parts of the continents. By the first millennium AD/CE, South America’s vast rainforests, mountains, plains and coasts were the home of tens of millions of people. The earliest settlements in the Americas are of the [[Las Vegas culture (archaeology)|Las Vegas Culture]]{{Fact|date=August 2008}} from about 8000 BC and 4600 BC, a sedentary group from the coast of [[Ecuador]], the forefathers of the more known [[Valdivia culture]], of the same are. Some groups formed more permanent settlements such as the [[Chibchas]] (or "Muiscas" or "Muyscas") and the [[Tairona]] groups. The Chibchas of [[Colombia]], the [[Quechua]]s of [[Peru]], and the [[Aymaras]] of [[Bolivia]] were the three Indian groups that settled most permanently.

[[Image:Machu Picchu.jpg|thumb|200px|right|A view of [[Machu Picchu]], a pre-Columbian [[Inca]] site in [[Peru]].]]
[[Image:Chichen-Itza El Castillo.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Archaelogical sites of [[Chichén-Itzá]] in [[Yucatán]] [[Mexico]].]]

The region was home to many indigenous peoples and advanced civilizations, including the [[Aztecs]], [[Toltecs]], [[Caribs]], [[Tupi people|Tupi]], [[Maya Civilization|Maya]], and [[Inca]]. The [[golden age]] of the Maya began about 250, with the last two great [[civilization]]s, the Aztecs and Incas, emerging into prominence later on in the early fourteenth century and mid-fifteenth centuries, respectively.

With the arrival of the Europeans following [[Christopher Columbus]]'s voyages, the indigenous elites, such as the Incans and Aztecs, lost power to the Europeans. [[Hernán Cortés]] destroyed the Aztec elite's power with the help of local groups who disliked the Aztec elite, and [[Francisco Pizarro]] eliminated the Incan rule in Western South America. European powers, most notably [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]], colonized the region, which along with the rest of the uncolonized world was divided into areas of Spanish and Portuguese control by the [[Line of Demarcation]] in 1493, which gave Spain all areas to the west, and Portugal all areas to the east (the Portuguese lands in South America subsequently becoming Brazil). By the end of the sixteenth century, Europeans occupied large areas of North, Central and South America, extending all the way into the present southern United States. European culture and government was imposed, with the Roman Catholic Church becoming a major economic and political power, as well as the official religion of the region.

Diseases brought by the Europeans, such as [[smallpox]] and [[measles]], wiped out a large proportion of the indigenous population, with epidemics of diseases reducing them sharply from their prior populations. Historians cannot determine the number of natives who died due to European diseases, but some put the figures as high as 85% and as low as 20%. Due to the lack of written records, specific numbers are hard to verify. Many of the survivors were forced to work in European plantations and mines. [[Interracial marriage|Intermarriage]] between the indigenous peoples and the European colonists was very common, and, by the end of the [[colonial period]], people of mixed ancestry (mestizos) formed majorities in several colonies.

[[Image:Latin American independence countries.PNG|thumb|Dates of independence of countries in the Americas.|left]]

By the end of the eighteenth century, Spanish and Portuguese power waned as other European powers took their place, notably Britain and France. Resentment grew over the restrictions imposed by the Spanish government, as well as the dominance of native Spaniards (Iberian-born ''[[peninsulares]]'') over the major [[institution]]s and the majority population, including the colonial-born Spaniards ([[Spanish Criollo peoples|''criollos'']], Creoles). [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon]]'s invasion of Spain in 1808 marked the turning point, compelling Creole elites to form juntas that advocated independence. Also, the newly independent [[Haiti]], the second oldest nation in the [[New World]] after the [[United States]] and the oldest independent nation in Latin America, further fueled the independence movement by inspiring the leaders of the movement, such as [[Simón Bolívar]] and [[José de San Martin]], and by providing them with considerable munitions and troops.

Fighting soon broke out between the ''[[Junta]]s'' and the Spanish colonial authorities, with initial Creole victories, including [[Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla]] in [[Mexico]] and [[Francisco de Miranda]] in [[Venezuela]], crushed by the Spanish troops. Under the leadership of [[Simón Bolívar]], [[José de San Martin]] and other ''[[Libertadores]]'' in South America, the independence movement regained strength, and by 1825, all [[Hispanic America|Spanish Latin America]], except for Puerto Rico and Cuba, gained independence from Spain. [[Brazil]] achieved independence with a constitutional monarchy established in 1822. During the same year in [[Mexico]], a military officer, [[Agustín de Iturbide]], led conservatives who created a constitutional [[monarchy]], with Iturbide as [[emperor]] (followed by a republic, 1823).

==Political divisions==
Latin America is politically divided into the following countries and territories:<br />
The countries included in all definitions are:<ref name=Colburn/>
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! colspan=4|[[Country|Independent Countries]] and Puerto Rico
|-
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Argentina]]
* {{flagicon|Bolivia}} [[Bolivia]]
* {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Brazil]]
* {{flagicon|Chile}} [[Chile]]
* {{flagicon|Colombia}} [[Colombia]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Costa Rica}} [[Costa Rica]]
* {{flagicon|Cuba}} [[Cuba]]
* {{flagicon|Dominican Republic}} [[Dominican Republic|Dominican Rep.]]
* {{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Ecuador]]
* {{flagicon|El Salvador}} [[El Salvador]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Guatemala]]
* {{flagicon|Haiti}} [[Haiti]]
* {{flagicon|Honduras}} [[Honduras]]
* {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mexico]]
* {{flagicon|Nicaragua}} [[Nicaragua]]
* {{flagicon|Panama}} [[Panama]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Paraguay}} [[Paraguay]]
* {{flagicon|Peru}} [[Peru]]
* {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} [[Puerto Rico]]
* {{flagicon|Uruguay}} [[Uruguay]]
* {{flagicon|Venezuela}} [[Venezuela]]
|}
The more expansive definition can include:
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|-
! colspan=3|[[Country|Independent Countries]] || [[France|French]] dependencies || [[Netherlands]]<br />dependencies || [[United States]]<br /> dependency
|-
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Argentina}} [[Argentina]]
* {{flagicon|Belize}} [[Belize]]
* {{flagicon|Bolivia}} [[Bolivia]]
* {{flagicon|Brazil}} [[Brazil]]
* {{flagicon|Chile}} [[Chile]]
* {{flagicon|Colombia}} [[Colombia]]
* {{flagicon|Costa Rica}} [[Costa Rica]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Cuba}} [[Cuba]]
* {{flagicon|Dominican Republic}} [[Dominican Republic|Dominican Rep.]]
* {{flagicon|Ecuador}} [[Ecuador]]
* {{flagicon|El Salvador}} [[El Salvador]]
* {{flagicon|Guatemala}} [[Guatemala]]
* {{flagicon|Honduras}} [[Honduras]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Mexico}} [[Mexico]]
* {{flagicon|Nicaragua}} [[Nicaragua]]
* {{flagicon|Panama}} [[Panama]]
* {{flagicon|Paraguay}} [[Paraguay]]
* {{flagicon|Peru}} [[Peru]]
* {{flagicon|Uruguay}} [[Uruguay]]
* {{flagicon|Venezuela}} [[Venezuela]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|French Guiana}} [[French Guiana]]
* {{flagicon|Guadeloupe}} [[Guadeloupe]]
* {{flagicon|Martinique}} [[Martinique]]
* {{flagicon|Saint-Barthélemy}} [[Saint-Barthélemy|Saint Barthélemy]]
* {{flagicon|Saint Martin}} [[Saint Martin (France)|Saint Martin]]
* {{flagicon|Saint Pierre and Miquelon}} [[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]]
| valign="top" |
* {{flagicon|Aruba}} [[Aruba]]
* {{flagicon|Netherlands Antilles}} [[Netherlands Antilles]]
| valign="top"|
* {{flagicon|Puerto Rico}} [[Puerto Rico]]
|}

Owing to their geographical location the [[Falkland Islands]], [[Guyana]], [[Suriname]] and [[Trinidad and Tobago]] could be added to this grouping, but they are not culturally or linguistically Latin American. They maintain [[Economic geography|economic]] ties with nearby countries, and are grouped by the [[United Nations]] in the predominantly Latin American [[subregion|region]] of [[South America]]. All except Suriname are also the objects of [[irredentism|long-standing territorial claims]] by their Latin American neighbors.

==Demographics==
{{boxboxtop|Demographics}}
<div class="NavFrame" style="padding:0;border-style:none;">
<div class="NavFrame" style="border-style:none;padding:0;">
<div class="NavHead" style="background:#EDF1F1;text-align:center;text-style:normal">
<small>''''Notable Latin Americans''''
</div><div class="NavContent" style="display:none;">
{| class="wikitable" align="center"
|-
|[[Image:Cuba.FidelCastro.02.jpg|border|150px|[[Fidel Castro]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Fidel Castro]]
|[[Image:RickyMartin.jpg|border|150px|[[Ricky Martin]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Ricky Martin]]
|[[Image:JuanesNokiaTheater.jpg|border|150px|[[Juanes]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Juanes]]
|[[Image:Shakira Milano Italy.jpg|border|150px|[[Shakira]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Shakira]]
|-
|| [[Image:Pelé 23092007.jpg|border|150px|[[Pelé]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Pelé]]
|[[Image:Maradona y la copa - Mundial Juvenil 1979 - Gente sept 1979.jpg|border|160px|[[Diego Maradona]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Diego Maradona]]
|[[Image:Benicio del Toro.JPG|border|150px|[[Benicio del Toro]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Benicio del Toro]]
|[[Image:Morales 20060113 02.jpg|border|160px|[[Evo Morales]]]]<br /><small><center>[[Evo Morales]]
|[[Image:GloriaEstefan.jpg|border|150px|[[Gloria Estefan]]]] <br /><small><center>[[Gloria Estefan]]
|-
| colspan="5" align="center" | <small>'''A few examples of <br /> famous Latin Americans'''
|}
{{Userboxbottom}}

===Racial groups===
The population of Latin America is a composite of ancestries, ethnic groups and races, making the region one of the most — if not the most — diverse in the world. The specific composition varies from country to country: Some have a predominance of a mixed population, in others people of [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindian]] origin are a majority, some are dominated by inhabitants of European ancestry and some populations are primarily of [[Africa]]n descent. Most or all Latin American countries have [[Asian people|Asian]] minorities. Europeans and groups with part-European ancestry combine for approximately 80% of the population.<ref name=CIAEG>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html |title= CIA - The World Factbook -- Field Listing - Ethnic groups |accessdate=2008-02-20}}</ref>

====Amerindians====
[[Image:Qichwa conchucos 01.jpg|thumb|[[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Amerindians]] make up the majority of the population in [[Bolivia]] and a plurality in [[Peru]].]][[Image:Cuban boys.jpg|thumb|A significant number of Latin Americans are of [[Afro-Latin American|African ancestry]].]][[Image:Tizuka Yamazaki.jpg|thumb|Film maker [[Tizuka Yamazaki]], one of over a million [[Japanese-Brazilian]]s.]][[Image:Mexican Girls.jpg|thumb|Mexicans of [[White people|European descent]]. Caucasians are among the three largest groups in Latin America.]][[Image:Marimba.JPG|thumb|Shoppers of Mestizo heritage admire a [[marimba]] in [[Playa Grande]], [[Guatemala]].]][[Image:Salsa Training Camaguey Cuba.jpg|thumb|[[Salsa (music)|Salsa]] dancers of Mulatto heritage, [[Camagüey, Cuba]].]]
The aboriginal population of Latin America, the Amerindians, experienced tremendous population decline particularly in the early decades of colonization. They have since recovered in numbers, surpassing sixty million, though they compose a majority in only one country, [[Bolivia]]. In [[Peru]] they are a plurality, while in [[Ecuador]] and [[Guatemala]], they are large minorities of more than 25%. Most of the other countries have small Amerindian minorities. In many countries, people of mixed Indian and European ancestry make up the majority of the population (see [[Mestizo]]).

====Africans====

Millions of African [[slave]]s were brought to Latin America from the sixteenth century onward, the majority of whom were sent to the [[Caribbean]] region and [[Brazil]]. Large numbers of [[Afro-Caribbean]] contract workers arrived in Panama during the construction of the Panama Canal (1903-14). {{Fact|date=May 2008}} Today, people identified as black constitute significant minorities in the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. They compose a majority in Haiti.

====Asians====
People of [[Asian Latin American|Asian descent]] are numerous in Latin America. The first Asians to settle in Latin America were [[Filipino people|Filipino]], as a result of Spain's trade involving Asia and the Americas. The majority of ethnic Asians in Latin America are of [[Japanese people|Japanese]] and [[Chinese people|Chinese]] ancestry and reside mainly in [[Brazil]] and [[Peru]]. Brazil is home to the largest ethnic [[Japanese Brazilian|Japanese community]] outside of [[Japan]] itself, numbering 1.5 million. Peru has one of the largest [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]] communites in the world with nearly 1 million Peruvians being of Chinese ancestry. The Japanese community also maintains a strong prescense in Peru as a past President and a number of politicians are of Japanese descent in Peru. [http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/brazil/index.html MOFA: Japan-Brazil Relations] [[India]]ns, [[Korean people|Koreans]], and [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] are also among the largest ethnic Asian communities in the region. In the Panama canal zone there is also a Chinese minority; descendants of migrant workers who built the Panama Canal.

*[[Brazil]]: 1.49 million of Asian Descent <ref>http://www.pucsp.br/rever/rv3_2004/p_shoji.pdf</ref><ref>http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/latin/index.html MOFA: Japan-Brazil Relations</ref>
*[[Peru]]: 1.47 million of Asian Descent <ref>http://www.ocac.gov.tw/english/public/public.asp?selno=1163&no=1163&level=B</ref><ref>http://www.universia.edu.pe/noticias/principales/destacada.php?id=65889</ref>

====Caucasians====

Beginning in the late fifteenth century, large numbers of [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] colonists settled in what became Latin America — Portuguese in [[Brazil]] and Spaniards elsewhere in the region — and at present most white Latin Americans are of Spanish or Portuguese origin. Iberians brought the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] languages, the [[Catholic]] faith, and many traditions.

Millions of Europeans have immigrated to Latin America since most countries gained independence in the 1810s and 1820s with most of the immigration occurring in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with the bulk of the immigrants settling in [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Brazil]]. [[Italians]] formed the largest group of immigrants, and next were [[Spanish people|Spaniards]] and [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-41807/South-America |title=South America :: Postindependence overseas immigrants |accessdate=2008-02-10 |work=Britannica Online Encyclopedia}}</ref> Many others arrived such as [[Germans]], [[Poles]], [[Ukrainians]], [[Russians]], [[Jews]], [[Irish people|Irish]], and [[Welsh people|Welsh]]. During the [[Second Mexican Empire]], many more French, [[Demographics of Belgium|Belgians]] and [[Swiss (people)|Swiss]] settled in Mexico.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nacionmulticultural.unam.mx/Portal/Izquierdo/BANCO/Mxmulticultural/Poblacioninmigrante-lapoliticacolonizadora.html |title=Población Inmigrante |accessdate=2008-06-23 |author= Luz María Martínez Montiel |date=2005 |work= Inmigración y Diversidad Cultural en México |publisher= Programa México Nación Multicultural de la UNAM |language=Spanish }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://historiamexicana.colmex.mx/pdf/13/art_13_1938_16335.pdf
|title= Los Extranjeros en México, La Inmigración y el Gobierno: ¿Tolerancia o Intolerancia religiosa?, 1821-1830 |accessdate=2008-06-23 |author= Fernando S. Alanís Enciso |format=PDF |language=Spanish }}
</ref> Whites make up the vast majority of the population in [[Puerto Rico]], [[Argentina]], [[Uruguay]] and [[Southern Brazil]]. In [[Cuba]] they make up nearly two-thirds of the population. In absolute numbers, Brazil has the largest population of whites in Latin America, followed by [[Argentina]], [[Venezuela]], [[Mexico]], [[Colombia]] and Cuba.

Latin American countries attracted [[Europe]]an immigrants to work in agriculture, commerce and industry. Many Latin American governments encouraged immigrants from Europe to civilize the region.<ref>[http://www.feth.ggf.br/Migra%C3%A7%C3%A3o.htm As políticas públicas de imigração européia não-portuguesa para o Brasil – de Pombal à República]</ref> Despite their different origins, these immigrants integrated in the local societies and most of their descendants only speak Spanish or, in Brazil, Portuguese. For example, people of Italian descent make up half of Argentina's and Uruguay's population, but only a few of them are able to speak [[Italian language|Italian]]. The only notable exceptions are some communities of Germans and Italians across Southern Brazil who still preserve their languages. Brazil has the biggest population of Italians outside of Italy<ref name>[http://www.italplanet.it/interna.asp?sez=143&info=2344&ln=0 italplanet<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref name="Gli_italiani_in_Brasile">[http://www.consultanazionaleemigrazione.it/itestero/Gli_italiani_in_Brasile.pdf Gli italiani in Brasile]</ref>; [[São Paulo]] city alone has more Italians than Rome, the most populous Italian city.<ref>[http://www.radiobras.gov.br/especiais/saopaulo450/sp450_mat10_2004.htm Especiais - Agência Brasil<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.geonames.org/IT/largest-cities-in-italy.html Biggest Cities Italy<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Immigration from the [[Middle East]] took place also since the 19th century and consisted largely of Christian [[Lebanon|Lebanese]], [[Syria]]ns, and [[Palestinians]]. They have generally assimilated into the European-descended population.

====Mestizos====
Intermixing between Europeans and Amerindians began early and was extensive. The resulting people, known as [[mestizo]]s, make up the majority of the population in a third of the countries of Latin America: [[Colombia]], [[Ecuador]], [[El Salvador]], [[Honduras]], [[Mexico]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Panama]] and [[Paraguay]]. Mestizos additionally compose large minorities in nearly all the mainland countries.

====Mulattoes====
[[Mulatto]]es are biracial descendants of mixed European and African ancestry, mostly European settlers and African slaves during the colonial period. The vast majority of mulattoes are found in Brazil, [[Dominican Republic]], [[Cuba]], and [[Colombia]]. There is also a small presence of mulattoes in other Latin American countries.<ref name=CIAEG/>

====Zambos====
Slaves often ran away ([[Maroon (people)|''cimarrones'']]) and were taken in by Amerindian villagers. Intermixing between Africans and Amerindians produced descendants known as [[zambo]]s. This was especially prevalent in [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]] and [[Brazil]].

In addition to the foregoing groups, Latin America also has millions of people of mixed African, Amerindian and European triracial ancestry, mostly in Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil but with a much smaller presence in a number of other countries.

====Racial distribution====
The following table shows the different racial groups and their percentages for all Latin American countries and territories.<ref>[http://www.worldstatesmen.org/ World Statesmen]</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Country !! Population !! [[White (race)|White]] !! [[Mestizo]] !! [[Mulatto]] !! [[Amerindian]] !! [[Black (race)|Black]] !! [[Mixed race|Mixed]] !! Other<sup>1</sup>
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Argentina]]''' || 40,301,927 || 86.4% || 6.5% || ||3.4%|| || || 3.7%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Aruba]]''' || 100,018 || || || || || || 80.0% || 20.0%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Belize]]''' <sup>2</sup> || 311,500 || 4.3% || 48.7% || 24.9% || 10.6% || || 6.1% || 5.4%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Bolivia]]''' || 9,119,152 || 8.0% || 27.0% || || 65.0% || || ||
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Brazil]]''' || 190,010,647 || 53.7% || || 38.5% || || 6.2% || || 1.6%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Chile]]''' || 16,284,741 || 21.8% || 72.4% || || 4.7% || || || 1.1%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Colombia]]''' || 44,379,598 || 20.0% || 47.3% || 23.0% || 2.0% || 6.0% || || 1.0%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Costa Rica]]''' || 4,133,884 || 77.0% || 17.0% || 3.0% || 1.0% || || || 2.0%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Cuba]]''' || 11,394,043 || 37.0% || || 51.0% || || 11.0% || || 1.0%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Dominican Republic]]''' || 9,365,818 || 17.0% || || 69.5% || || 11.8% || || 1.7%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Ecuador]]''' || 13,755,680 || 10.6% || 42.0% || || 40.8% || 5.0% || || 1.6%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[El Salvador]]''' || 6,948,073 || 1.6% || 88.3% || || 9.1% || || || 1.0%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[French Guiana]]''' || 199,509 || 8.0% || || 37.9% || || 8.0% || 37.1% || 9.0%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Guadeloupe]]''' || 452,776 || 2.0% || || 76.7% || || 10.0% || 10.0% || 1.3%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Guatemala]]''' || 12,728,111 || 5.0% || 54.4% || || 40.5% || || || 0.1%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Haiti]]''' || 8,706,497 || || || || || 94.2% || 5.4% || 0.4%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Honduras]]''' || 7,483,763 || 2.3% || 86.6% || || 5.5% || 4.3% || || 1.3%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Martinique]]''' || 436,131 || 3.0% || || || || || 93.4% || 3.6%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Mexico]]''' || 108,700,891 || 15.5% || 64.3% || || 18.0% || 0.5% || || 1.7%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Netherlands Antilles]]''' || 223,652 || 5.3% || || 81.1% || || || || 13.6%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Nicaragua]]''' || 5,675,356 || 14.0% || 63.1% || || 4.0% || 8.0% ||5.0% || 5.9%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Panama]]''' || 3,242,173 || 8.6% || 58.1% || 14.0% || 6.7% || || || 12.6%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Paraguay]]''' || 6,669,086 || 9.3% || 85.6% || || 1.8% || 1.0% || || 2.3%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Peru]]''' || 28,674,757 || 12.0% || 31.9% || || 52.4% || || || 3.7%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Puerto Rico]]''' || 3,944,259 || 74.3% || || 10.0% || || 15.0% || || 0.7%
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Saint Martin]]''' || 33,102 || || || || || || 100.0% ||
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Saint Pierre and Miquelon]]''' || 7,036 || 100.0% || || || || || ||
|- bgcolor="ffffff" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Uruguay]]''' || 3,460,607 || 94.5% || 3.1% || 2.0% || || || || 0.4%
|- bgcolor="f1f5fa" align="right"
| align="left" | '''[[Venezuela]] <sup>3</sup> || 26,023,528 || 21.0% || || || 2.0% || 10.0% || 67.0% ||
|-
! Total !! 562,461,667 !! 34.8% !! 27.5% !! 17.4% !! 10.1% !! 5.4% !! 3.4% !! 1.4%
|}
*<sup>1</sup> <small>May include one or more of the previous groups.</small>
*<sup>2</sup> <small>"Other" includes census answer of ''Spanish'' which does not specify race; "mixed" includes the [[Garifuna]] (mixed Amerindian/black).</small><ref>{{cite web |url= http://celade.cepal.org/cgibin/RpWebEngine.exe/PortalAction?&MODE=MAIN&BASE=CPVBLZ2000&MAIN=WebServerMain.inl
|title= Belize 2000 Housing and Population Census |accessdate=2008-09-09 |year=2000 |publisher= Belize Central Statistical Office }}
</ref>
*<sup>3</sup><small>Venezuela 2005 census includes both mulatto and mestizo in "mixed"'''<ref>[http://www.oficinascomerciales.es/icex/cma/contentTypes/common/records/viewDocument/0,,,00.bin?doc=486600 Oficinas Comerciales]</ref></small>

===Language===
{{see also|Indigenous languages of the Americas}}
[[Image:Map-Romance Latin America.png|left|thumb|Romance languages in Latin America: '''<font color="00B927">Green</font>'''-Spanish; '''<font color="#FF8400">Orange</font>'''-Portuguese; '''<font color="#0000FF">Blue</font>'''-French]]

[[Spanish language|Spanish]] is the predominant language in the majority of Latin American countries. [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] is spoken primarily in Brazil, the most populous country in the region. [[French language|French]] is spoken in some countries of the [[Caribbean]], [[Guadeloupe]], [[Martinique]], and [[French Guiana]] and [[Haiti]]. [[Dutch language|Dutch]] is the official language of some Caribbean islands and in [[Suriname]] on the continent; however, as Dutch is a [[Germanic languages|Germanic language]], these territories are not considered part of Latin America.

Other European languages spoken in Latin America include: [[English language|English]], by some groups in [[Argentina]], [[Belize]], [[Nicaragua]], [[Panama]], and [[Puerto Rico]]; [[German language|German]], in southern [[Brazil]], southern [[Chile]], Argentina, and German-speaking villages in northern [[Venezuela]] and Paraguay; [[Italian language|Italian]], in Brazil, Argentina, [[Uruguay]] and, to a lesser extent, Venezuela; and [[Welsh language|Welsh]], in southern Argentina.

In several nations, especially in the [[Caribbean]] region, [[creole languages]] are spoken. The most widely-spoken creole language in the Caribbean and Latin America in general is [[Haitian Creole]], the predominant language of [[Haiti]]; it is derived primarily from French and certain [[West Africa]]n tongues with some [[Amerindian]] and Spanish influences as well. Creole languages of mainland Latin America, similarly, are derived from European languages and various African tongues. [[Native American languages]] are widely spoken in [[Peru]], [[Guatemala]], [[Bolivia]], [[Paraguay]], and to a lesser degree, in [[Mexico]], [[Ecuador]], and [[Chile]]. In absolute numbers, Mexico contains the largest population of indigenous-language speakers of any country in the Americas, surpassing those of the Amerindian-majority countries of Guatemala, Bolivia and the Amerindian-plurality country of Peru. In Latin American countries not named above, the population of speakers of indigenous languages is small or non-existent.

In [[Peru]], [[Quechua]] is an official language, alongside Spanish and any other indigenous language in the areas where they predominate. In [[Ecuador]], while holding no official status, the closely-related [[Quichua]] is a recognized language of the indigenous people under the country's constitution; however, it is only spoken by a few groups in the country's highlands. In [[Bolivia]], [[Aymara]], Quechua and Guaraní hold official status alongside Spanish. [[Guaraní language|Guarani]] is, along with Spanish, an official language of [[Paraguay]], and is spoken by a majority of the population (who are, for the most part, bilingual), and it is co-official with Spanish in the [[Argentina|Argentine]] province of [[Corrientes]]. In [[Nicaragua]], Spanish is the official language, but on the country's Caribbean coast English and indigenous languages such as [[Miskito language|Miskito]], [[Sumo language|Sumo]], and [[Rama language|Rama]] also hold official status. [[Colombia]] recognizes all indigenous languages spoken within its territory as official, though fewer than 1% of its population are native speakers of these. [[Nahuatl]] is one of the 62 native languages spoken by indigenous people in Mexico, which are officially recognized by the government as "national languages" along with Spanish.

===Religion===
[[Image:Rio de Janeiro Helicoptero 47 Feb 2006.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[Christ the Redeemer]] (''Cristo Redentor'') atop [[Corcovado]] mountain, [[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brasil]].]]
The vast majority of Latin Americans are [[Christians]], mostly [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]]. However, membership in the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America is declining while membership in other religions, like the [[Protestant]] churches is increasing, particularly in countries such as [[Guatemala]], [[Brazil]], and [[Puerto Rico]].

Also, indigenous creeds and rituals are still practiced in countries such as [[Bolivia]], [[Guatemala]], [[México]] and [[Perú]]. Various [[Afro-Latin American]] traditions such as [[Santería]], [[Candomblé]], [[Umbanda]], [[Macumba]], and [[Voodoo|tribal-voodoo]] religions are also practiced, mainly in [[Cuba]], [[Brazil]], and [[Haiti]].

[[Brazil]] has an active [[Socialism|quasi-socialist]] Roman Catholic movement known as [[Liberation Theology]], and Brazil is also the country with more practitioners in the world of [[Allan Kardec]]'s [[Spiritism]]. Practitioners of the [[Jew]]ish, [[Mormons]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], [[Buddhism|Buddhist]], [[Islam]]ic, [[Hinduism|Hindu]], and [[Bahá'í Faith|Bahá'í]] denominations and religions exist.

===Emigration===
Due to economic, social and security developments that are affecting the region in recent decades, the focus is now the change from net immigration to net [[emigration]]. According to the 2005 Colombian census or DANE, about 3,331,107 Colombians currently live abroad.<ref name=pstalker>http://www.pstalker.com/migration/index.htm</ref> Some 60,000 to 80,000 Argentineans a year have been emigrating, but emigration slowed in 2002 after the bank accounts of many people were frozen, so that they had no money for overseas travel.<ref name=pstalker/> The number of Brazilians living overseas is estimated at about 2 million people.<ref>[http://www2.camara.gov.br/comissoes/credn/publicacao/NotatecnicaBrasileirosExterior.html Brasileiros no Exterior — Portal da Câmara dos Deputados<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Remittances to [[Mexico]] rose from $6.6 billion to $24 billion between 2000 and 2006, but stabilized in 2007. Much of the reported increase between 2000 and 2006 may reflect better accounting, but the slowdown in 2007 may reflect tougher U.S. border and interior enforcement.<ref name=pstalker/>

==Economy==
{{boxboxtop|Business centers}}
<div class="NavFrame" style="padding:0;border-style:none;">
<div class="NavFrame" style="border-style:none;padding:0;">
<div class="NavHead" style="background:#EDF1F1;text-align:center;text-style:normal">
<small>''''A gallery''''
</div><div class="NavContent" style="display:none;">
{| class="wikitable" align="center"
|-
|[[Image:MarginalPinheiros.jpg|thumb|200px|Financial district in [[São Paulo]] in [[Brazil]]]]
|[[Image:Santa feconj.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Santa Fe (Mexico City)|Santa Fe]], one of the many business districts of [[Mexico City]], [[Mexico]]]]
|[[Image:Puerto-madero-night.jpg|thumb|200px|Downtown [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]], at night]]
|[[Image:Bogota_Usaquen.jpg|thumb|200px|Financial center of [[Bogotá]], [[Colombia]]]]
|[[Image:Copolago.jpg|thumb|200px|Panoramic of [[Caracas]], [[Venezuela]]]]
|-
|[[Image:Render03nocturna4rj.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Santiago de Chile]]]]
|[[Image:IMGP0009.jpg|thumb|200px|View of the [[San Isidro District]] financial center in [[Lima]], [[Peru]].]]
|[[Image:GuayaquilEC.jpg|thumb|200px|Financial center of [[Guayaquil]], [[Ecuador]]]]
|[[Image:SAN_JORGE_La_Paz_BOLIVIA.jpg|thumb|200px|[[La Paz]], [[Bolivia]]]]
|-
| colspan="5" align="center" | <small>'''A few examples of<br />Latin American business centers'''
|}
{{Userboxbottom}}

According to [[ECLAC]],<ref name="ECLAC">[http://www.eclac.org/cgi-bin/getProd.asp?xml=/prensa/noticias/comunicados/0/27580/P27580.xml&xsl=/prensa/tpl-i/p6f.xsl&base=/tpl-i/top-bottom.xsl Latin American and Caribbean Economic Growth Will Exceed 5% in 2006]</ref> an economic growth rate of 5.3% is estimated for 2006, equivalent to a per capita increase of 3.8%. This marks the fourth consecutive year of economic growth, and the third consecutive year of rates exceeding 4%, after an average annual growth rate of only 2.2% between 1980 and 2002. A breakdown of the annual rates of [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] growth (in [[U.S. dollars]] at constant 2000 prices) is transcribed as follows:
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto"
! Country || 2004 || 2005 || 2006 || 2007<sup>a</sup> || 2008 <sup>a</sup>
|-
| {{flag|Argentina}} || 9 || 9.2 || 8.5 || 8.7 || 5.5
|-
| {{flag|Bolivia}} || 4.2 || 4 || 4.6 || 3.9 || 5.4
|-
| {{flag|Brazil}} || 5.7 || 3.2 || 3.8 || 5.4 || 4.8
|-
| {{flag|Chile}} || 6 || 5.7 || 4 || 5.9 || 5
|-
| {{COL}} || 4.9 || 4.7 || 6.8 || 6.6 || 7.5
|-
| {{CRC}} || 4.3 || 5.9 || 8.2 || 6 || 5
|-
| {{CUB}}<sup>b</sup> || 5.4 || 11.8 || 12.5 || {{N/A}} || {{N/A}}
|-
| {{DOM}} || 2 || 9.3 || 10.7 || 8 || 4.5
|-
| {{ECU}} || 8 || 6 || 3.9 || 2.7 || 3.4
|-
| {{SLV}} || 1.9 || 3.1 || 4.2 || 4.2 || 3.8
|-
| {{GUA}} || 3.2 || 3.5 || 4.9 || 4.8 || 4.3
|-
| {{HAI}} || -2.6 || 0.4 || 2.2 || 3.2 || 4.3
|-
| {{HON}} || 5 || 4.1 || 6 || 5.4 || 3.4
|-
| {{MEX}} || 4.2 || 2.8 || 4.8 || 2.9 || 3
|-
| {{NIC}} || 5.3 || 4.3 || 3.7 || 4.2 || 4.7
|-
| {{PAN}} || 7.5 || 6.9 || 8.1 || 8.5 || 8.8
|-
| {{PAR}} || 4.1 || 2.9 || 4.3 || 5 || 4
|-
| {{PER}} || 5.1 || 6.7 || 7.6 || 8.9 || 9.5
|-
| {{URU}} || 11.8 || 6.6 || 7 || 5.2 || 3.8
|-
| {{VEN}} || 18.3 || 10.3 || 10.3 || 8 || 6
|-
| Latin America || 6 || 4.5 || 5.3 || 4.7 || {{N/A}}
|-
| colspan="7" align=left| <small>Notes: a. Estimates b. Figures provided by the National Statistics Office of Cuba,<br/>under evaluation by ECLAC <small>Sources: 1. All countries, except Cuba: [[IMF]] <br/> [http://imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2004&ey=2008&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=%2C&br=1&pr1.x=32&pr1.y=9&c=213%2C263%2C268%2C273%2C218%2C278%2C223%2C283%2C228%2C288%2C233%2C293%2C238%2C243%2C248%2C253%2C298%2C258%2C299&s=NGDP_RPCH&grp=0&a=] 2. Cuba and Latin America: [[ECLAC]] {{PDFlink|[http://www.eclac.org/prensa/noticias/comunicados/0/27580/GDPchartforprelimoverview_ENG.pdf]|230&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 236375 bytes -->}}</small>
|}

===Inequality and poverty===
Inequality and poverty continue to be the region's main challenges; according to the [[ECLAC]] Latin America is the most unequal region in the world.<ref>[http://www.americaeconomia.com/PLT_WRITE-PAGE~SessionId~~Language~0~Modality~0~Section~1~Content~28026~NamePage~NoticiasArti~DateView~~Style~15389.htm La región sigue siendo la más desigual del mundo, según Cepal] América Economía</ref> Moreover, according to the World Bank, nearly 25% of the population lives on less than 2 USD a day. The countries with the highest inequality in the region (as measured with the [[Gini index]] in the UN Development Report<ref name="Gini"/>) in 2006 were [[Bolivia]] (60.1), [[Haiti]] (59.2), [[Colombia]] (58.6), [[Brazil]] (58), [[Paraguay]] (57.8) and [[Chile]] (57.1), while the countries with the lowest inequality in the region were [[Nicaragua]] (43.1), [[Ecuador]] (43.7), [[Venezuela]] (44.1) and [[Uruguay]] (44.9). One aspect of inequality and poverty in Latin America is unequal access to basic infrastructure. For example, access to [[water and sanitation in Latin America]] and the quality of these services remain low.

===Crime and Violence===
{{see also|Crime and Violence in Latin America}}

Crime and violence prevention and public security have become key social issues of concern to public policy makers and citizens in the Latin American and Caribbean region. In Latin America, violence is now among the five main causes of death and is the principal cause of death in [[Brazil]], [[Colombia]], [[Venezuela]] and [[El Salvador]]. Homicide rates in Latin America are among the highest of any region in the world. From the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, intentional [[homicide]] rates in Latin America increased by 50 percent. The major victims of such homicides are young men, 69 percent of whom are between the ages of 15 and 19 years old.<ref>[http://www.worldbank.org/LAC World Bank Group - 404 error<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Many analysts agree that the prison crisis will not be resolved until the gap between rich and poor is addressed. They say that growing [[social inequality]] is fuelling crime in the region. But there is also no doubt that, on such an approach, Latin American countries have still a long way to go.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4404176.stm BBC NEWS | Americas | Latin America: Crisis behind bars<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Trade blocs===

The major trade blocs or agreements in the region are [[Mercosur]] and the [[Andean Community of Nations]] ('''CAN'''). Minor blocs or trade agreements are the [[G3]], the [[Central American Free Trade Agreement]] ('''CAFTA''') and the [[Caribbean Community]] ('''CARICOM'''). However, major reconfigurations are taking place along opposing approaches to integration and trade; Venezuela has officially withdrawn from both the CAN and G3 and it has been formally admitted into the Mercosur (pending ratification from the Brazilian and Paraguayan legislatures). The president-elect of Ecuador has manifested his intentions of following the same path. This bloc nominally opposes any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States, although Uruguay has manifested its intention otherwise. On the other hand, Mexico is a member of the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] ('''NAFTA'''), Chile and Peru has signed an FTA with the [[United States]], and Colombia's legislatures is awaiting its ratification by the US Senate.

===Standard of living, consumption, and the environment===
The following table lists (in alphabetical order) all the countries in Latin America indicating [[Gross Domestic Product]] (GDP), per capita income in nominal terms and adjusted to purchasing power parity (PPP), [[Gross Domestic Product]] in PPP, a measurement of inequality through the [[Gini index]] (the higher the index the more unequal the income distribution is), the [[Human Development Index]] (HDI), the [[Environmental Performance Index]] (EPI), and the [[Quality-of-life index]]. GDP and PPP GDP statistics come from the [[International Monetary Fund]] with data as of 2006. Gini index, the [[Human Poverty Index]] HDI-1, the [[Human Development Index]], and the number of internet users per capita come from the [[UN Development Program]]. The number of motor vehicles per capita come from the UNData base on-line. The EPI index comes from the [[Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy]] and the [[Quality-of-life index]] from [[The Economist]] Intelligence Unit. Green cells indicate the 1st rank in each category, while yellow indicate the last rank.

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- bgcolor=#ececec
! Country
! GDP per<br />capita<ref name="IMF">[[International Monetary Fund]] [http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2008/01/weodata/index.aspx World Economic Outlook Database-April 2008 Edition]</ref><small><br />(2006)</small><br><small>''Current<br /> USD''</small>
! GDP per<br />capita<br />(PPP)<ref name="IMF"/><small><br />(2006)</small><br><small>''USD''</small>
! Income<br />equality<ref name="Gini">[http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/ Human Development Report], [[UNDP]]</ref><small><br />(2001-04)</small><br><small>[[Gini index]]</small>
! Poverty <br /> Index<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 3: Human poverty index: developing countries |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-20| author=UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008}} page 238-240</ref><small><br />(2005)</small><br><small>[[Human Poverty Index|HPI-1]] %</small>
! Human <br />Develop.<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 1: Human Development Index|url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-20| author=UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008}} page 229-232</ref><small><br />(2005)</small><br><small>[[Human Development Index|HDI]]</small>
! Envirnm. <br />Perfrm.<ref>{{cite web
|title=Environmental Performance Index 2008 |url=http://epi.yale.edu/Home |accessdate=2008-03-13
|author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University}}</ref><small><br />(2008)</small><br><small>[[Environmental Performance Index|EPI]]</small>
! Quality<br />of life<ref>{{cite web |title=Quality-of-life index The World in 2005 |url=http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/QUALITY_OF_LIFE.pdf |accessdate=2008-03-13 |author=The Economist Pocket World in Figures 2008}}</ref><small><br />(2005)</small><br><small>index</small>
! Motor <br />veh.<ref>{{cite web|title=UNData. Country profiles (1999-2005) |url=http://data.un.org/CountryProfile.aspx?crName=Argentina
|accessdate=2008-03-23| author=United Nations}} Search for each individual country</ref><small><br />(2007)</small><br><small>per 1,000<br /> people</small>
! Annual<br />economic <br />growth<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 13: economic higher |url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America#Economic_performance|accessdate=2008-03-20| author=UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008}} page 273-276</ref><small><br />(2007)</small><br><small>%<br />
! Emissions<br />per<br /> capita<ref>{{cite web|title=Table 24: Carbon dioxide emissions and stocks |url=http://hdr.undp.org/en/media/hdr_20072008_en_indicator_tables.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-23| author=UNDP Human Development Report 2007/2008}} page 310-313</ref><br /><small>(2004)</small><br><small>ton CO2</small>
|-
| {{ARG}} || 5,458 || 12,046 || 51.3 || 4.1 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''0.869''' (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 81.8 || 6.469 || 173 || 7.5 || 3.7
|-
| {{BOL}} || 1,167 || 3,829 || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 60.1 || 13.6 || 0.695 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 64.7 || 5.492 || 52 || 3.9 || 0.8
|-
| {{BRA}} || 5,742 || 9,081 || 57.0 || 9.7 || 0.800 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 82.7 || 6.470 || 118 || 5.4 || 1.8
|-
| {{CHI}} || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''8,903''' || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''13,083''' || 54.9 || 3.7 || 0.867 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 83.4 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''6.789''' || 140 || 5.9 || 3.9
|-
| {{COL}} || 2,911 || 6,218 || 58.6 || 7.9 || 0.791 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 88.3 || 6.176 || 55 || 7.5 || 1.2
|-
| {{CRC}} || 5,173 || 9,585 || 49.8 || 4.4 || 0.846 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''90.5''' || 6.624 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''193''' || 6 || 1.5
|-
| {{CUB}}<ref>The IMF does not report statistics for Cuba. Data from the [[CIA World Factbook]] is used</ref> || 3,500 || 4,100 || {{n/a}} || 4.7 || 0.838 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 80.7 || {{n/a}} || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 2 || {{N/A}} || 2.3
|-
| {{DOM}} || 3,667 || 6,412 || 51.6 || 10.5 || 0.779 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 83.0 || 5.630 || 111 || 8 || 2.2
|-
| {{ECU}} || 3,058 || 6,973 || 53.6 || 8.7 || 0.772 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 84.4 || 6.272 || 55 || bgcolor=#ffffcc| '''2.7''' || 2.2
|-
| {{SLV}} || 2,661 || 5,530 || 52.4 || 15.1 || 0.735 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 77.2 || 6.164 || 64 || 4.2 || 0.9
|-
| {{GUA}} || 2,327 || 4,438 || 55.1 || 22.5 || 0.689 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 76.7 || 5.321 || 108 || 4.8 || 1.0
|-
| {{HAI}} || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 550 || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 1,240 || 59.2 || bgcolor=#ffffcc| '''35.4''' || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 0.529 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 60.7 || bgcolor=#ffffcc| 4.090 || 20 || 3.2 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''0.2'''
|-
| {{HON}} || 1,462 || 3,818 || 53.8 || 16.5 || 0.700 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 75.4 || 5.250 || 14 || 5.4 || 1.1
|-
| {{MEX}} || 8,060 || 12,178 || 46.1 || 6.8 || 0.829 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 79.8 || 6.766 || 191 || 2.9 || 4.2
|-
| {{NIC}} || 896 || 2,515 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''43.1''' || 17.9 || 0.710 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 73.4 || 5.663 || 38 || 4.2 || 0.7
|-
| {{PAN}} || 5,217 || 9,204 || 56.1 || 8.0 || 0.812 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 83.1 || 6.361 || 102 || 8.5 || 1.8
|-
| {{PAR}} || 1,657 || 4,191 || 58.4 || 8.8 || 0.755 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 77.7 || 5.756 || 69 || 5 || 0.7
|-
| {{PER}} || 3,366 || 7,081 || 52.0 || 11.6 || 0.773 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 78.1 || 6.216 || 54 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''8.9''' || 1.1
|-
| {{URU}} || 6,036 || 10,578 || 44.9 || bgcolor=#ccffcc| '''3.5''' || 0.852 (<font color="#009900">H</font>) || 82.3 || 6.368 || 154 || 5.2 || 1.6
|-
| {{VEN}} || 6,834 || 11,150 || 48.2 || 8.8 || 0.792 (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) || 80.0 || 6.089 || 120 || 8 || bgcolor=#ffffcc| '''6.6'''
|}
<small>Notes: (<font color="#009900">H</font>) High human development; (<font color="#ffcc00">M</font>) Medium human development</small>

== Culture ==
{{main|Latin American culture}}
[[Image:Tradicionalranchero.JPG|thumb|200px|right|A type of traditional [[Mexican]] dance and costume.]]
The rich mosaic of Latin American cultural expressions is the product of many diverse influences:
* [[Native]] cultures of the peoples that inhabited the continents prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
* [[European culture]]s, brought mainly by the [[Spanish people|Spanish]], the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] and the [[French people|French]]. This can be seen in any expression of the region's rich artistic traditions, including painting, literature and music, and in the realms of science and politics. The most enduring European colonial influence was language. Italian influence has been important as well.
* [[African]] cultures, whose presence derives from a long history of [[New World]] [[slavery]]. Peoples of African descent have influenced the ethno-scapes of Latin America and the Caribbean. This is manifest for instance in dance and religion, especially in countries such as [[Belize]], Brazil, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Haiti, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Cuba.

=== Literature ===
{{main|Latin American literature}}
{{see also|List of Latin American writers}}

[[Image:Gabogarciamarquez1.png|thumb|right|250px|The Colombian [[García Márquez]] signing a copy of ''[[One Hundred Years of Solitude]]'' in [[Havana]], [[Cuba]].]]

Pre-Columbian cultures were primarily oral, though the Aztecs and Mayans, for instance, produced elaborate [[Aztec codices|codices]]. Oral accounts of mythological and religious beliefs were also sometimes recorded after the arrival of European colonizers, as was the case with the [[Popol Vuh]]. Moreover, a tradition of oral narrative survives to this day, for instance among the [[Quechua]]-speaking population of Peru and the [[Quiché]] of Guatemala.

[[Image:Neruda 1971.jpg|thumb|left|145px|Chilean poet [[Pablo Neruda]], interviewed in 1971.]]

From the very moment of Europe's "discovery" of the continent, early explorers and [[conquistadores]] produced written accounts and crónicas of their experience--such as [[Christopher Columbus|Columbus]]'s letters or [[Bernal Díaz del Castillo]]'s description of the conquest of Mexico. During the colonial period, written culture was often in the hands of the church, within which context [[Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz]] wrote memorable poetry and philosophical essays. Towards the end of the 18th Century and the beginning of the 19th, a distinctive [[Criollo (people)|criollo]] literary tradition emerged, including the first novels such as Lizardi's [[El Periquillo Sarniento]] (1816).

The 19th Century was a period of "foundational fictions" (in critic Doris Sommer's words), novels in the [[Romanticism|Romantic]] or [[Naturalism (literature)|Naturalist]] traditions that attempted to establish a sense of national identity, and which often focussed on the indigenous question or the dichotomy of "civilization or barbarism" (for which see, say, [[Domingo Faustino Sarmiento|Domingo Sarmiento]]'s ''[[Facundo]]'' (1845), [[Juan León Mera]]'s ''Cumandá'' (1879), or [[Euclides da Cunha]]'s ''[[Os Sertões]]'' (1902)).

[[Image:Carlos Fuentes.jpg|thumb|132px|Mexican novelist [[Carlos Fuentes]].]]

At the turn of the 20th century, ''[[modernismo]]'' emerged, a poetic movement whose founding text was Nicaraguan poet [[Rubén Darío]]'s ''[[Azul]]'' (1888). This was the first Latin American literary movement to influence literary culture outside of the region, and was also the first truly Latin American literature, in that national differences were no longer so much at issue. [[José Martí]], for instance, though a Cuban patriot, also lived in Mexico and the U.S. and wrote for journals in Argentina and elsewhere.

[[Image:Jorge Luis Borges 1951, by Grete Stern.jpg|thumb|left|145px|Argentine author [[Jorge Luís Borges]], 1951, during his dispute with President [[Juan Perón]].]]
However, what really put Latin American literature on the global map was no doubt the literary [[Latin American Boom|boom]] of the 1960s and 1970s, distinguished by daring and experimental novels (such as [[Julio Cortázar]]'s ''[[Hopscotch (Julio Cortázar novel)|Rayuela]]'' (1963)) that were frequently published in Spain and quickly translated into English. The Boom's defining novel was [[Gabriel García Márquez]]'s [[One Hundred Years of Solitude|Cien años de soledad]] (1967), which led to the association of Latin American literature with [[magic realism]], though other important writers of the period such as the Peruvian [[Mario Vargas Llosa]] and [[Carlos Fuentes]] do not fit so easily within this framework. Arguably, the Boom's culmination was [[Augusto Roa Bastos]]'s monumental ''Yo, el supremo'' (1974). In the wake of the Boom, influential precursors such as [[Juan Rulfo]], [[Alejo Carpentier]], and above all [[Jorge Luis Borges]] were also rediscovered.

Contemporary literature in the region is vibrant and varied, ranging from the best-selling [[Paulo Coelho]] and [[Isabel Allende]] to the more avant-garde and critically acclaimed work of writers such as [[Diamela Eltit]], [[Ricardo Piglia]], or [[Roberto Bolaño]]. There has also been considerable attention paid to the genre of [[Testimony#Testimony in literature|testimonio]], texts produced in collaboration with [[Subaltern (postcolonialism)|subaltern]] subjects such as [[Rigoberta Menchú]]. Finally, a new breed of chroniclers is represented by the more journalistic [[Carlos Monsiváis]] and Pedro Lemebel.

The region boasts five [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Nobel Prizewinners]]: in addition to the Colombian [[Gabriel García Márquez]] (1982), also the Chilean poet [[Gabriela Mistral]] (1945), the Guatemalan novelist [[Miguel Ángel Asturias]] (1967), the Chilean poet [[Pablo Neruda]] (1971), and the Mexican poet and essayist [[Octavio Paz]] (1990).

=== Art ===
{{main|Latin American art}}
{{see also|List of Latin American artists}}
[[Image:Palacio de bellas artes 1.jpg|left|thumb|[[Palacio de Bellas Artes|Palace of Fine Arts]], built in the early 20th century in [[Mexico City]].]]
Beyond the rich tradition of indigenous art, the development of Latin American visual art owed much to the influence of Spanish, Portuguese and French Baroque painting, which in turn often followed the trends of the Italian Masters. In general, this artistic Eurocentrism began to fade in the early twentieth century, as Latin-Americans began to acknowledge the uniqueness of their condition and started to follow their own path.

From the early twentieth century, the art of Latin America was greatly inspired by the Constructivist Movement. The Constructivist Movement was founded in [[Russia]] around 1913 by [[Vladimir Tatlin]]. The Movement quickly spread from Russia to Europe and then into Latin America. [[Joaquin Torres Garcia]] and [[Manuel Rendón]] have been credited with bringing the Constructivist Movement into Latin America from Europe.

An important artistic movement generated in Latin America is ''[[Mural]]ismo'' represented by [[Diego Rivera]], [[David Alfaro Siqueiros]], [[José Clemente Orozco]] and [[Rufino Tamayo]] in Mexico and [[Santiago Martinez Delgado]] and [[Pedro Nel Gómez]] in Colombia. Some of the most impressive ''Muralista'' works can be found in [[Mexico]], [[Colombia]], [[New York City]], [[San Francisco]], [[Los Angeles]] and [[Philadelphia]].

Mexican painter [[Frida Kahlo]] remains by far the most known and famous Latin American artist.{{Fact|date=May 2008}} She painted about her own life and the Mexican culture in a style combining [[Realism (arts)|Realism]], [[Symbolism]] and [[Surrealism]]. Kahlo's work commands the highest selling price of all Latin American paintings.<ref>{{cite web | title=Frida Kahlo " Roots " Sets $5.6 Million Record at Sotheby's | url=http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Frida_Kahlo_Roots_$5.6_Million_Record-at-Sothebys.html | publisher=Art Knowledge News |accessdate=2007-09-23}}</ref>

=== Music and dance ===
{{seealso|Dance and music of Latin America || Latin American music|Latin pop|Latin dance}}

[[Image:Carnaval 2004.jpg|thumb|right|[[Brazilian Carnival]]]]
One of the main characteristics of Latin American music is its diversity, from the lively rhythms of Central America and the Caribbean to the more austere sounds of the Andes and the [[Southern Cone]]. Another feature of Latin American music is its original blending of the variety of styles that arrived in The Americas and became influential, from the early Spanish and European Baroque to the different beats of the African rhythms.

Hispano-Caribbean music, such as [[Merengue (music)|Merengue]], [[Bachata]], [[Salsa music|Salsa]], and more recently [[Reggaeton]], from such countries as the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Panama has been strongly influenced by African rhythms and melodies. Haiti's [[Kompa|Compas]] is a genre of music that draws influence and is thus similar to its Hispano-Caribbean counterparts with an element of jazz and modern sound as well.<ref> {{cite web |author=Dr. Christopher Washburne |publisher=University of Salsa |title=Clave: The African Roots of Salsa |accessdate=2006-05-23 |url=http://www.planetsalsa.com/university_of_salsa/clave/clave_roots.htm}} </ref><ref> {{cite web |publisher=Caravan Music |title=Guide to Latin Music |url=http://www.caravanmusic.com/GuideLatinMusic.htm |accessdate=2006-05-23}} </ref>

Another well-known Latin American musical genre includes the [[Argentine tango|Argentine]] and [[Uruguayan tango|Uruguayan]] [[tango music|tango]], as well as the distinct [[nuevo tango]], a fusion of tango, [[acoustic music|acoustic]] and [[electronic music]] popularized by [[bandoneón]] virtuoso [[Ástor Piazzolla]]. Equally renown, the [[samba]], North American [[jazz]], [[European classical music]] and [[choro]] combined to form ''[[bossa nova]]'' in Brazil, popularized by [[guitar|guitarrist]] [[João Gilberto]] and [[jazz piano|pianist]] [[Antonio Carlos Jobim]].

Other influential Latin American sounds include the Antillean [[Soca music|Soca]] and [[Calypso music|Calypso]], the Central American (Garifuna) [[Punta]], the Colombian [[cumbia]] and [[vallenato]], the Chilean [[Cueca]], the Ecuadorian [[Boleros music|Boleros]], and [[Rockoleras]], the Mexican [[ranchera]], the Nicaraguan [[Palo de Mayo]], the Peruvian [[Marinera]] and [[Tondero]], the Uruguayan [[Candombe]], the French Antillean [[Zouk]](Derived from Haitian Compas) and the various styles of music from Pre-Columbian traditions that are widespread in the [[Andean]] region.
[[Image:Tango-Show-Buenos-Aires-01.jpg|thumb|left|A couple dances [[Argentine]] [[Tango (dance)|Tango]].]]
The classical composer [[Heitor Villa-Lobos]] (1887-1959) worked on the recording of native musical traditions within his homeland of Brazil. The traditions of his homeland heavily influenced his classical works.<ref> {{cite web |publisher=Leadership Medica |title=Heitor Villa-Lobos |accessdate=2006-05-23|url=http://www.cesil.com/0998/enbass09.htm}} </ref> Also notable is the recent work of the Cuban [[Leo Brouwer]] and guitar work of the Venezuelan [[Antonio Lauro]] and the Paraguayan [[Agustín Barrios]]. Latin America has also produced world-class classical performers such as the Chilean pianist [[Claudio Arrau]], Brazilian pianist [[Nelson Freire]] and the Argentinian pianist and conductor [[Daniel Barenboim]].

Arguably, the main contribution to music entered through folklore, where the true soul of the Latin American and Caribbean countries is expressed. Musicians such as [[Yma Súmac]], [[Chabuca Granda]], [[Atahualpa Yupanqui]], [[Violeta Parra]], [[Victor Jara]], [[Mercedes Sosa]], [[Jorge Negrete]], [[Luiz Gonzaga]], [[Caetano Veloso]], [[Susana Baca]], [[Chavela Vargas]], [[Simon Diaz]], [[Julio Jaramillo]], [[Toto la Momposina]] as well as musical ensembles such as [[Inti Illimani]] and [[Los Kjarkas]] are magnificent examples of the heights that this soul can reach.

[[Latin pop]], including many forms of [[Rock (music)|rock]], is popular in Latin America today (see [[Spanish language rock and roll]]).<ref> {{cite news |author=The Baltimore Sun |publisher=The Michigan Daily |title=Latin music returns to America with wave of new pop starlets |url=http://www.pub.umich.edu/daily/1999/sep/09-28-99/arts/arts6.html |accessdate=2006-05-23}} </ref>

More recently, [[Reggaeton]], which blends Jamaican reggae and dancehall with Latin America genres such as [[bomba]] and [[plena]], as well as that of [[hip hop]], is becoming more popular, in spite of the controversy surrounding its lyrics, dance steps ([[Perreo]]) and music videos. It has become very popular among populations with a "migrant culture" influence - both Latino populations in the U.S., such as southern Florida and New York City, and parts of Latin America where migration to the U.S. is common, such as Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=Associated Press |title=Daddy Yankee leads the reggaeton charge |accessdate=2006-05-23 |url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9410287/from/RL.3/}}</ref>

=== Film ===
{{main|Latin American cinema}}
Latin American film is both rich and diverse. Historically, the main centers of production have been México, Brazil, Cuba, and Argentina.

Latin American cinema flourished after the introduction of sound, which added a linguistic barrier to the export of Hollywood film south of the border. The 1950s and 1960s saw a movement towards [[Third Cinema]], led by the Argentine filmmakers [[Fernando Solanas]] and [[Octavio Getino]]. More recently, a new style of directing and stories filmed has been tagged as "New Latin American Cinema."

[[Cinema of Argentina|Argentine cinema]] has been prominenent since the first half of the 20th century and today averages over 60 full-length titles yearly. The industry suffered during the [[Proceso de Reorganización Nacional|1976-1983 military dictatorship]]; but re-emerged to produce the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] winner ''[[The Official Story]]'' in 1985. A wave of imported U.S. films again damaged the industry in the early 1990s, though it soon recovered, thriving even during the [[Argentine economic crisis (1999-2002)|Argentine economic crisis]] around 2001. Many Argentine movies produced during recent years have been internationally acclaimed, including ''[[Nueve reinas]]'' (2000), ''[[El abrazo partido]]'' (2004) and ''[[El otro]]'' (2007).

[[Cinema of Brazil|In Brazil]], the ''[[Cinema Novo]]'' movement created a particular way of making movies with critical and intellectual screenplays, a clearer photography related to the light of the outdoors in a tropical landscape, and a political message. The modern Brazilian film industry has become more profitable inside the country, and some of its productions have received prizes and recognition in [[Europe]] and the [[United States]], with movies such as ''[[Central do Brasil (film)|Central do Brasil]]'' (1999), ''[[City of God (film)|Cidade de Deus]]'' (2003) and ''[[Tropa de Elite]]'' (2007).

[[Cinema of Cuba|Cuban cinema]] has enjoyed much official support since the Cuban revolution and important film-makers include [[Tomás Gutiérrez Alea]].

[[Cinema of Mexico|Mexican cinema]] in the [[Golden age of the cinema of Mexico|Golden Era]] of the 1940s boasted a huge industry comparable to [[Hollywood]] at the time. Stars included [[María Félix]], [[Dolores del Rio]] and [[Pedro Infante]]. In the 1970s <!-- and 1970s --> Mexico was the location for many cult horror and action movies. More recently, films such as ''[[Amores Perros]]'' (2000) and ''[[Y tu mamá también]]'' (2001) enjoyed box office and critical acclaim and propelled [[Alfonso Cuarón]] and [[Alejandro González Iñarritu]] to the front rank of Hollywood directors. Alejandro González Iñárritu directed in (2006) [[Babel]] and Alfonso Cuarón directed ([[Children of Men]] in (2006), and [[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)|Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]] in (2004)). [[Guillermo del Toro]] close friend and also a front rank Hollywood director in Hollywood and Spain, directed [[Pan's Labyrinth]] (2006) and produce [[The Orphanage (film)|El Orfanato]] (2007). Carlos Carrera ([[The Crime of Father Amaro (film)|The Crime of Father Amaro]]), and screenwriter [[Guillermo Arriaga]] are also some of the most known present-day Mexican film makers.

It is also worth noting that many Latin Americans have achieved significant success within Hollywood, for instance [[Carmen Miranda]] and [[Salma Hayek]], while [[Mexican Americans]] such as [[Robert Rodriguez]] have also made their mark.

==See also==
{{portal}}
* [[Crime and Violence in Latin America]]
* [[Southern Cone]]
* [[Hispanic America]]
* [[Ibero-America]]
* [[United States-Latin American relations]]
* [[Americas (terminology)]]
** [[Use of the word American]]
** [[America (disambiguation)]]
** [[Free Trade Area of the Americas]]
** [[Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas]]
* [[Caribbean]]
** [[Association of Caribbean States]]
** [[Caribbean Community]]
** [[Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States]]
* [[Central America]]
** [[Central American Common Market]]
* [[North America]]
** [[North American Free Trade Agreement]]
* [[South America]]
** [[Andean Community]]
** [[Mercosur]]
** [[Union of South American Nations]]
* [[Latin Union]], [[Latin Europe]], [[Latin Africa]]
* [[Latino]], [[Latin American Canadian]], [[Afro-Latin American]], [[Asian Latin American]], [[White Latin American]], [[Latin American British]]
* [[List of Latin Americans]]
** [[List of Latin American artists]]
** [[List of Latin American writers]]
* [[Latin American culture]]
* [[Latin American studies]]

==Notes and references==
*Julio Miranda Vidal: (2007) Ciencia y tecnología en América Latina Edición electrónica gratuita. Texto completo en [http://www.eumed.net/libros/2007a/237/ http://www.eumed.net/libros/2007a/237/]
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{commons|Latin America|Latin America}}
; General information
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/interactives/latinpolitics/index.html The Washington Post Interactive Map of Politics in Latin America]
* [http://www.comunidadandina.org/endex.htm Andean Community official webpage]
* [http://www.coha.org Council on Hemispheric Affairs]
* [http://www1.lanic.utexas.edu/ Latin American Network Information Center]
* [http://www.lawg.org Latin America Working Group]
* [http://www.wola.org Washington Office on Latin America]
* [http://pdba.georgetown.edu/ Politics in Latin America]
* [http://www.infolatam.com/ Infolatam. Information and analysis of Latin America]
; Blog
* [http://southamericanmap.blogspot.com Travel in South America]
* [http://www.fao.org/farmingsystems/FarmingMaps/LAC/09/LC/index.html Map of Land Cover: Latin America and Caribbean (FAO)]
{{Cultural macro-regions of the world}}
{{Regions of the world}}

[[Category:Country classifications]]
[[Category:Cultural spheres of influence]]
[[Category:Latin America]]
[[Category:Latin American studies]]
[[Category:Regions of the Americas]]

[[af:Latyns-Amerika]]
[[ar:أمريكا اللاتينية]]
[[an:America Latina]]
[[frp:Amèrica latina]]
[[ast:América Llatina]]
[[az:Latın Amerikası]]
[[bn:লাতিন আমেরিকা]]
[[zh-min-nan:Latin Bí-chiu]]
[[be:Лацінская Амерыка]]
[[be-x-old:Лацінская Амэрыка]]
[[bs:Latinska Amerika]]
[[br:Amerika Latin]]
[[bg:Латинска Америка]]
[[ca:Amèrica Llatina]]
[[cv:Латин Америки]]
[[cs:Latinská Amerika]]
[[cy:America Ladin]]
[[da:Latinamerika]]
[[de:Lateinamerika]]
[[et:Ladina-Ameerika]]
[[el:Λατινική Αμερική]]
[[es:América Latina]]
[[eo:Latin-Ameriko]]
[[ext:América Latina]]
[[eu:Amerika Latinar]]
[[fa:آمریکای لاتین]]
[[fo:Latínamerika]]
[[fr:Amérique latine]]
[[fy:Latynsk-Amearika]]
[[ga:Meiriceá Laidineach]]
[[gd:Aimearaga-Laideannach]]
[[gl:América Latina]]
[[ko:라틴아메리카]]
[[hr:Latinska Amerika]]
[[id:Amerika Latin]]
[[os:Латинаг Америкæ]]
[[is:Rómanska Ameríka]]
[[it:America latina]]
[[he:אמריקה הלטינית]]
[[jv:Amérika Latin]]
[[kn:ಲ್ಯಾಟಿನ್ ಅಮೇರಿಕ]]
[[sw:Amerika ya Kilatini]]
[[ku:Emerîkaya Latînî]]
[[la:America Latina]]
[[lv:Latīņamerika]]
[[lt:Lotynų Amerika]]
[[hu:Latin-Amerika]]
[[mk:Латинска Америка]]
[[ml:ലാറ്റിന്‍ അമേരിക്ക]]
[[ms:Amerika Latin]]
[[mn:Латин Америк]]
[[nah:Latintēcatl Ixachitlān]]
[[nl:Latijns-Amerika]]
[[ja:ラテンアメリカ]]
[[no:Latin-Amerika]]
[[nn:Latin-Amerika]]
[[oc:America Latina]]
[[pl:Ameryka Łacińska]]
[[pt:América Latina]]
[[ksh:Latein Ammärrika]]
[[ro:America Latină]]
[[ru:Латинская Америка]]
[[sco:Laitin Americae]]
[[scn:Amèrica latina]]
[[simple:Latin America]]
[[sk:Latinská Amerika]]
[[sl:Latinska Amerika]]
[[sr:Латинска Америка]]
[[sh:Latinska Amerika]]
[[fi:Latinalainen Amerikka]]
[[sv:Latinamerika]]
[[tl:Amerikang Latino]]
[[ta:இலத்தீன் அமெரிக்கா]]
[[th:ลาตินอเมริกา]]
[[vi:Mỹ Latinh]]
[[tr:Latin Amerika]]
[[uk:Латинська Америка]]
[[zh-yue:拉丁美洲]]
[[bat-smg:Luotīnu Amerėka]]
[[zh:拉丁美洲]]

Revision as of 15:03, 10 October 2008

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