Latin America

Latin America lies in the Western Hemisphere south of the USA, Canada and Greenland; it is called this because most people speak Spanish and Portuguese. It has over 30 independent states, divided into 7 subregions: Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, the Andean countries, the “Guiana triangle”, Brazil, and the La Plata countries. The Cordillera and the Andes stretch along the west and are very active seismically and volcanically; in the east lie the lowlands and plateaus of Brazil and Argentina. The region is rich in oil and gas (Venezuela, Mexico), iron ore (Brazil), copper (Chile, Peru), lithium (Bolivia) and forests. The population is about 650 million and urbanisation is high; the makeup of the population is mixed: Indigenous Americans (Indians), descendants of Europeans, Black people, mestizos, mulattoes. Exports include oil, ores, copper, coffee, sugarcane, bananas and soya; the Argentine Pampas specialise in grain and meat. The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Brazil and Mexico are the largest states of the region.