Latin America, Latin America. Three main countries of South America Developing countries of Latin America

Which consists of two continents, South and North America, and a number of adjacent islands. It was discovered on October 12, 1492 during the expedition of Christopher Columbus, who actually intended to find sea ​​route to India and China. Most of the local population speaks languages ​​of the Indo-European family. So, in North America They speak predominantly English, in Mexico and South America - Spanish, in Brazil - Portuguese, and in Canada - French.

Territorial division

The countries of America are grouped as follows:

Latin America: countries and capitals

This region is located between the United States and Antarctica, on its territory there are 33 states and 13 colonies. The region's area covers about 15% of the planet's total land area. The term “Latin” itself in the name of this part of America is explained simply. The languages ​​spoken by the inhabitants of this region are derived from Latin.

Latin American countries are divided into the following categories:

Latin America includes Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, etc. The capital of Brazil is the city of Brasilia. Every year the state is visited by a huge number of tourists. Sunny Brazil attracts with both classical architectural monuments and beautiful parks and waterfalls. Argentina is another colorful country, its capital is Buenos Aires. It is famous for its many kilometers of sunny beaches and friendly residents. And finally, Mexico, with its capital in Mexico City, is widely known throughout the world for its cuisine.

Central American countries

This region is located between South and North America. The countries in this area that were listed above, although they do not stand out economically, still play a significant role important role in the political arena of this part of the world. This mainly happens because important transport arteries connecting the two continents pass through them.

The countries of America, North and South, are connected by the Panama Canal. Despite the relative economic stability of states and their geopolitical advantages, the level of development of even the largest cities remains unsatisfactory. This is due to the constant outflow of the population to the USA and South America in search of a better life (although the opposite statement is also true - people leave precisely because they are unsettled, wanting to improve their lives).

Most of the Central American states have access to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. This helps maintain a constant flow of tourists wanting to bask in the beaches. Only two states have access to just one of the oceans, these are El Salvador and Belize.

USA

The most developed state in this part of the world (from a variety of points of view) remains the United States. High economic indicators contribute to the fact that people from all over the world have been flocking here for several centuries. It would be rational to tell the most interesting things about the USA:

Conclusion

The countries of America differ in their geographical features, political status, religion and much more. But each of them is special and remarkable in its own way. The most developed Americas play an important role in the political arena, while the less developed ones are a constant source work force.

In Latin America with an area of ​​21 million square meters. km there are 46 states, more or less different from each other.

Latin American States

Several countries are the largest and most politically significant Latin American states.

Brazil
It is the largest country in Latin America with the largest population. The country is attractive to tourists for its nightclubs, impenetrable jungle and impressive waterfalls.

Mexico
A unique country, almost the most popular among travelers. Famous for the most popular beaches in the world, diving, ancient buildings of the Mayans and Aztecs.

Argentina
A country rich in a variety of attractions and entertainment (bullfighting, feeding predators, wine festivals, motorcycle racing, dolphin shows, etc.) Amazing nature national parks with waterfalls and rare animals, skiing is an integral asset of Argentina.

Costa Rica
This country is valued unique nature: volcanoes, nature reserves, mountain slopes, lakes, underwater national parks and exotic beaches.

Venezuela
This Latin American state attracts tourists with its unshakable ecosystem. The country can be proudest high waterfall in the world - Angel, the rain forests of the Orinoco River and a wide variety of flora.

Peru
This is a mysterious country that has objects historical significance– Cusco, Machu Picchu.

Chile
State with beautiful nature, popular ski resorts.

Bolivia
Multinational highland country with salt hotels and deserts, mountain lake Titicaca.

Colombia
This state is famous luxury resorts, snow-capped Andes peaks, frequent festivals and fairs.

Less developed countries in terms of economy and tourism include Panama, Uruguay, Paraguay, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Belize, Guiana and Guatemala.

Island states of Latin America

The island states of Latin America include the countries of the West Indies:

Barbados;
- Grenada;
- Dominican Republic;
- Dominica;
- St. Vincent;
- Grenadines;
- St. Kitts;
- Nevis;
- Saint Lucia;
- Jamaica;
- Trinidad;
- Tobago;
- Antigua;
- Barbuda;
- The Bahamas is a tiny but rich state, with a high standard of living and economy, it is famous for its luxurious hotels and pink flamingos;
- Haiti is practically the most poor country in the world: corruption and dictatorship do not bring prosperity to the state, and frequent earthquakes only worsen the economic situation;
- Cuba is distinguished by inexpensive shopping, cigars, rum, as well as developed surfing and water skiing.

The world of Latin America is unusual and unique, since it is characterized not only interesting style communication between people, but also climatic features, unusually beautiful nature.

The concept of "Latin America"

Note 1

This completely conventional concept unites all continental countries located south of the United States and the West Indies. The territories of Latin America were colonized by the Spaniards, Portuguese, and French. England, France and the USA had numerous colonies here. In Latin America, the predominant Romance languages ​​are Spanish and Portuguese, which are derived from Latin.

The term "Latin America" ​​was coined as a political term by Napoleon III$, the French emperor. At that time, both Latin America and Indochina were considered nothing less than a sphere of special French interests, so the term originally denoted those parts of America where Romance languages ​​were spoken. From the moment of the conquest, there was a violent implantation of languages, so in many modern countries region Spanish became state language. The exception is Brazil, where the official language is Portuguese. Both languages ​​function in the region as national variants. They are characterized by their language features, which, on the one hand, were influenced by Indian languages, and on the other hand, the autonomy of their development. In countries such as Haiti, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana official languages are English and French. The population of Suriname, the Antilles, and Aruba speaks Dutch.

Native American languages ​​were displaced after the colonization of America. Only in Bolivia, Peru and Paraguay the Quechua, Aymara, and Guarani languages ​​have been preserved and are official languages. In general, Latin America is bilingual and a number of countries practice multilingualism. Today, the term "Latin America" ​​refers to a region that is united by supranational cultural interests and is a mixture of the cultures of the Romance peoples of Europe with Indian and African cultures, this is the difference between Latin America and the European cultures of Romance origin. The religious structure of Latin America is dominated by Catholics, because it was the only compulsory religion during the period of colonization, all other religions were brutally persecuted, suppressed by the Inquisition.

Composition of Latin America

Latin America includes:

• Argentina,
• Belize,
• Bolivia,
• Brazil,
• Venezuela,
• Guatemala,
• Haiti,
• Honduras,
• Dominican Republic,
• Colombia,
• Costa Rica,
• Cuba,
• Mexico,
• Nicaragua,
• Panama,
• Paraguay,
• Peru,
• Salvador,
• Trinidad and Tobago,
• Uruguay,
• Chile,
• Ecuador,
• Jamaica.

French territories are Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana. The territory of Puerto Rico is under US administration.

Note 2

Sometimes this list includes the Falkland Islands, Guyana, and Suriname, which are culturally and linguistically different from the rest of Latin America.

Overall, Latin America is the largest region in the world, containing more than $30 independent states and a number of still remaining colonial possessions. The continent is home to developing countries that have gone through a rather long path of independent development. Countries are far from homogeneous; they are distinguished from each other by their area, population, ethnic composition, and level of economic development. In addition, they are also distinguished by their political significance. For example, Brazil is the largest country in terms of area. The country occupies $40$% of the region's territory, which is $400$ times the area of ​​El Salvador.

It has first place in the region and in terms of population. This state has the greatest economic potential and the most developed industry. In addition to Brazil, the La Plata countries include Uruguay and Paraguay, which have an agricultural-export specialization. Paraguay is a typically agrarian country, the most backward on the continent.

The Bahamas, which are still formally a colony of Britain, are considered a tiny state in Latin America, and $300,000 of the islanders call themselves subjects of the British Crown. The standard of living of the population of the islands is high and several times higher than the level of Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil. Not far from Bahamas is one of the poorest countries in the world - Haiti. Mexico has the most complex and turbulent history, which marks the continuous struggle of Mexicans for their rights and independence against Spain and the United States.

Today, Mexico has achieved great success in developing its national economy and provides itself with most of the necessary industrial goods. Latin American countries are among developing countries, but occupy an intermediate position - the pace and achieved level of economic development are significantly higher than the countries of the African continent, but lower than the countries of Asia. Argentina, Brazil and Mexico giving $2/3$ industrial production region are included in the group of newly industrialized countries. These also include Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru. In their region, the countries have created several economic integration groups. This is South American Common Market(MERCOSUR), which included Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay. The grouping covers $45$% of the population, $50$% of total GDP, $33$% of Latin America's foreign trade volume.

Note 3

If we compare the countries of Latin America with the developing countries of Asia and Africa, we must say that many indicators of economic and social development Latin American countries are largely ahead of independent countries in Asia and Africa. But even within the region itself, there are significant differences between countries in their levels of development.

Geographical location of Latin America

The countries of Latin America are located in the western hemisphere of the planet south of the border with the United States. The first country in this composition is Mexico. Thus, Latin America includes the southern part of mainland North America, Central America, the West Indies Islands and mainland South America. On the western side the region is washed by waters Pacific Ocean, on the eastern side - by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The region's area is $21$ million sq km, which is approximately $15$% of the total land area. Continental countries have natural borders between themselves, running along or large rivers or along mountain ranges. The majority of countries have open access to the oceans, except Bolivia and Paraguay, or are island states. The region is very close to the USA. The territory stretches from north to south for $13$ thousand km, and the maximum length from west to east is $5$ thousand km. Despite the remoteness of Latin America from other regions of the planet, its economic and geographical position is quite favorable for economic development.

This is facilitated by:

1. Open access to the seas and oceans;
2. Availability of the Panama Canal;
3. Close position to the USA;
4. Huge and not yet realized natural resource potential;
5. Globally, this is a zone of US influence.

Note 4

If Brazil is the largest mainland state, then the largest island state is the Republic of Cuba, located at the junction Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico and stretches for $1,250 km. Countries in the region by state structure either a republic or a state consisting of British Commonwealth. The remaining countries are possessions of Great Britain, the USA, and the Netherlands. There have been no major political or other conflicts within this region.

This is explained as follows:

1. Significant commonality in the culture and history of the countries;
2. The countries are almost similar in terms of economic development;
3. Natural conditions and terrain are not conducive to the development of armed conflicts.

America is a country that consists of two continents, South and North America, and a number of adjacent islands. It was discovered on October 12, 1492 during the expedition of Christopher Columbus, who actually intended to find a sea route to India and China. Most of the local population speaks languages ​​of the Indo-European family. Thus, in North America they speak predominantly English, in Mexico and South America - Spanish, in Brazil - Portuguese, and in Canada - French.

Territorial division

The countries of America are grouped as follows:

Latin America: countries and capitals

This region is located between the United States and Antarctica, on its territory there are 33 states and 13 colonies. The region's area covers about 15% of the planet's total land area. The term “Latin” itself in the name of this part of America is explained simply. The languages ​​spoken by the inhabitants of this region are derived from Latin.

Latin American countries are divided into the following categories:

Latin America includes Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, etc. The capital of Brazil is the city of Brasilia. Every year the state is visited by a huge number of tourists. Sunny Brazil attracts with both classical architectural monuments and beautiful parks and waterfalls. Argentina is another colorful country, its capital is Buenos Aires. It is famous for its many kilometers of sunny beaches and friendly residents. And finally, Mexico, with its capital in Mexico City, is widely known throughout the world for its cuisine.

Central American countries

This region is located between South and North America. The countries in this area that were listed above, although they do not stand out economically, still play an important role in the political arena of this part of the world. This mainly happens because important transport arteries connecting the two continents pass through them.

The countries of America, North and South, are connected by the Panama Canal. Despite the relative economic stability of states and their geopolitical advantages, the level of development of even the largest cities remains unsatisfactory. This is due to the constant outflow of the population to the USA and South America in search of a better life (although the opposite statement is also true - people leave precisely because they are unsettled, wanting to improve their lives).

Most of the countries of Central America have access to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. This helps maintain a constant flow of tourists wanting to bask in the beaches. Only two states have access to just one of the oceans, these are El Salvador and Belize.

USA

The most developed state in this part of the world (from a variety of points of view) remains the United States. High economic indicators have contributed to the fact that people from all over the world have been flocking here for several centuries. It would be rational to tell the most interesting things about the USA:

Conclusion

The countries of America differ in their geographical features, political status, religion and much more. But each of them is special and remarkable in its own way. The most developed Americas play an important role in the political arena, while the less developed ones are a constant source of labor.

The article contains information about the region. A list of Latin American countries is provided and the features of the economic and political development of states are indicated. The economic vector along which the process of emergence of developing countries occurs is considered.

Territorial division of Latin America

Latin America refers to a group of countries that are located in the Western Hemisphere between the southern borders of the United States and Antarctica.

Rice. 1. Latin America on the map.

The area of ​​the region is 20.1 million km. sq. Population: about 545 million people.

The list of Latin American countries includes:

• Argentina;
• Antigua;
• Bahamas;
• Barbuda;
• Belize;
• Brazil;
• Barbados;
• Venezuela;
• Guyana;
• Haiti;
• Honduras;
• Guatemala;
• Grenada;
• Grenadines;
• Guiana;
• Dominican Republic;
• Dominica;
• Colombia;
• Cuba;
• Costa Rica;
• Mexico;
• Nicaragua;
• Nevis;
• Paraguay;
• Panama;
• Puerto Rico;
• Peru;
• Salvador;
• Saint Kitts;
• Saint Vincent;
• Saint Lucia;
• Suriname;
• Uruguay;
• Chile;
• Ecuador;
• Jamaica.

Many countries and capitals of Latin America today claim to be leading players in the global economic and political arena. This is due to the fact that in most states there has been a change political regime. This is evidenced by the data given in the table. Some countries in the region are now actively tying up international relationships without the possibility of becoming dependent on a partner with a more powerful level of economic development.

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Table “Development Features of Latin American Countries”

Models of modernization of Latin American countries

A striking example of modernization is Cuba.

In 1961, US President John Kennedy proposed the Alliance for Progress assistance program to Latin American countries. The program was adopted, but did not strengthen democracy.

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Modernization became the main slogan of military regimes. Such actions often had positive result for the economy.

What have we learned?

We found out what reasons had greatest influence on the rapid economic growth of individual countries in the region. Found out what historical events were the way to maintain democracy in several Latin American countries. We got an idea of ​​which country in the region is an example of modernization. Supplemented knowledge on curriculum for 11th grade geography.

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