Geography Research Paper - Hurricane Wilma

Geography 1303

Date

Geography Report

The Geographic Region of Latin America

The geographic region of Latin America is considered to encompass the land from the Northern border of Mexico to the Southern tip of South America, including The Caribbean. This area of land is approximately 13% of the Earth’s surface area and the population is estimated to be roughly 626 million.

The region of Latin America is generally accepted to consist of the continent of South America in addition to Mexico and the islands of the Caribbean that speak the Romance languages. Such inhabitants shared the experience of colonization by the Spanish and Portuguese from the 15th-18th century. Said languages still happen to be the most two widely spoken languages throughout the land.

The majority of this geographic region falls in the Southern hemisphere of the world which makes the 4 seasons seem “backwards” to people who live in the Northern hemisphere. For example, Latin America’s summer falls in the months December, January and February whereas winter falls between the months of June and August. The climate of this region is also particularly diverse from the wet and humid rainforests to the snow-capped mountains.

Latin America falls between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Due to such location the Northern part of Latin America is typically where one would find the higher temperatures and higher rainfall in contrast to the South where the temperatures are cooler and there is less rain throughout the year. This region encompasses the Amazon river and rainforest that is usually wet, humid and stays between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit, the Andes mountains that stay snow-capped nearly all year long, the dry Atacama desert in Chile and the Peru Current that keeps the coast cold and dry.

Along with such a diverse climate comes Latin America’s diverse and record physical features. The Andes Mountains are the world’s longest and second highest mountain range. The mountains span from Northwest Venezuela to the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego. Along the mountain range is approximately 30 peaks that are 20,000+ feet high. The Atacama Desert in Chile is ranked #1 in regards to the driest desert in the world. Lastly, the Amazon Rainforest is considered the largest rainforest in the world, with the Amazon River being the largest river in the world spanning 2.4 million square miles.

Latin America has a diverse climate and a diverse culture all the same. Diverse resources include Chile’s copper, Peru’s silver and Brazil’s iron. Perhaps the most “un-diverse” cultural fact would be the region’s religion which is ultimately Christian with 80% of people identifying as Catholic.

The most celebrated and widely known areas of Latin America’s culture however include their passionate and energetic dances and elaborate and unique festivals. These dances including the mambo, merengue, salsa, samba and tango are believed to have originated from the Latin American culture that can be dated back to the Maya, Aztecs and Incas prior to European colonization.

These dances are often seen during the multiple festivals and celebrations held each year. The Carnaval in Brazil is held before Lent each year and started in 1641. During this festival Samba schools prepare talent, music and intricately designed outfits and perform for the people in the streets of Brazil.

The Day of the Dead is another celebration of Latin American descent that was passed on from the Aztecs. This 2-day event celebrates the family that has passed and includes decorating their gravesites as well as making personal alters of remembrance.

The Festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria is an 18 day celebration that begins in February. Beautiful outfits and traditional music are present and firework displays are common at the churches in town. Originating in Puno, Peru the statue of the Virgin is taken through the city with the community following behind. The traditional dance for this event is the diablada, or “dance of demons” and the parade ends at the cemetery to pay respect to those who have passed.

Easter or “Semana Santa” is a holiday celebrated more popularly around the world but in the Latin American culture focuses less on bunnies, eggs and candy and more on Christ’s last days on earth. During this time of year theatrical representations of the Passion of the Christ are often reenacted in churches.

Inti Raymi is a celebration much less widely-known around the world. This celebration is also known as the festival of the sun. This festival is dedicated to the Incan sun god and although animal sacrifices of thanks were banned in the year 1944 the festival is still widely celebrated throughout the area.

Lastly, the Mendoza Wine Festival happens in late February or early March in Mendoza, Argentina. This celebration coincides with the grape harvest and attracts a large crowd of people to taste the wine as well as sporting events and prayer as a means to say thanks for the successful harvest.

Another important aspect of the Latino culture is their family dynamics. The Latin American people are very group oriented with a huge emphasis on the family. The family is often how one identifies one’s self and serves as protection against the hardships of the world. Family is often more than what one might consider immediate. Immediate family to a Latin American person may also include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and people that aren’t even biologically related. Said immediate family is full of trust and has a hierarchy system most often based on sex and age. The oldest male is typically the head of the family. Males are seen as the workers and providers for the family. Women, in contrast, play the role of the respectful submissive to their husbands. It is their job to be the dedicated and supporting wife and mother who teaches the children the culture and religion. The Latin American family focuses most on trust, unity, respect and kindness and the family as a whole is often extremely supportive of all members especially in times of physical, emotional, or financial stress.

In addition to teaching and raising the children another role of the female in the home is cooking. In Latin America corn (or maiz or choclo) has been grown, cooked with, and eaten for more than 5,000 years. Corn is considered Latin America’s biggest contribution to the rest of the world and takes part in many staple recipes. Another food used often in Latin cuisine that isn’t seen as much in other parts of the world is yucca (or manioc or cassava.) This starchy, edible root is very popular in Brazil where it is dried and roasted to be blended in a popular pork and bean stew called feijoada.

In conclusion, the region of Latin America includes a beautifully diverse climate which includes The Andes, the world’s largest mountain range, The Amazon, the largest river and The Atacama, the world’s driest desert. Just as diverse is the Latin American culture full of exciting dances such as the merengue and samba and festivals such as the Festival of the Virgen de la Candelaria and the Mendoza Wine Festival which make raising a family and eating in Latin America a wonderfully unique place to be.

Works Cited

Bushnell, D., Lockhart, J. (n.d.) History of Latin Amermica. Retrieved September 17, 2016, from https://www.britannica.com/place/Latin America