Culture of Latin America

1
Culture of Latin America
2
Religion of Latin America

• Christianity is the dominant religion the
  majority are Catholic with some Protestant
• Voodoo is practiced on the island of Haiti
• Rastafarianism is a religious and political
  movement based in Jamaica

3
Language of Latin America
Key Green Spanish Orange Portuguese Blue
French
4
Dates of Independence from European countries in
Latin America
5
Education

• Studies show that only 1 in 3 kids in Latin
  America get a high school education
• Many leave school to work and help their families
  make money
• Without education and training, workers struggle
  to find jobs
• Education is often poor quality
• Education is key to improve the lives of young
  people in Latin America

6
Independent vs. Countries still colonized
Independent Countries Independent Countries Frenchdependencies Netherlandsdependencies United Statesdependency
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Rep. Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala Haiti Honduras Mexico Nicaragua Panama Paraguay Peru Uruguay Venezuela French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Aruba Bonaire Curaçao Puerto Rico
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Blends of cultures

• African and European culture
• Europeans brought African slaves into the region
  to work, creating a lasting impact on the culture
  of the area
• Left a lasting impact of village life, markets,
  and choice of crops
• Native American and European culture
• Caribbean culture is a blend of Native American
  culture with European culture

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Ethnic groups of Latin America
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Food of Latin America
Food in Latin America is also influenced by the
mix of cultures Native American, African,
European, even Asian
Fried plantains fried bananas found in many
Latin American countries
Enchilada with rice and beans (Mexico)
Ropa vieja flank steak with black beans, rice,
plantains (Cuba)
10
Artists of Latin America
Jose Orozco, lower left David Siqueiros Lower
right
Diego Rivera
Frida Kahlo
11
Dance
Traditional costume of Mexican dance
Girl in Nicaragua dressed for Carnival
Left two people dancing a traditional Peruvian
dance Right People dressed for a folk dance in
Nicaragua
12
Music

• Calypso music began in Trinidad and combines
  musical elements from Africa, Spain, and the
  Caribbean
• Accompanied by steel drums (picture top right)
  and guitars and have improvised lyrics
• Reggae developed in Jamaica in the 1960s
• Songs deal with social problems and religion
• Roots are African music, Caribbean music, and
  American music
• Most famous is Bob Marley (picture bottom right)

13
Festivals in Latin America

• Date May 5
• Mexican Independence Day
• Today it is a celebration of Mexican culture,
  food, music, and customs

14
Carnival

• Festival that leads up to lent - what we know as
  Mardi Gras
• Characterized by parades and people in costume