Latin America | Beautiful Place, Beautiful People

Latin America, located in South America, is one of the most intriguing places in the world to visit. It is where some of the oldest known civilizations can be found. What makes these civilizations even more worthy of a visit is the fact that they seem to be interconnected with all other pyramids all over the world.

Due to its geography, Latin America has many tropical forests that are home to many unique species of animals. In the Galapagos Islands, for example, many animal species are endemic – meaning they can only be found in the Galapagos Islands. Aside from the beautiful landscape that Latin America offers, it is also home to Latin women who are known to be one of the most beautiful women in the world.

Looking at a Latin America map, you will see that it is composed of 33 different countries, each with its sovereign rights. Despite this, they are drawn together by common culture and traditions. These traditions are mainly brought about by the colonization of Spain.

The History of Latin America

The history of Latin America revolves around the conquest of Spain and Portugal of the South Americas. But before the Spaniards and Portuguese came to the region, there were the indigenous people of South America. These indigenous people of South America at the time were virtually unheard of.

Different indigenous groups in South America were completely practically unaware of each other’s existence. Though they were divided by distance, it is quite surprising that these ethnic groups, despite being isolated, have commonalities.

While each ethnic group developed its language, there are distinct similarities in terms and general features. The indigenous people of South America were somehow able to contact each other regardless of their geographical divisiveness.

Not only were these similarities seen in their language, but their culture and beliefs as well. The indigenous South Americans were a civilization that can be considered as fairly advanced for their time. They were great astronomers, making use of the position of heavenly bodies in their beliefs and navigation.

Their architecture was oddly similar, as well. Being sedentary people, the indigenous people of South America erected buildings and structures that are in a way, different from each other, yet strangely similar. For one, the ancient Mayans were known for building step pyramids, with some temples as big as the pyramids in Egypt. Similarly, the ancient Aztecs used pyramids as well.

It was not until the 15th century when the Spanish explorers discovered the existence of these ancient civilizations. The famous Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus called the ancient inhabitants of South America “Indians”, as in people who lived in India. Though this was completely out of context, the term became well known and had been a widely accepted term during the time.

During the Spanish conquest of the Americas, which resulted in the colonization of the majority of South American countries, Spain was able to greatly influence the culture and way of life of the South American people.

The region became mostly Spanish speaking. Though it was not the Greeks who conquered South America, it came to be known as Latin America. In this context, “Latin” refers to a country whose prevalent language has been derived from Latin, such as the Spanish language.

The Culture and Traditions of Latin America

Due to the colonization of Spain, most of South America became largely Catholic. This greatly influenced the Latin culture and their daily ways of life. When you next visit Latin America, it is good to be prepared and have a good understanding of their culture to be able to connect with its people and make the most of your trip.

• Language

  The common language that is spoken by the people of Latin America is Spanish. Though there are communities that speak Portuguese and French, Spanish is the main language that roughly 60% of South Americans use.

• Religion

  69% of the Latin American population practices Catholicism. This is mainly because of the centuries of Spanish colonization in the region.

• Community

  Due to the influence of Catholicism in Latin America, the people have come to adapt its teachings and morals. Latin women, for one, have been molded to be reserved, meek, and conservative. Respect for elders is also very important in Latin American countries.

• Dating

  While women can initiate dating, it is normally expected for the man to make the first move. The man courts the woman and goes through the process of getting to know each other, mostly through the means of dating. Once the man proposes marriage, and the woman accepts, he then needs to get the woman’s family’s approval. Hence, it is important to maintain a good relationship with a Latin woman’s family, if you ever have plans of marrying her in the future.

• Family

  Latin American families are tight-knit. They consider family as the most important core unit of society, and as such, makes it their top priority. It is common for Latin families to live together with extended family members.

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