What is Latin America? Frequently Asked Questions

We’re now in City Lit’s Latin American season and the college is celebrating with new courses exploring the region’s rich culture. 

And there’s a lot to learn. For instance, Latin America covers 13% of the land surface of our planet and is home to more than 650 million people (in comparison, Britain and the EU have 515 million people combined). Within this region, you’ll also find an incredibly diverse range of languages, histories, cultures, political systems, climates, ecosystems and foods. 

As a result, Latin America’s historical, cultural, social, economic and agricultural impact has been huge. This means that by learning more about it, we can better understand ourselves and our world, both past and present. 

But what do we mean when we say ‘Latin America’? Let’s explore this further with our quick guide to the region.

Latin America is a global region stretching from Mexico to Cuba, with rainforests, deserts and mountains in between. It is also home to an incredibly diverse range of countries and peoples. In other words, Latin America isn’t just one culture but many — and its background is fascinating and complex.

To answer that, we have to start by acknowledging that the term ‘Latin America’ has several meanings. In one interpretation, ‘Latin America’ only includes the parts of the American continent where people speak Spanish and Portuguese. This includes all of South America, all of Central America and the Mexican part of North America. 

Yet others view Latin America as all of these regions plus the Spanish-speaking parts of the Caribbean.

The term first came into use in the mid-19th century and was a reference to the fact that the main languages spoken in the region — Portuguese, Spanish and French — all had their roots in Latin. This was due to the colonial presence of Portugal, Spain and France.

Latin American intellectuals and politicians also found the term to be useful. To them, it became a way to frame their existence and projects outside of the influence of Spanish and Portuguese colonialism.

However, while the name has colonial roots, it has also changed meaning over the years. This is partly due to the shift from European to US influence in the region. Plus different countries and communities have seen their fortunes wax and wane, migration has shifted demographics, hybrid cultures have flourished, and languages have evolved. 

So nowadays, ‘Latin America’ describes a diverse range of societies with rich cultural traditions, global political influence, and economic clout.

Latin America consists of 33 countries, several of which are islands in the Caribbean.

The five smallest nations are all Caribbean islands and have less than a million inhabitants combined. These are Saint Kitts and Nevis (47,755 inhabitants), Dominica (73,000 inhabitants), Antigua and Barbuda (94,000 inhabitants), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (104,000 inhabitants) and Grenada (126,000 inhabitants).

In contrast, the five largest nations have just below 500 million inhabitants and none of them are islands. These are Brazil (216 million inhabitants), Mexico (128 million inhabitants), Colombia (52 million inhabitants), Argentina (46 million inhabitants) and Peru (34 million inhabitants).

Due to the colonial expansion of Spain and Portugal from the 15th to 18th centuries, the most common languages spoken in Latin America are Spanish and Portuguese.

However, beyond these, more than 50 million people in Latin America also speak more than 400 indigenous tongues. The most widely spoken of these languages are in Peru (Quechua and Aymara), Bolivia (Quechua, Aymara, Chiquitano and Guarani) and Colombia (Chibchan, Arawakan, Cariban, Quechuan and Tupia). These indigenous languages all have their origins in pre-European societies.

Language is also political in Latin America, overlapping with significant tensions between indigenous nations and the governments of various countries. That’s because these governments emerged out of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule from the early 19th century onwards. 

As a result, they have often supported landowners, plantation owners, agricultural companies, water companies and mining companies at the expense of indigenous peoples and their communities. This is still the case today.

Latin American country: Mexico

Much of Mexico’s culture and history has been shaped by its central location. The country connects to the USA and Central America, as well as the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean coastlines. This central location has enabled complex human activity to take place for millennia across the area that we now call Mexico.

Two of its most well-known ancient civilisations are the Mayans and the Aztecs, who had significant achievements across science, architecture, infrastructure, economics, astronomy and beyond. To this day, archaeologists, anthropologists and scientists are still uncovering new information about these fascinating cultures.

Mexico’s more recent history is no less captivating, yet it is also troubled. The country has many different communities across various states, each with its own local concerns. Some of the problems that they face today are intrinsically linked to the history of Spanish colonisation and the later influence of the USA.

Latin American country: Brazil

Just like Mexico, Brazil has a rich and complex history. Brazilians are also proud of their country’s diverse heritage, which includes citizens who are indigenous, African, Middle Eastern, Asian and European. They often describe Brazil as “the world in one place”.

Archaeologists, anthropologists, scientists and linguistic historians are still exploring the Amazonian country’s past and a much deeper story will likely emerge. It is also likely that a better historical understanding of indigenous cultures might enhance their presence and place within Brazil’s history. 

Many of the country’s indigenous people place a high value on preserving the delicate relationship between humans and nature. As a result, tensions in this relationship have dominated the country. For instance, Brazil is rich in silver, gold, copper and iron ore, making it one of the world’s mining giants. It is also one of the world’s largest producers of rubber, soy, coffee, ethanol and beef. 

These substantial natural resources have resulted in no shortage of conflicted histories that are still having an impact to this day. Colonialism, slavery, violence, displaced indigenous communities, political and economic inequalities, and structural and instituti

Latin American country: Argentina

From its indigenous past to its colonial era, and from World War I to the Cold War, Argentina also has a fascinating history. And just like Mexico and Brazil, this country at Latin America’s southern tip is currently negotiating its past and present. 

This is often expressed by Argentina's rich landscape of musicians and artists, as well as in its popular culture, and in conflicted memories of its authoritarian era. In other words, Argentina is a lot more complex than the stereotype of salsa dancing and soccer. There is so much to find out about this vibrant culture.