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Language: Portuguese

Religion: Catholicism

Population: 214.3 million

Physical Feature: Amazon Rainforest and Amazon River

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Language: Spanish

Religion: Catholicism

Population: 19.49 million

Physical Feature: Andes Mountains, Atacama Desert

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OFFICIAL NAME: Federal Republic of Brazil

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Democratic federal republic

CAPITAL: Brasilia

POPULATION: 208,846,892

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Portuguese

MONEY: Real

AREA: 3,286,470 square miles (8,511,965 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Serra do Mar, Serra do Espinhaço

MAJOR RIVERS: Amazon, São Francisco, Paraná, Tocantins

Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest nation in the world. It forms an enormous triangle on the eastern side of the continent with a 4,500-mile (7,400-kilometer) coastline along the Atlantic Ocean. It has borders with every South American country except Chile and Ecuador.

The Brazilian landscape is very varied. It is most well known for its dense forests, including the Amazon, the world's largest jungle, in the north. But there are also dry grasslands (called pampas), rugged hills, pine forests, sprawling wetlands, immense plateaus, and a long coastal plain.

Northern Brazil is dominated by the Amazon River and the jungles that surround it. The Amazon is not one river but a network of many hundreds of waterways. Its total length stretches 4,250 miles (6,840 kilometers). Thousands of species live in the river, including the infamous piranha and the boto, or pink river dolphin.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Most Brazilians are descended from three ethnic groups: Amerindians, European settlers (mainly from Portugal), and Africans. Starting in the 19th century, waves of immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, and even Japan added to this mix. This diversity of cultures has created a rich religious, musical, and culinary culture.

Brazilians are soccer crazy, and their country has produced some of the best players. The most famous of all is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, better known as Pelé. Brazil has won the World Cup soccer finals five times, more than any other nation.

Brazil has the greatest variety of animals of any country in the world. It is home to 600 mammal species, 1,500 fish species, 1,600 bird species, and an amazing 100,000 different types of insects. Brazil's jungles are home to most of its animal life, but many unique species also live in the pampas and semidesert regions.

In the central-western part of Brazil sits a flat, swampy area called the Pantanal. This patchwork of flooded lagoons and small islands is the world's largest wetland. Here live giant anacondas, huge guinea pig relatives called capybaras, and fierce South American alligators called caimans.

For thousands of years, people have been exploiting the jungles of Brazil. But since Europeans arrived about five centuries ago, forest destruction has been rampant. Most of Brazil's Atlantic rain forest is now gone, and huge tracts of the Amazon are disappearing every year. The government has established many national parks and refuges, but they only cover about 7 percent of the country.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

Brazil is a federal republic with a president, a National Congress, and a judiciary. From 1888 until recently, the country struggled with democracy. But in 1985, the military government was peacefully removed, and by 1995, Brazil's politics and economy had become fairly stable.

Brazil has many different soils and climates, so it can produce a great variety of crops. Its agricultural exports include sugarcane, latex, coffee, cocoa beans, cotton, soybeans, rice, and tropical fruits.

Brazil is also South America's most industrial nation, producing chemicals, steel, aircraft, and cars.

Until recently, scientists thought Brazil was first settled by Asians about 10,000 years ago. But new evidence shows there were people living there at least 32,000 years ago. Some experts think they may have arrived from islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Brazil was added to the map of the world during the great European explorations in the late 15th century led by Portugal and Spain. When Europeans first reached the coast of Brazil, the country was home to about 30 million indigenous people, or Amerindians. Today, only about 300,000 remain, living primarily in Brazil's remotest places.

Portugal established its first colony in Brazil in 1530. Colonists created sugarcane plantations along the coast and sent diamonds and gold back to Europe. Soon, people from West Africa were brought to Brazil to work as slaves. The discovery of large inland gold reserves brought thousands of people from the coasts and as far away as Europe to the interior of the country.

In 1789, Brazilians tried to kick out their Portuguese rulers. The rebellion was soon put down, but it started a movement toward independence. By 1822, Brazil was a sovereign nation. Kings of Portuguese blood ruled until 1888, when military leaders and landowners expelled the king, and Brazil became a federal republic.

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Brazil Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Brazil is the largest country in South America and the fifth largest nation in the world.

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Search in Google Earth the three major cities in Brazil:

1. São Paulo: The most populous city and a major global center.

2. Rio de Janeiro: A world-famous city and one of the largest in Brazil.

3. Brasília: The federal capital, known for its distinct architecture in the Brazilian highlands.

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Enjoy some tunes straight from Brasilia!

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Bossa Nova & Samba Instrumental | Brazil 4K Ultra HD

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Language: Spanish

Religion: Roman Catholicism

Population: 11.26 million

Physical Feature: Caribbean Sea

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PEOPLE & CULTURE

The mixture of native, African, and European influences in Cuba gives this island a lively culture that is known around the world. The introduction of communism to the country in 1959 has had a big impact on the people, both positive and negative.

Cuba's history is reflected in its food, language, art, and, most of all, its music. All year round, it seems as if bands are everywhere in Havana. The main musical form is called son, which combines lively rhythms with classical guitar.

Unlike most countries in Latin America, Cuba's favorite sport is not soccer. It's baseball! Baseball came to Cuba from the United States in the 1860s. Many international baseball stars have come from Cuba, and the Cuban national team is one of the best in the world.

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Cuba Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean Sea.

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Find Cuba's three major cities in Google Earth:

1. Havana: The most populous city and the capital of Cuba.

2. Santiago de Cuba: The second-largest city and the second most populous in Cuba.

3. Camagüey: The capital of the Camagüey province and Cuba's third-largest city.

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Google EarthCreate and collaborate on immersive, data-driven maps from anywhere, with the new Google Earth.
See the world from above with high-resolution satellite imagery, explore 3D terrain and buildings in hundreds of cities, and dive in to streets and neighborhoods with Street View’s 360° perspectives.

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Enjoy some Cuban jazz!

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Cuban Nights 🍹 Buena Vista Social Club Inspired Vintage Latin Jazz & Son Cubano [Playlist No.18]

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Language: Spanish

Religion: Roman Catholicism

Population: 126.7 million

Physical Feature: Sierra Madre Mountains, Gulf of Mexico

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This article talks about the ancient civilizations that ruled Mexico before it became an official country!

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See how this powerful group ruled central Mexico 500 years ago.

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Find Mexico's three biggest cities:

Mexico City:

The capital and largest city in Mexico, serving as a major political, cultural, and economic hub.

Guadalajara:

Located in the state of Jalisco, it is the third most important urban center in Mexico and is known for its vibrant culture and colonial architecture.

Monterrey:

Situated in the Sierra Madre mountain region, Monterrey is a significant industrial and business center in the state of Nuevo León.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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Listen to the beautiful sounds of Mexican mariachi music!

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Ultimate Mariachi Music Playlist for a Fiesta!

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The northern part of the country was ruled by the Inca before the Spanish took control in the 16th century. Native Mapuche people lived in the southern and central regions before the country became a Spanish colony.

The country gained independence from Spain in 1810. Toward the end of the 1800s, many Europeans began to settle in Chile, including Germans, French, British, and Italians. Many Chinese moved to Chile to help build the railroad.

Chile was once considered to be a very stable and free country. But in 1973 a bloody battle overthrew Salvador Allende's elected Marxist government and the country suffered 16 years under the dictatorship of Gen. Augusto Pinochet. Democracy was restored in 1989.

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Chile Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Chile is a long narrow country which extends like a ribbon down the west coast of South America.

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1. Santiago: The capital and largest city of Chile, serving as the country's main economic and cultural center.

2. Valparaíso: A historic port city and one of Chile's most populous cities.

3. Concepción: A key city in Chile's history and culture.

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Enjoy Chilean tunes of a tango!

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Chill Latin Salsa Café Dinner Lounge Instrumental Music - Good Vibes

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Language: Spanish

Religion: Catholicism

Population: 4.35 million

Physical Feature: Panama Canal

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This Central American country is bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia, and is situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean.

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The Panama Canal is an 82-kilometer-long artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, acting as a vital global shipping route. Using a system of locks, ships are raised to and lowered from the level of Gatun Lake, which sits on a mountain range at the canal's center.

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Language: Spanish

Religion: Roman Catholicism

Population: 51.5 million

Physical Feature: Andes Mountains

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Colombia's people are as diverse as its landscape.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Colombia

FORM OF GOVERNMENT: Republic

CAPITAL: Bogotá

POPULATION: 48,168,996

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Spanish

MONEY: Peso

AREA: 439,619 square miles (1,138,910 square kilometers)

MAJOR MOUNTAIN RANGES: Andes, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

MAJOR RIVERS: Magdalena, Cauca, Atrato, Sinú

Colombia is nicknamed the "gateway to South America" because it sits in the northwestern part of the continent where South America connects with Central and North America. It is the fifth largest country in Latin America and home to the world's second largest population of Spanish-speaking people.

Colombia is a land of extremes. Through its center run the towering, snow-covered volcanoes and mountains of the Andes. Tropical beaches line the north and west. And there are deserts in the north and vast grasslands, called Los Llanos, in the east.

Dense forests fill Colombia's Amazon Basin, which takes up nearly the country's entire southern half. In northwest Colombia, a warm, wet, jungle-filled area called the Chocó reaches across the Panama border.
Map created by National Geographic Maps

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Colombia's people are as varied as its landscape. Most citizens are descended from three ethnic groups: Indians, African people brought to Colombia to work as slaves, and European settlers. This rich cultural mix makes the country's foods, music, dance, and art diverse and unique.

With its vast rain forests, sprawling savannas, huge mountains, and 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) of coastline on two oceans, Colombia is one of the most biologically diverse countries on Earth. Even though it takes up less than one percent of the world's land area, about 10 percent of all animal species live in Colombia.

Much of Colombia's forest habitats have been undisturbed for many millions of years. This has given wildlife a chance to evolve into many different species. Animals from jaguars to caimans to poison dart frogs all call Colombia's jungles home. The mountains provide habitat for huge Andean condors and rare spectacled bears, South America's only bear species.

Thousands of years ago, Colombia was nearly completely covered in jungle. But people have cleared most of the trees to create farmland, and now only a handful of areas have their original forests. The government has set up several national parks to protect habitats, but damage to the environment continues.

GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY

Colombia has a long history of democracy. Like the United States, the country is run by a president, who is elected every four years. Laws are made by a House of Representatives and a Senate.

Colombia's biggest trading partner is the United States, which buys 40 percent of the country's exports. Colombia sends a variety of items overseas, including coffee, bananas, oil, coal, gold, platinum, and emeralds.

One of Colombia's worst exports, though, is illegal drugs. With help from the United States, the Colombian government is carrying out Plan Colombia, a costly and wide-ranging effort to rid the country of the gangs, called cartels, that produce illegal drugs for sale around the world.

Archaeologists think the first people to arrive in Colombia came about 20,000 years ago. Some 8,000 years after that, settlers in the Magdalena Valley in the western part of the country grew into a civilization called the Chibcha. From the Chibcha arose the Muisca, an advanced culture that became the dominant power in Colombia by A.D. 700.

Spanish explorers arrived in Colombia in 1500 but didn't establish a settlement until 1525. These settlers were obsessed with finding gold and other valuables, and by 1538 they had conquered the Muisca and stolen all their gold and jewels. Colombia remained under Spanish rule for nearly 250 years.

By the late 1700s, people in Colombia had grown tired of Spanish rule. In 1811, the city of Cartagena declared independence and Bogotá soon followed. Spanish soldiers tried to reclaim control in 1815, but Colombian forces led by the famed Venezuelan general Simón Bolívar defeated the Spanish in 1819.

After independence, Colombia became part of a large country called New Granada. This country fell apart by 1835, and Colombia became a separate nation. Fights soon broke out between political groups over who would lead the country. Since then, Colombia has had several civil wars and relatively few times of peace.

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Colombia Country Profile - National Geographic Kids

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Colombia is nicknamed the "gateway to South America" because it sits in the northwestern part of the continent where South America connects with Central and North America.

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Aw snap! Google Earth isn't supported on your browser. You may need to update your browser or use a different browser. Please see our system requirements for more information. Chrome is a great choice and you can download it here. Or if you're feeling adventurous, you can try Earth anyway by choosing an option below.

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Stephanie Beatriz, Olga Merediz, Encanto - Cast - The Family Madrigal (From "Encanto")

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Latin America is the part of the world in the Western Hemisphere where most people speak languages that came from Latin — mainly Spanish and Portuguese (and in some places, French).

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Central America vs  Latin America What's the Difference 🤔🌎  Explained Simply

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history of Latin America, history of the region from the pre- Columbian period and including colonization by the Spanish and Portuguese beginning in the 15th century, the 19th-century wars of independence, and developments to the end of the 20th century.

Latin America is generally understood to consist of the entire continent of South America in addition to Mexico, Central America, and the islands of the Caribbean whose inhabitants speak a Romance language. The peoples of this large area shared the experience of conquest and colonization by the Spaniards and Portuguese from the late 15th through the 18th century as well as movements of independence from Spain and Portugal in the early 19th century. Even since independence, many of the various nations have experienced similar trends, and they have some awareness of a common heritage. However, there are also enormous differences between them. Not only do the people live in a large number of independent units, but the geography and climate of their countries vary immensely. The inhabitants' social and cultural characteristics differ according to the constitution of the occupants before the Iberian conquest, the timing and nature of European occupation, and their varying material endowments and economic roles.

Since the Spanish and Portuguese element looms so large in the history of the region, it is sometimes proposed that Iberoamerica would be a better term than Latin America. Latin seems to suggest an equal importance of the French and Italian contributions, which is far from being the case. Nevertheless, usage has fastened on Latin America, and it is retained here.

This article treats the history of Latin America from the first occupation by Europeans to the late 20th century, with an initial consideration of the indigenous and Iberian background. For more-detailed coverage of the area prior to European contact, see pre-Columbian civilizations. For additional information about the European exploration and colonization of Latin America, see colonialism. For information about the individual countries of Central America and South America as well as the Romance-language-speaking Caribbean countries, see specific country articles by name: for Central America, see Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama; for South America, see Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana (a départément of France), Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela; and, for the Caribbean, see Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. See also the articles on the dependencies and constituent entities Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Puerto Rico. The physical and human geography of the continents, with some historical overview, are provided in the articles North America and South America. There is also a separate article Latin American literature. For discussion of major cities of Latin America and their histories, see specific articles by name-e.g., Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Mexico City.

The background

Though the conditions of pre-Columbian America and 15th-century Iberia are beyond the scope of Latin American history proper, they must be given consideration in that connection. Not only did the geography of precontact America persist, but both the new arrivals and the indigenous inhabitants long retained their respective general characteristics, and it was the fit between them that determined many aspects of Latin American evolution.

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History of Latin America | Meaning, Countries, Map, & Facts

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History of Latin America, the history of the region (South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Romance language-speaking Caribbean islands) from the pre-Columbian period, including Spanish and Portuguese colonization, the 19th-century wars of independence, and developments to the end of the 20th century.

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South America: Countries - Map Quiz Game - Seterra

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Most of the population of South America lives near the continent’s western or eastern coasts while the interior and the far south are sparsely populated. Brazil is the world’s fifth-largest country by both area and population. Identifying Uruguay, Suriname, and Guyana may be a little tougher to find on an online map. This interactive educational game will help you dominate that next geography quiz on South America.(Please note that French Guiana is not an independent country, but a region of France).If you want to practice offline, download our printable maps of South America in pdf format.

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Mexico for Kids | Learn everything about Mexico for Kids!

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All about South America for Kids | Learn cool facts about this amazing continent