The Western World Daily Readings on Geography Chapter 63 Latin America and the Caribbean (LACAR)

CHAPTER 63 Latin America and the Caribbean ( How do we define this region ?

Regional geography studies the people and places of a cohesive region is defined to be an area with multiple shared characteristics over a range of categories , including both physical and human geographic characteristics . The secret of creating a region , which is a human construct not a naturally begotten unit , is to cluster together as many similarities as possible , while excluding geographic differences . In some cases , the determination of a geographic region is simple . South America obviously is an intact continent , but also possesses many shared features in a variety of geographic categories . In contrast , the region of North Africa and the Middle East ( or Southwest Asia and North Africa ) is very problematic to create , define , and limit . 312

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ( 313 At glance , the Caribbean may appear to be straightforward to compile as a region . There are logical ways to Latin America as a region . How do we put them together ?

America . To be blunt , that narrows the region quite a bit . We are not talking about Europe or Asia or wherever . Historically , the New World , the Americas . Latin . The Latin language has long been a dead language that is , a language that is no longer spoken . However , there are several modern languages that are heavily based on that earlier Latin language . Principally , these modern languages include French , Spanish , Portuguese , Italian , and Romanian . These are European languages , so they must be brought to the Americas . Historically , Italy had colonies , but in Africa , not in the Americas . did not have colonies . France , Spain , and Portugal had colonies around the world , including in the , where in the Americas do we currently find French , Spanish , or Portuguese as national languages ?

South America Portugal Brazil French Latin America and the Caribbean . France Cartography by jeff Spanish Venezuela , Colombia , Chile , Ecuador , Peru , Argentina , Bolivia , Paraguay , Exceptions Dutch in , English in Central America Spanish Mexico , Costa , El Salvador , Honduras , Panama Exception English in Belize Caribbean islands Spanish Cuba , Dominican Republic , Puerto Rico ( partly ) French Haiti , Martin , Lucia Exceptions English in the Commonwealth Caribbean I ' and , the Bahamas , Jamaica , and , Lucia , Vincent and the , Trinidad and ) in British Overseas Territories ( Bermuda , British Virgin Islands , Cayman Islands , and the Turks and ) in , and in US territories ( US Virgin Islands and partly in Puerto Rico ) and Dutch ( and ) in , Curacao ,

314 JOEL QUAM AND SCOTT CAMPBELL , and parts of . Of course , along with language , the French , Spanish , and Portuguese conquerors and settlers brought many other aspects of culture , economy , and politics with them . We see these elements , mixed to varying degrees with native cultures , throughout Latin America . Contiguity . For the South American landmass , it is simple to count it as part of Latin America . For the based languages , there are only two exceptions Dutch in and English in . Can either of those small countries be placed in any other region ?

Europe ?

Obviously not . Europe is on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean . In any sense Caribbean ?

No , both border the Atlantic Ocean directly , not the Caribbean Sea . As both countries are contiguous within South America , while not being contiguous with any other region , both must be counted as part of Latin America , thereby making all of South America to belong in South America . In Central America , we have a similar situation . Only Belize , an country , fails to fit the Latin heritage . Belize too fails the contiguity test . There is no other region for Belize to fit . All of Central America goes into Latin America . All right then , what about the Caribbean islands ?

This is a more difficult situation to assess . Other than some contributions to the language , the Portuguese played almost no role in the Caribbean . The islands controlled by the Spanish and the French easily are outnumbered by the islands colonized by the English and the Dutch . Would we want to designate some of the Caribbean islands into Latin America , while excluding other Caribbean islands ?

That would be awkward . If some Caribbean islands are excluded , then into what region are they placed ?

and the Bahamas be included in North America ?

With North America being defined as the United States and Canada , two huge land areas , it would seem awkward to add small island countries to that exclusive group . What else can be done with these islands ?

The compromise is expressed in how we state the name of the region Latin America andthe Caribbean ( The word and indicates that these two regions are not the same single region , while the grouping into one phrase that there is a broader connection between these two regions . Outside of North America , together these regions are the lands of the New World that were explored , conquered , and settled by European colonial powers , of both and other languages , while mixing with native populations to a significant degree ( unlike in the United States and Canada , where the concept of mestizo , a person of mixed native and European parentage , is unfamiliar ) Overall then , Latin America and the Caribbean comprise two related that are expressed well together . The countries and territories ofthis combination are gathered together based on contiguity , languages , and European colonial acquisitions in the New World . Did You Know ?

The Bahamas , Bermuda , and the British Turks and islands technically are not Caribbean islands . These sets of islands are located northeast of Cuba and east of the Carolinas and Florida in the Atlantic Ocean . Should these islands be designated as part of the Caribbean region ?

As has happened in other cases , the questions of contiguity and Where else ?

pop up . The Bahamas and the Turks and island sets are adjacent to the Caribbean islands . Bermuda is closer to North Carolina . Since islands by definition do not touch each other , we use the standard of adjacency instead of contiguity . Could the Bahamas , Bermuda , and the Turks and fit into any other region ?

Again , the only other option would be North America , seemingly an awkward fit . Thus , everyone places the Bahamas , Bermuda , and the Turks and in the Caribbean , not in North America .

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN ( 315 Cited and additional bibliography , Steve . 2020 . European Colonies in South America , 1763 . College of GIS class . Jeff . 2020 . Latin America and the Caribbean . College of . College of GIS class .