Summary
Latin America consists of the nations south of the Rio Grande, whose inhabitants predominantly speak one of three languages derived from Latin: Spanish, Portuguese, or French. Although many of us are most familiar with images of the sun-splashed beaches of Brazil or the rugged highlands of Peru, Latin America also includes many small Caribbean nations, such as the Dominican Republic and Barbados.
Latin America explores the diverse cultural, economic, political, and natural landscapes of this unique region—one that is dominated by people of Iberian and Amerindian descent, and is home to some of the world’s poorest and wealthiest nations. From its breathtaking natural features—which include the majestic Angel Falls in Venezuela and the voluminous Amazon River, which each day discharges as much water as New York City uses in nine years—to its volatile political history, Latin America is a region of great contrasts and extremes.