Why is it called Latin America? (re-blog with new title)

History, Latin America, This and That, WORD PRESS, Writing and Blogging

Q 1 —Why do we hear so little about countries in Central and South America?

Q 2 — Do citizens of all Latin American nations speak Spanish?

Q 3 — What was the Treaty of Tordesillas?

 

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  Q. Why do we hear so little about Latin American countries?  

For one thing, we Americans tend to get our news from a relative few sources, including local television as the most personal news…about our neighborhood, the city, county and state.     Local news bring us details about local sports teams, schools with leaky roofs, who is being arrested or has excelled in something.

The other major news source is cable news like CNN, MSNBC, FOX.  These news networks follow major events around the world—almost always from a standpoint of the United States involvement with the current “newsworthy nation.”    Friends or foes get the news coverage in order of their relative importance to Washington.

Mexico and Canada tend to get the most news coverage, being our immediate neighbors to the north and south.     Other nations, notably Venezuela, which usually has an adversary position with the United States—as one of the chief “bad boys” that are not on the favorites list.    Cuba held that position as thorn-in-the-side for more than half a century, and was rewarded with punative embargoes that tried to crush the island’s fortunes.

Why is it called Latin America?    Because it was dubbed with that name at various times in History, including by Napoleon and Jose Martí (a Cuban writer) and others for various conversational purposes.    The collection of nations included in the designation Latin America were originally settled by the European countries speaking Latin-based (Romance) languages: Spain, England, Portugal, France.       Some of the islands in the Caribbean were originally romance-language speakers after colonialization, although others speak Dutch or English..

The Spanish settled all of the South American continent except Brazil, which was and is Portuguese speaking.

The Treaty of Tordesillas, signed at Tordesillas on June 7, 1494, and authenticated at Setúbal, Portugal, divided the newly discovered lands outside Europe between Portugal and the Crown of Castile, along a meridian 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa.    Following is an excellent Wikipedia.org article about the Treaty of Tordesillas and its lasting influence on the division of the world between the Spanish and Portuguese.   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Tordesillas

Here is an excellent site that I found while researching the above material.  http://www.dosmanosnederland.com/en/index.php    The succinct  but thorough History of Latin America  contained here is highly recommended for the casual interest in the region, and provides a good review and timeline.

100 thoughts on “Why is it called Latin America? (re-blog with new title)”

    1. Most Americans don’t know much about it either. Glad you enjoyed the info…I love this kind of factual information. When we get news about these countries its usually about us beating up on them…usually over oil but not always.

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      4. Well there IS an agenda more or less at all schools…Columbus did discover America…god created the mankind in his own image…the US is good and righteous, but most of the world is not. There are certain standing enemies…in some places it is deviate from the “party line” and get in a lot of trouble. Like my grandson who was told that “no one is born in Australia…that is not a nationality.” My grandfather, his father, his grandfather were indeed born in Australia. 🙂

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      7. Meh…I was a teacher once. I’m appalled to think that a teacher would do something like that. Then again, perhaps that’s one of the reasons I left. 😦

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      8. The book isn’t about teachers telling actual lies, it deals with these old wife tales, gossip, religious dogma and family lore. I think I have that book, I’ll take a look later.

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      12. yeah, but I’ve always said I’d rather have crooks running things than idiots! 45 is deliberately screwing up the works, and I don’t know why. I think he’s just insane and has a mean streak…his heroes are various assorted “strongmen” that is dictators. not the best role models

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      13. Ugh. That is one thing we disagree on. I’d rather have a well-meaning idiot than a disfunctional sociopath. That man is broken.

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      16. did you see where the Press Secretary (Sarah Sanders) was kicked out of a restaurant because she works for trump? Astounding…and STUPID. This situation can only get worse…just when I thought I’d never say that. :-

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      17. Yeah. As someone on an Aussie current affair show pointed out, she may be one of the most visible people in Trump’s entourage, but she’s also one of the LEAST powerful. In a way, shunning her is simply making a scapegoat out of her.
        I understand the extreme anger, but I don’t think it will accomplish anything.

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      18. Her job…any Press Secretary’s…is to say what the president tells her to say. Her Dad is a Senator (surprise surprise) and they are big Evangelicals…

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      20. probably was one of the Hilary haters over religious reasons…she doesn’t seem to bright if ya ask me, and about as exciting as mashed potatoes.

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      21. My fear is that this kind of thing is going to escalate into severe problems in this country. These are potentially dangerous and vicious people.

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      23. This country is on the way to hell in a hand basket. Really…it is getting worse, and I’m afraid that the damage can’t be reversed…certainly not in my lifetime, nor in the foreseeable future.

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      25. the great division is caused by trump and his base of people who admire him for one reason or another. A lot of those ideas have to do with immigration, not so much a black and white thing.

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      26. Yeah, sorry. I didn’t actually mean that race was the issue, only that the degree of polarisation seems as extreme as that which led to your civil war. 😦

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      27. Yes, it is very bad. This has always been a racist country, and now, although Trump himself isn’t a racist he is now pandering to the lowest type of voters. The nation is badly divided, and it can only get worse. Putin must be absolutely drooling with anticipation at reeling in this really big fish!

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      28. Pandering, yes. That’s exactly the word to describe it. Pandering to and validating every nastiness that most people were too ashamed to display in public.

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      30. because during the “intro first class discussion” some blonde named Tiffny with big hair giggles and says “,,,oh I guess I’ll just be a teacher.” Yikes…thank god none of my kids had “her” as a teacher!

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      39. The money was actually wired into my bank yesterday! yay! It isn’t terribly much, so I’m trying not to act like a drunken sailor. More about that later….think I’ll switch to email because I don’t like airing my business on the blog comments. 🙂

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      40. The great land fiasco is finished. Closed yesterday, money to be deposited today. “They” took a full quarter from the proceeds for taxes, fees, etc. But I heard the sweet words I’ve been longing to hear from the title agent: “the bank screwed it up!” Yay! I was right all along…for what it’s worth. 🙂

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      41. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! That is such good news. Now you can relax a bit and not worry about money so much. I’m so happy it finally got sorted. -hugs-

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      42. yes, and I did hear the sweet little words that vindicated my reputation… “the bank screwed it up.” Not that it made a difference, but verification of what I have been saying all along is very satisfying. 🙂

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      2. actually I AM a historian, degrees in Latin American History, also US History… did all my university work after age 50, all but dissertation at 70. I don’t like teaching but I do love writing and studying.

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      3. lol – now that explains a lot! And just for the record, writing is a form of teaching in that it can communicate ideas. I don’t mind face-to-fact teaching, but I too prefer teaching via my writing, the how-to’s at any rate.

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      5. If you do, can you do one on Abraham Lincoln? Not because he was so famous but because he was a Republican. I was so shocked when I learned that because he seems so idealistic. Or perhaps because the definition of Republican vs Democrat has changed significantly over the centuries.
        I know our own Liberals were a very different beast not so very long ago. Still wouldn’t vote for them, but at least I could admire some of the things they stood for.

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      6. modern Republicans are not the Rs of old… Lincoln was not so revered and loved back in his own time. These Rs today are mean vicious people filled with hatred and bigotry. Even the ones that really are not play the game to keep where they are in position. bah humbug…

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      9. Since I left my actual name and address, and said of course I can be contacted, I think they will follow up by checking it out officially, OR contact the State. I’ll call back in a day or so and see what they did.

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      11. I’ll call them again soon, but being not just one but two guvmint agencies…city and state both…it won’t move very fast. 🙂 I could hustle it up, but I don’t like to pull strings to get things done.

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      14. since the culprit is a church, though, they will be pretty much immune from anything but a scolding. The two men from the church (male versions of Tiffny from my last post…lol) said “the City did the damage.” Oh hell no…
        The only thing I hate more than liars is idiots! More on that later… there is an emergency dealing with work clothes not making it into the dryer last night, and an emergency cut-off of some hole-y jeans.

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      18. oh, right…Son forgot to throw his wash in the dryer, so there was a scramble to produce some “new” shorts from cu-off jeans. It took precedent over anything else at the moment.

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      24. I was 30 when my youngest was born. She’s 53 now. I washed diapers every day for seven years! No Pampers then, and I couldn’t have afforded them it they had been available.

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      28. All the trees are down…gone into the shredder…except two on the very edge of my property. Those will be gone shortly. I’m working on posting photos…. yikes!

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      30. These trees were on the property that I sold. ALL of the trees are gone…poof…Daughter still has several acres of trees, and I have the ones on my property. I have lots of photos, but I’m too demoralized to post them tonight…

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      32. Actually most of the trees that were destroyed were the landscaper’s trees. I’ll send some photos soon so you can see for yourself. We have been watching this operation for three days…fascinating…also trying to make sure they don’t have any “accidents” on our property.

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      34. photos soon… as they say… worth a thousand words! Right now I’m going in to HalfPriceBooks…my favorite store. Being surrounded by books and paper stuff always sooths my soul. 🙂

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      36. I just finished reviewing my photos…hundreds of them. I’ll put some on later. I want to make a substantial slide show for my Minnesota Contingency, but just a few will be enough for most everyone.

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      39. fyi, the company that is doing this is doing an excellent job…the crew works beautifully together and they don’t waste any time. It is the pastor, the head of the church, who insists that ALL trees on the property come down. HE is conveniently in
        Europe someplace. The guys actually in command when he is away wanted to leave selected trees of special beauty or whatever. HE says no everything goes.

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      41. yep, expansion is obviously the point…saving souls isn’t high on the agenda. When I think of the $$$$s spent on this destruction of the landscape it really galls me. If I was going to contribute to a religious outfit it would be to help the poor or hungry or homeless or underprivileged. bah humbug…

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      43. I do know people who are very devout and still have remained decent human beings throughout their lives. I hate hypocrites to…after liars and fools. snob that I am… I should be ashamed for saying this, but the last couple of days I have been thinking that I wish I really was a witch and could cast a few spells. Those people at that church think my main vehicle is a broom. haaha

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