.svg) | |
| Area | 11,485,417 km2 (4,434,544 sq mi) |
|---|---|
| Population | 427,122,274 |
| Population density | 37.19/km2 (96.3/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Hispanic American |
| Countries | |
| Languages | Spanish,Indigenous languages of the Americas |
| Time zones | UTC−03:00 toUTC−08:00  |
| Largest cities | Largest urban areas: 1.Mexico City 2.Buenos Aires  3.Bogotá  4.Lima  5.Santiago  6.Guadalajara 7.Caracas  8.Guatemala City  9.Monterrey 10.Medellín |
Hispanic America (Spanish:Hispanoamérica orAmérica Hispana), historically known asSpanish America (Spanish:América Española) orCastilian America (Spanish:América Castellana), consists of theSpanish-speaking countries and territories of theAmericas.[1][2] In all of these countries,Spanish is the main language - sometimes sharingofficial status with one or moreindigenous languages (such asGuaraní,Quechua,Aymara, orMayan) or English (inPuerto Rico),[3] andLatin Catholicism is the predominant religion.[4]
Hispanic America is sometimes grouped together withBrazil under the termIbero-America, meaning those countries in the Americas with cultural roots in theIberian Peninsula.[b] Hispanic America also contrasts withLatin America, which includes not only Hispanic America, but also Brazil (the formerPortuguese America) and, by few definitions, the formerFrench colonies in the Western Hemisphere (areas that are now in either the United States or Canada are usually excluded).[5]
TheSpanish conquest of the Americas began in1492, up until 1531, during the reign of thecatholic crownKing Fernando V andQueen Isabella.Christopher Columbus landed in the Caribbean islands during one of his expeditions with the Spanish crew looking for Asia. Once established in the "New World" the desire of the Spaniards to acquire wealth quickly developed into conquest, the idea of goods and wealth drew more Spaniards' attention to the new land. Conquerors likeHernan Cortes motivated the Spanish to conquer lands and establish their living in this 'New World' and ultimately was part of a larger historical process of worlddiscovery, through which various European powers colonized a considerable amount of territory and peoples in the Americas, Asia, and Africa between the 15th and 20th centuries. Hispanic America became the main part of the vastSpanish Empire.Napoleon'sintervention in Spain in 1808 and the consequent chaos initiated the dismemberment of the Spanish Empire, as the Hispanic American territories began theirstruggle for emancipation. By 1830, the only remaining Spanish American territories were the islands ofCuba andPuerto Rico, until the 1898Spanish–American War.[6]
In general, Spanish colonies allowed mostly flexibility as long as people followed specific obligations and respected hierarchies and within these limits, Hispanic Americans were able to negotiate certain aspects of their living. In the early 1540s, once most of the territories were conquered, a lot of Spanish established themselves there for a living, and they also brought with them many African slaves and even free Africans to build on the economy of the 'New World'. They created two separate Republics;Republica de Españoles andRepublica de Indios.[7] One was composed by the Spanish and their African slaves and the other one by indigenous peoples.
There are theories that there were various Republics, others say there were none, however, these two existed and inside the Republica de Indios there were lots of villages that created their own too.[7] Both 'Republica de Indios' and 'Republica de Españoles' lived apart from each other but did not have problems between them, it was just a way to separate hierarchies due to race and ethnicity. Spaniards created this separation as a similar government behaviour as the one back in their country, where only the top of the hierarchy didn't work or pay. In this case, the 'Republica de Españoles' was the top of the hierarchy and most took advantage of it to gain wealth without working just because of their ethnicity. Later on, in the later 1550s the Spaniards would send some churchmen and officials to incorporate into the 'Republica de Indios' so thatChristianity remained regardless of the ethnicity.
This idea of the two republics isolated the Hispanic people due to their race. It gave Spanish people wealth and power only because of their ethnicity, generating a social hierarchy that left Hispanic Americans in the lowest position at the level of the African slaves Spanish brought with them through theAtlantic slave trade, and them in the highest position. Spanish were always considered at the top of the hierarchy and both Indigenous Americans and Africans at the bottom. However, sexual relations between these groups developed into mixed raced populations calledCastas. This partially threatened the hierarchy but Spanish maintained themselves at the top and maintained Hispanic Americans and Africans at the bottom but allowedCastas to position themselves somewhere in the middle. However people were often judged and categorised by their level of Spanish, their clothing and their diet as well as their relationship circles. This system entrenched racial inequalities that persisted long after the colonial period.
The independence of Hispanic American countries consisted mainly between 1808 and 1826, and was a fruit of the Spanish elites fighting for their territory as they saw an opportunity after the Spanish Independence War (1808-1814) against Napoleon. The wars for territories consisted of many battles that were generally violent but ended up being effective for the new local bourgeoisie to gain their independence. However, it took long for some of the countries to re-establish economic stability in their territories since most of the wealth had been acquired by the Spanish and was no longer there.
| Country or territory | Population[8] | Area (km2) | GDP (nominal [USD, billions])[9] | GDP (nominal) per capita | GDP (PPP) | GDP (PPP) per capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 46,376,763 | 2,780,400 | 604.15 | 12,812.56 | 12,45.01 | 26,390.44 |
 Bolivia | 11,673,029 | 1,098,581 | 46.71 | 3,857.15 | 125.06 | 10,340.32 |
| Chile | 19,116,209 | 756,102 | 344.94 | 17,253.13 | 517.53 | 29,928.25 |
| Colombia | 52,882,884 | 1,141,748 | 386.61 | 7,352.67 | 1042.26 | 19,770.18 |
 Costa Rica | 5,094,114 | 51,180 | 85.18 | 16,213.84 | 141.09 | 26,866.67 |
 Cuba | 11,326,616 | 110,860 | 147.79[10] | 13,270.00 | 254.80 | 22,300.00 |
 Dominican Republic | 11,847,904 | 48,670 | 128.92 | 11,825.35 | 294.96 | 27,230.14 |
 Ecuador | 17,643,060 | 283,561 | 122.59 | 6,630.18 | 268.19 | 14,485.60 |
 El Salvador | 6,486,201 | 21,041 | 35.28 | 5,550.27 | 75.95 | 11,700.78 |
| Guatemala | 16,858,333 | 108,889 | 112.40 | 5,739.46 | 214.57 | 10,948.04 |
 Honduras | 9,904,608 | 112,492 | 34.16 | 3,285.97 | 75.65 | 7,198.47 |
| Mexico | 128,932,753 | 1,972,550 | 2,017.48 | 15,246.01 | 3,413.80 | 25,966.32 |
 Nicaragua | 6,624,554 | 130,373 | 17.28 | 2,599.90 | 51.96 | 7,648.20 |
 Panama | 4,314,768 | 75,320 | 82.38 | 18,489.51 | 190.81 | 42,788.36 |
 Paraguay | 7,132,530 | 406,752 | 45.84 | 7,345.63 | 124.93 | 20,054.20 |
| Peru | 32,971,846 | 1,285,216 | 282.92 | 8,288.27 | 566.26 | 16,684.88 |
 Puerto Rico | 3,075,871 | 9,100 | 117.68 | 37,232.71 | 132.27 | 41,942.78 |
| Uruguay | 3,473,727 | 176,215 | 82.46 | 23,053.11 | 108.17 | 30,474.28 |
| Venezuela | 28,435,943 | 916,447 | 92.53 | 3,541.70 | 212.74 | 7,978.27 |
| Total | 412,323,809 | 11,485,417 | 4,787.30 | 11,610.53 | 9,056.09 | 21,963.53 |
United States.The population of the Hispanic America is made up of the descendants of three large racial groups and theircombinations:
• TheIndigenous peoples of the Americas, descendants ofIncas,Aztecs,Mayan,Taíno, and others.
• Those of European ancestry, mainlySpanish, andItalian.
• Africans who were brought over to Hispanic America during theSlave Trade.
Unlike in the United States, there were no anti-miscegenation policies inLatin America. Though still a racially stratified society there were no significant barriers to gene flow between the three populations. As a result, admixture profiles are a reflection of the colonial populations of Amerindians, Europeans and Africans. The pattern is also sex biased in that the Amerindian and African maternal lines are found in significantly higher proportions than Amerindian or African Y chromosomal lines. This is an indication that the primary mating pattern was that of European males with Amerindian or African females. According to the study, half the White populations of the Latin American countries studied have some degree of either Indigenous American or African admixture (MtDNA orY chromosome). In countries such asChile andColombia almost the entire white population was shown to have some non-European admixture.[13][14][15][16]
Frank Moya Pons, aDominican historian documented that Spanish colonists intermarried withTaíno women, and, over time, these mestizo descendants intermarried with Africans, creating a tri-racial Creole culture. 1514 census records reveal that 40% of Spanish men in the colony ofSanto Domingo had Taíno wives.[17]
The most common combinations are:
•Mestizos, those of mixed ancestry.
| Country | Population[19][20] | Mestizos | Whites | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 45,376,763 | 32.0% | 63.0% | 5.0% |
| Bolivia | 11,673,029 | 50.0% | 1.0% | 49.0% |
| Chile | 19,116,209 | 35.0% | 60.0% | 5.0% |
| Colombia | 50,882,884 | 52.0% | 32.0% | 16.0% |
| Costa Rica | 5,094,114 | 45.0% | 50.0% | 5.0% |
| Cuba | 11,326,616 | 34.0% | 50.0% | 16.0% |
| Dominican Republic | 10,847,904 | 65.0% | 24.0% | 11.0% |
| Ecuador | 17,643,060 | 77.0% | 8.0% | 15.0% |
| El Salvador | 6,486,201 | 86.0% | 13.0% | 1.0% |
| Guatemala | 16,858,333 | 60.0% | 1.0% | 39.0% |
| Honduras | 9,904,608 | 90.0% | 2.0% | 8.0% |
| Mexico | 128,932,753 | 51.0% | 40.0% | 9.0% |
| Nicaragua | 6,624,554 | 70.0% | 16.0% | 14.0% |
| Panama | 4,314,768 | 69.0% | 17.0% | 14.0% |
| Paraguay | 7,132,530 | 94.0% | 5.0% | 1.0% |
| Peru | 32,971,846 | 50.0% | 3.0% | 47.0% |
| Uruguay | 3,473,727 | 23.0% | 70.0% | 7.0% |
| Venezuela | 28,435,943 | 53.0% | 32.0% | 15.0% |
| Total | 420,289,876 | 50.0% | 33.0% | 17.0% |
Spanish is the official language in most Hispanic American countries, and it is spoken by the vast majority of the population.Indigenous American languages are widely spoken inChile,Peru,Guatemala,Bolivia,Paraguay andMexico, and, to a lesser degree, inPanama,Ecuador,Colombia, andVenezuela. In some Hispanic American countries, the population of speakers of indigenous languages tends to be very small or even non-existent (e.g.Uruguay). Mexico contains the largest variety of indigenous languages; there, the most spoken native language is Nahuatl.
InPeru,Quechua is an official language, alongside Spanish and any other indigenous language in the areas where they predominate. InEcuador, while holding no official status, the closely relatedQuichua is a recognized language of the indigenous people under the country's constitution; however, it is only spoken by a few groups in the country's highlands. InBolivia,Aymara, Quechua and Guaraní hold official status alongside Spanish.Guaraní, along with Spanish, is an official language ofParaguay, and is spoken by a majority of the population (who are, for the most part, bilingual), and it is co-official with Spanish in the Argentine province ofCorrientes. InNicaragua, Spanish is the official language, but on the country's Caribbean coast English and indigenous languages such asMiskito,Sumo, andRama also hold official status.Colombia recognizes all indigenous languages spoken within its territory as official, though fewer than 1% of its population are native speakers of these languages.Nahuatl is one of the 62 native languages spoken by indigenous people in Mexico, which are officially recognized by the government as "national languages" along with Spanish.
Other European languages spoken in Hispanic America include: English, by some groups inPuerto Rico and descendants of British settlers in Argentina and Chile; German, in southernChile and portions of Argentina, Venezuela, andParaguay; Italian, in Argentina, Venezuela, and Uruguay; Ukrainian, Polish, and Russian in Argentina; andWelsh, in southern Argentina.[21][22][23][24][25][26]Yiddish andHebrew can be heard around Buenos Aires. Non-European or Asian languages includeJapanese in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay;Korean in Argentina and Paraguay;Arabic in Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, and Chile; andChinese throughout South America.
In several nations, especially in the Caribbean region,creole languages are spoken. Creole languages of mainland Latin America, similarly, are derived from European languages and various African tongues.
TheGarifuna language is spoken along the Caribbean coast inHonduras,Guatemala,Nicaragua andBelize mostly by theGarifuna people a mixed raceZambo people who were the result of mixing between Indigenous Caribbeans and escaped Black slaves. Primarily anArawakan language, it has influences from Caribbean and European languages.
The Spanish and the Portuguese took theLatin Catholic faith to their colonies in the Americas, Asia, and Africa; Roman Catholicism remains the predominant religion amongst most Hispanic Americans.[27] Membership inProtestant denominations is increasing, particularly inGuatemala,El Salvador,Honduras,Nicaragua,Puerto Rico and other countries.[28] In particular,Pentecostalism has experienced massive growth.[29][30] This movement is increasingly attracting Latin America'smiddle classes.[31]Anglicanism also has a long and growing presence in Latin America.
| Countries | Population Total | Christians % | Christian Population | Unaffiliated % | Unaffiliated Population | Other religions % | Other religions Population | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 43,830,000 | 85.4% | 37,420,000 | 12.1% | 5,320,000 | 2.5% | 1,090,000 | [32] |
| Bolivia | 11,830,000 | 94.0% | 11,120,000 | 4.1% | 480,000 | 1.9% | 230,000 | [32] |
| Chile | 18,540,000 | 88.3% | 16,380,000 | 9.7% | 1,800,000 | 2.0% | 360,000 | [32] |
| Colombia | 52,160,000 | 92.3% | 48,150,000 | 6.7% | 3,510,000 | 1.0% | 500,000 | [32] |
| Costa Rica | 5,270,000 | 90.8% | 4,780,000 | 8.0% | 420,000 | 1.2% | 70,000 | [32] |
| Cuba | 11,230,000 | 58.9% | 6,610,000 | 23.2% | 2,600,000 | 17.9% | 2,020,000 | [32] |
| Dominican Republic | 11,280,000 | 88.0% | 9,930,000 | 10.9% | 1,230,000 | 1.1% | 120,000 | [32] |
| Ecuador | 16,480,000 | 94.0% | 15,490,000 | 5.6% | 920,000 | 0.4% | 70,000 | [32] |
| El Salvador | 6,670,000 | 88.0% | 5,870,000 | 11.2% | 740,000 | 0.8% | 60,000 | [32] |
| Guatemala | 18,210,000 | 95.3% | 17,360,000 | 3.9% | 720,000 | 0.8% | 130,000 | [32] |
| Honduras | 9,090,000 | 87.5% | 7,950,000 | 10.5% | 950,000 | 2.0% | 190,000 | [32] |
| Mexico | 126,010,000 | 94.1% | 118,570,000 | 5.7% | 7,240,000 | 0.2% | 200,000 | [32] |
| Nicaragua | 6,690,000 | 85.3% | 5,710,000 | 13.0% | 870,000 | 1.7% | 110,000 | [32] |
| Panama | 4,020,000 | 92.7% | 3,720,000 | 5.0% | 200,000 | 2.3% | 100,000 | [32] |
| Paraguay | 7,630,000 | 96.9% | 7,390,000 | 1.1% | 90,000 | 2.0% | 150,000 | [32] |
| Peru | 32,920,000 | 95.4% | 31,420,000 | 3.1% | 1,010,000 | 1.5% | 490,000 | [32] |
| Puerto Rico[sn 1] | 3,790,000 | 90.5% | 3,660,000 | 7.3% | 80,000 | 2.2% | 40,000 | [32] |
| Uruguay | 3,490,000 | 57.0% | 1,990,000 | 41.5% | 1,450,000 | 1.5% | 50,000 | [32] |
| Venezuela | 33,010,000 | 89.5% | 29,540,000 | 9.7% | 3,220,000 | 0.8% | 250,000 | [32] |
United States.Hispanic cuisine as the term is applied in theWestern Hemisphere, is a misnomer. What is usually considered Hispanic cuisine in the United States is mostlyMexican andCentral American cuisine. Mexican cuisine is composed of mainly indigenous—Aztec andMayan—and Spanish influences.[citation needed]
Mexican cuisine is consideredintangible cultural heritage by UNESCO and can be found all over the United States.
In the United States, with its growing Hispanic population, food staples fromMexican cuisine and the cuisine from other Hispanic countries have become widely available. Over the years, the blending of these cuisines has produced unique American forms such asTex-Mex cuisine. This cuisine, which originated in Texas, is based on maize products, heavily spiced ground beef, cheese and tomato sauces with chilies. This cuisine is widely available not just in the United States but across other countries, where American exports are found. In Florida, Cuban food is widely available. All of these Hispanic foods in the United States have evolved in character as they have been commercially americanized by large restaurant chains and food companies.
The cuisine of Spain has many regional varieties, withMediterranean flavors based onolive oil, garlic, andtomatoes and due to its long Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines, has been graced with a great variety and availability ofseafood. In the inland communities of Spain, there is a long tradition of cured meat of different kinds, in addition to an abundance of dishes such as roasts and stews, based on beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. The European and Arab heritage of Spain is reflected in its food, along with cosmopolitan influences beginning in the many new ingredients brought in from the New World since the 16th century, e.g. tomatoes, potatoes, or chocolate, and the more modern tastes introduced from Europe since the 19th century, especially through French and Italian dishes. It is only in the last ten years[when?] that Hispanic American dishes have been introduced in Spain. In the United States and Canada, the number of Hispanic restaurants has become a growing trend, following thetapas-style restaurants fashion that first appeared in North America in the 1990s.
Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican cuisines, on the other hand, tend to use a lot ofpork and can depend heavily on starchyroot vegetables,plantain, andrice. The most prominent influences on their Spanish culinary traditions were introduced by African slaves, and to a lesser degree, French influence from Haiti and later Chinese immigrants. The use of spicy chile peppers of varying degrees of strength used as flavour enhancers in Mexican tradition is practically unknown in traditional Spanish–Caribbean dishes. The cuisine of Haiti, a country with aFrancophone majority, is very similar to its regional neighbors in terms of influences and ingredients used.
TheArgentine diet is heavily influenced by the country's position as one of the world's largestbeef andwine producers, and by the impact thatEuropean immigration had on its national culture. Grilled meats are a staple of most meals as arepastas, potatoes, rice,paella and a variety of vegetables (Argentina is a huge exporter of agricultural products). Italian influence is also seen in the form ofpizza andice cream, both of which are integral components of national cuisine.
Uruguayan cuisine is similar to that of Argentina, though seafood is much more dominant in this coastal nation. As another one of the world's largest producers, wine is as much a staple drink to Uruguayans as beer is to Germans.
InColombia,Ecuador,Peru andChile, potato dishes are typical since the potato is originally from this region. Beef andchicken are common sources of meat. In the Highlands is thecuy, a South American name forguinea pig, a common meat. Given the coastal location, both countries have extensive fishing fleets, which provide a wealth of seafood options, including the signature South American dish,ceviche. While potato is an important ingredient in the Highlands, Rice is the main side dish on the coast.
This diversity in staples and cuisine is also evident in the differing regional cuisines within the national borders of the individual countries.
While relatively unknown,there is a flag representing the countries of Spanish America, its people, history and shared cultural legacy.
It was created in October 1933 by Ángel Camblor,captain of theUruguayan army. It was adopted by all the states of Spanish America during thePan-American Conference of the same year inMontevideo,Uruguay.[33]
The white background stands for peace, while theIntisun god ofInca mythology symbolizes the light shining on the Americas, and the three crosses representChristopher Columbus'caravels, theNiña,Pinta, andSanta María, used in hisfirst voyage from Spain to theNew World in 1492. Thedeep lilac color of the crosses evokes the color of thelion on thecoat of arms of themedievalCrown of Castile.[34]
United States.
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