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From the Amazon to the Andes and all of the mystical wonders in
between, Mexico and South and Central America are full of stories to tell.
Whether you prefer to look for clues to the successes of ancient Incan and
Mayan civilizations or take in the unrivaled variety of exotic plants and
wildlife, these lands are sure to awaken your inner explorer.
History
South and Central America were home to several indigenous cultures
prior to the European discovery of the New World in the late fifteenth
century. The Mayan civilization populated Central America and Mexico as
early as 1000 B.C. Their architectural prowess is illustrated by their
monolithic stair-stepped pyramids, which stand to this day. The Incan
civilization dominated the Andes region from 1438 to 1533 with precise
stonework and agricultural techniques that enabled them to flourish in the
harsh mountainous terrain.
In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed a
treaty to share the western lands the two maritime powers were exploring.
The result would put modern-day Brazil in the hands of the Portuguese with
the rest of the continent going to Spain. The following years were
difficult, as native cultures were plagued by European diseases and the
incursion of the conquistadors. Independence from Europe did not come to
the continent until the early part of the nineteenth century with the
South American Wars of Independence. Brazil peacefully seceded from
Portugal in 1822.
The Cold War made for political turbulence in
South and Central America in the twentieth century. Chile was overthrown
in the 1970s, and Peru suffered from internal conflicts in the '80s and
'90s. Many a nation's presidencies were overthrown under a cloud of
corruption. A wave of democratization came over South America beginning in
the '80s and cooled much of the dissension. Although tough economic times
have recently touched the region, the promise holds for development and
growth well into the future.
Fast Facts
Argentina
- Capital: Buenos Aires
- Population: 39.5 million
- Language: American Spanish and indigenous languages
- Currency: Peso (ARS)
- Time Zone: EST plus 2 hours
- Electricity: 220V, 50Hz
Brazil
- Capital: Brasília
- Population: 186 million
- Language: Portuguese
- Currency: Reál (BRL)
- Time Zone: EST plus 1-3 hours
- Electricity: 110V, 220V
Ecuador
- Capital: Quito
- Population: 13 million
- Language: Spanish, Quechua
- Currency: U.S. dollar (USD)
- Time Zone: EST
- Electricity: 110V, 60Hz
Peru
- Capital: Lima
- Population: 28 million
- Language: Spanish, Quechua, indigenous languages
- Currency: Nuevo sol (PEN)
- Time Zone: EST
- Electricity: 220V, 60Hz
Weather
The Andes mountain range represents the only area of South and Central
America with consistently cooler temperatures. Warm and humid in the north
and mild and drier in the south is a pretty consistent climate pattern for
South America. Be sure to bring comfortable rain gear as you are traveling
through Brazil, Ecuador and Peru, as wet weather is a common
occurrence.
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