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All Argentines must go to Buzios at least once in thier life. I think it is written in the Argentine Constitution or something. Although I was just there last week and there seems to be a lot less than in the past. Probably because the Real is so strong.
omg so true!
I was so shocked when i went there the first time (it was 2005), we ended up in a hostería owned by argentinians that was full of argentinians we went to the beach and they were all argentinians etcétera etcétera etcétera. It was so frustrating! i dont travel away from argentina to see those annoying argentinians
lol, i swear to god, i saw more argentinians in buzios than in buenos aires.
In Chile you have tons of seafood, different kinds of meats, dairy, fresh vegetables and fruits (organic not as prohibitive as here in the US), and of course ethnic food from all over the world. Bad food? You seriously need to keep looking
Venezuela and Colombia have Spanish, Native American, and African influences. Venezuela in particular has some Caribbean influences.
Guyana has been influences by British, Indian(from India) and African influences. In some ways it's similar to the island of Trinidad.
Suriname was colonized by the Dutch and African slaves were brought here. Africans would have some influences on the culture in Suriname. Like Guyana, Suriname also has a sizeable Indian population. There are also sizeable populations of Chinese residents and Brazilians. Suriname has the large percentage of Muslims in South America. Suriname was the last nation in South America to get independence. Suriname is a place where a synagogue and a mosque sit side by side.
French Guiana is a part of France and speaks French. Much of the population is descended from Africans. There are sizable populations of Chinese, Indian, Lebanese,Vietnamese, as well as Amerindian peoples(Arawak,Carib,etc).
Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia have their own Native American influences, particular Inka, Quechua, and Aymara influences. Ecuador and Peru also have the Amazon rain forest and the culture of that area. The Spanish have also had influences in these places. The food, however is different. Seafood is common in Peru and Ecuador. Potatoes are eaten in Bolivia, as well as Peru. Peru and Ecuador have some African influences. People of African decent are found mostly on the coast areas of Peru and Ecuador. In Bolivia, most Afro-Bolivians are found in the eastern areas. Peru has deserts on the coast. Bolivia has alot of its population on the high plateau area called the Altiplano. However, Bolivia also has the Yungas region, which is a tropical area.
Chile is a desert in the North, fertile farmland in the center, and cool and wet to the South. Seafood is commonplace in the cuisine. The Central Valley of Chile is home to some of the finest vineyards in the world. It is also home to huasos, the equivalent of cowboys. There are a sizeable number of Native Americans in Chile. However, Chile has had a higher influence from European immigrants than many places in South America. In the South, there is a large population of people who are of German descent.
Argentina and Uruguay are somewhat simlar, but different too. Argentina has high mountains and has a wider range of climates. Penguins can be found in Patagonia to the South. Glaciers can also be found. Buenos Aires, the capital, is called "Paris of South America". Alot of the cuisine in Argentina is meat-based, mainly the cow. There is alot of beef production in Argentina, hence, the importance in the diet. Argentina and Uruguay have had alot of immigrants from Spain, Italy, Germany, and other places in Europe. Uruguay is not as varied in geography. Cattle is important part of Uruguay's economy, as well as the cuisine. Both nations have very small Black populations, but one part of their culture has drawn from African influences. It is a dance called the tango. Both nations have the gaucho, which is a cattle rancher.
Paraguay is home to the Guarani people, the indigenous people of this nation. There have been influences from Guarani culture, as well as Spanish culture from the Spanish. Spanish is spoken in Paraguay. However, Jopara, a language that mixes Spanish with Guarani, is also spoken here. Manioc root is a major part of the cuisine for some people in Paraguay.
Brazil is the largest nation in South America. More people speak Portuguese than any other language in South America. Brazilian culture is a mix of Portuguese, African, and Native American influences. African influences can be found profusely in this nation, as Brazil important more African slaves than any nation in South America. Many persons of African descent practice candomble, an ancient African religion. Capoeira, a type of martial art, has African roots. Brazil is known for Carnival and beaches, but few people know there are places in Brazil that actually get snow. Brazil also has the large Japanese population outside of Japan(specificallly in Sao Paulo).
In South America, the dominant faith is Roman Catholic. Most nations speak Spanish, but Portuguese is spoken by more people than any other language. Dutch, English, and French are also spoken in South America.
South America is varied, and much more diverse than people think. There is much more than I just put on this post. If you want to get a true idea what South American nations are like, you must go to those nations and check it out for yourself.
There are many different points of view about the use of terms like "Latino" or "Latin America".
My particular point of view is that Brasil is part of Latin America, along with the Spanish speaking countries of the continent. And this is how most Brazilians feel about the subject: they feel they are part of Latin America ("América Latina").
Brazilians love Shakira, from Colombia, Brazilians love RBD (and Anahí) from Mexico , Brazilians love the Mexican telenovelas almost as much as Brazil's own telenovelas, and Brazilians love the Mexican TV show "El Chavo del Ocho", which is one of the oldest TV shows continuously exhibited in Brazil, and still very sucessful among kids. And more recently, Brazilians love Larissa Riquelme!
lol what is this obsession Brazilians have with RBD?
Yes at least the Brazilians I've met they all feel like Latinos.
I think saying it has a European feel to it is not to discount that there are Blacks, Indians, and mixed people but compared to other parts of Brazil, it does feel very European. Maybe not to a European but to somebody from the New World like myself, and even to many Brazilians, it certainly does. Many people say the same thing about my city in the US (Seattle), yet we still have black people (Jimmy Hendrix for example) and Indians (I grew up next to a reservation) but the Scandinavian influence is really strong. In the South of Brazil the Italian, German, ect. influence is really strong.
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"European feel" is not related to race, but to culture. Any city in Latin America feels more European because of their way of life. Their way of life is more like Europe used to be 50 years ago. Their cultural references are European, they read papers and are interested in the world.
Any US city is totally "Uneuropean", no matter if their inhabitants were European centuries ago.
lol what is this obsession Brazilians have with RBD?
Yes at least the Brazilians I've met they all feel like Latinos.
I've noticed that too. Brazil LOVES RBD even though they broke up a few years ago. Despite this Christian Chavez is still very popular there (I think) and if I'm not mistaken Anahi will sing the official theme for the Brazilian World Cup.
And I would agree that Brazilian are very much Latinos. Not Hispanic since they were never a Spanish colony, but there way of life is very similar to many other Latin American countries and Hispanic countries to the North....
it's kind of odd to see countries like guyana, french guiana and suriname excluded in a conversation about south america yet countries like uruguay, paraguay and bolivia are mentioned?
I noticed that of the earlier pages, but the OP seemed to indicate a desire to focus on the Spanish-speaking countries. Considering that there was a good deal more discussion of Brazil than might be expected, particularly as the OP seemed to single out that s/he already knew how Brazil was different.
I've never traveled to South America, or outside the US even, so I can't give a real answer. Some of what I've read might group the Spanish speaking along these kinds of lines, but take it with a big grain of salt.
Strongly indigenous influenced: Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, and maybe Ecuador. Paraguay has Guarani as one of its official languages I believe. These countries tend to be a bit poorer and more traditional or religious. Although there's some noteworthy differences amongst them. Paraguay received a fair amount of Mennonites and Germans, also the Guarani were not within the Inca domain or sphere of influence. At least not so as I recall. Peru received a fair amount of Japanese and had a Japanese descended leader. Also it's kind of the heartland of the Inca-sphere. Ecuador's indigenous were also fairly deep in the "Inca sphere", although I think they had Taino and other aspects too. Bolivia I believe is more Aymara and mining was quite key for a long time.
Caribbean: Colombia, Venezuela, possibly Ecuador in a way. I guess I don't know as much about them to be honest. Somewhat more developed, but often with very high income inequality and the crime-rate of Caribbean nations. Colombia's murder rate is lower than it was, but still relatively high.
Southern Cone: Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay. Fairly strong influences of "non-Spanish Europeans." Particularly Italians and Germans as I recall. Comparatively low indigenous influences, but that's less true of Chile. Generally the most developed area.
As I've never been there though so maybe I shouldn't have even guessed. I do know people who have spent time in South America, and online I've known some South Americans and even co-wrote a book review with an Argentine. but I'm not sure I know many who went or lived in more than one nation on that continent. Or if they did it was only in two countries which bordered each other.
I know the title of the thread is South America, but i'll include the entirety of Latin America.
Colombia,Venezuela,and Brazil have very strong African influences. Of course. But people forget that Ecuador has a pretty large Black community, as well. In Esmeralda,upwards of 70% of people are of African descent. Peru as well, just not as much. In Central America,Honduras,Guatemala,Panama,& Nicaragua have many people of African descent.
I think indigenous influences are most strong in Mexico,Bolivia,Paraguay,Peru,Guatemala,Honduras,El Salvador,and you could include Colombia and Venezuela.
Argentina,Chile,Uruguay,and Southern Brazil are for the most part European. These are the most developed parts of Latin America, for some reason.
In the Caribbean nations,Indigenous influence is not nearly as strong as other nations. Puerto Rico,D.R.,and Cuba all have huge Mulatto/Black populations.
South America is varied, and much more diverse than people think.
South America is the most diverse continent? How would you rank South America in diversity compared to other continents?
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Although I was just there last week and there seems to be a lot less than in the past. Probably because the Real is so strong.
that was full of argentinians
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