Why Latin America is called Latin: historical facts and modern disputes

Each of us knows that the explorer Christopher Columbus at the end of the 15th century discovered a new continent - South America. Where did this name come from? Moreover, why is Latin America called Latin? It turns out that these questions are not so easy to answer. We will deal with them in more detail in the article.

Why is America?

Before answering the question why Latin America is called Latin, we will understand why the new continent was called America.

In 1492, the leg of Christopher Columbus set foot on a new earth. The navigator believed that he had opened a new path through the west to India, therefore, a great discovery was not named in his honor. A few years later, the Italian merchant and explorer Amerigo Vespucci set off for new land. Having completed a series of observations, he was the first in the whole world to talk about a new continent that had nothing to do with Asian India. Thanks to this fact, in 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldsemueller called the land discovered by Columbus America, that is, in honor of Amerigo Vespucci. Subsequently, both the southern and northern continents became known as the Americas.

How fair is this continent's name in terms of history? After all, Vespucci did not really open it, but only guessed that it was not India. A huge merit in the discovery of a new world still belongs precisely to Columbus, since he performed the necessary calculations for navigation, was able to organize this trip and transfer all his hardships with his team. Therefore, in the war for the consolidation and creation of a single state at the beginning of the 19th century, the commander and politician Simon Bolivar proposed calling the entire southern continent Colombia.

Why is it latin?

To answer the question why South America is called Latin, you can use one phrase: because most of its countries speak one of three Romance languages ​​- Spanish, Portuguese or French. These languages ​​directly descended from the Latin language of Ancient Rome. However, such an answer would be unsatisfactory.

Firstly, languages ​​such as Romanian, Italian and some others are also Romance (Latin). Secondly, Latins are the people of a small region in Italy.

Therefore, revealing more fully the question of why Latin America is called Latin, it should be said not only about the commonality of linguistic origin, but also about the general culture of the countries of South America. This culture unites the heritage of Europeans, Indians and Africans. Moreover, the new history of Latin America (XX century) is also characterized by a significant influx of immigrants from Arab countries, Turkey, Italy and Germany to this continent. The South Americans themselves call their culture a crucible in which almost all world customs and traditions are mixed.

Where did the term "Latin America" ​​come from?

In 1836, the French economist and politician Michel Chevalier used this term for the first time in his Letters on North America. Subsequently, it was used in 1856 by the Chilean philosopher Francisco Bilbao, and also in 1857 by the Colombian writer Jose Maria Torres Caichedo in his work "Two Americas."

The term "Latin America" ​​itself can safely be considered purely French. Firstly, he was proposed by the Frenchman, thereby separating the part of America, which is ruled by the Latinos (Spanish, Portuguese, French), from its other part, which is subordinate to the Anglo-Saxons. Secondly, this idea was supported by the French emperor Napoleon III during his colonization wars in the middle of the XIX century on the new continent (occupation of Mexico).

Which countries are called Latin?

Knowing why Latin America is called Latin, you can independently answer this question. Below is a list of states that fall under this term:

1. Argentina;
2. Bolivia;
3. Brazil;
4. Chile;
5. Colombia;
6. Costa Rica;
7. Cuba;
8. Ecuador;
9. Salvador;
10. Guatemala;
11. Honduras;
12. Mexico;
13. Nicaragua;
14. Panama;
15. Paraguay;
16. Puerto Rico;
17. Peru;
18. Dominican Republic;
19. Uruguay;
20. Venezuela;
21. Haiti.

All of these countries speak Spanish, with the exception of Brazil (Portuguese) and Haiti (French).

Due to the general development path of Latin America and cultural similarities, it is also customary to classify such English-speaking countries as Belize, some territories belonging to the USA (Virgin Islands) and French possessions in the Caribbean (Guadalupe, Martinique, French Guiana and some others). On the other hand, in Canada there are a number of territories where French is mainly spoken, however, they are not attributed to Latin America, since their main cultural heritage (with the exception of the language) is Anglo-Saxon.

Dissatisfaction with the term "Latin America"

Despite the fact that it is generally accepted, many people consider it inappropriate and protest against its use.

Firstly, the Spaniards themselves believe that it is more correct to name the marked region of the planet Hispanamerica, since 19 out of the 21 states listed above speak Spanish. If Brazil is included in this list, then Iberoamerica is more appropriate to say, since Portugal and Spain, the main colonizing countries, are located on the Iberian Peninsula of Europe, which was formerly called Iberia. As for the French language, its presence is insignificant, since only 3% of the population of Latin America uses it for communication.

Secondly, most Indian tribes and immigrants from Africa, who make up a large proportion of the population of South America, believe that the use of the word "Latin" is pro-European, because it completely eliminates the influence of the culture of these ethnic groups on the formation of modern states of the continent.