Central and south America

Central America is a narrow bridge of land linking Mexico in the north to South America in the south. A string of mountains runs down its length, capped by volcanoes. The beautiful, palm-fringed islands of the Caribbean Sea lie off its east coast. South America, the fourth largest continent, contains a range of very different landscapes. About 60 percent of the continent is covered in vast, grassy plains. The towering Andes mountains stretch along the west coast, with the long, thin Atacama Desert sandwiched between the mountains and the sea. Tropical rain forests spread in a lush green blanket across huge areas of the northeast.

THE AMAZON RIVER

The world's largest rain forest grows in the vast basin of the mighty Amazon, the longest river in South America. The Amazon rises high in the snowcapped Andes in Peru, then flows 4,001 miles (6,439 km) across Peru and Brazil to its mouth in the Atlantic Ocean. The Amazon carries more water than any other river. At its mouth the Amazon is so wide that you cannot see from one bank to the other. The river discharges so much water into the ocean that the water is still brackish 112 miles (180 km) out to sea.

Peoples of central and SOUTH AMERICA

The language, history, and culture of Central and South America have been shaped by colonization. Until 1492, when Christopher Columbus first landed in the Bahamas,        the continent was inhabited by native peoples. After that time, European settlers arrived from Spain and Portugal, and huge numbers of Africans were imported as slaves, especially to theCaribbean and Brazil. The Caribbean also became home to English, French, and Dutch settlers. As a result, the population of the continent today is a combination of these different ethnic groups. Spanish is the main language spoken throughout most of the continent, together with Portuguese in Brazil. English and French are more common in the Caribbean, while Dutch can still be heard in Suriname.

guatemala

From the ruined cities of the ancient Mayan civilization to the Catholic churches of the Spanish, Guatemala represents a blend of cultures. Today, more than half the people are direct descendants of the Mayan Indians and live mainly in highland villages; the remainder of the population is part Indian and part Spanish. Many Mayans work for rich landowners who grow the coffee, sugar, and bananas that are the country's main cash crops. Guatemala also exports fresh cut flowers, mostly roses, which are grown in the valleys around Antigua

CITIES OF THE MAYA

Tourism is one of Guatemala's fastest growing industries. Each year more than 500,000 touriste visit the country to see its ancient sites. Spectacular ruins mark the site of Tikal, one of the great Mayan cities. Tikal was mysteriously abandoned in about AD900. Today its ruined temples lie in a huge area of tropical forest.

honduras

The hot, steamy climate of Honduras is ideal for growing fruit, and for many years the banana industry has dominated the life of the country. Today, Honduras has developed

other exports, such as coffee, sugar, and beef. More than half of Hondurans live in thé countryside, in small villages or isolated settlements. Many are poor farmers, growing corn, beans, or rice for their own use. Life is hard, and many people go hungry. Land is unevenly distributed - wealthy families and fruit companies own 60 percent of the land.

HONDURAN PEOPLE: Most Hondurans are mestizos - mixed descendants of native Indians and the Europeans who arrived in the 16th century. Some are descended from black Africans who were shipped to the Caribbean as slaves. Some are white (European) or Indian.

EL SALVADOR

The smallest country in Central America, El Salvador has suffered a history of civil war and révolution. Historically, a handful of rich families have controlled the land and wealth, while most Salvadoreans have lived in poverty. A line of volcanoes, many still active, dominates the landscape. Forests, once rich with cedar, mahogany, and oak, have been cut down for farmland.

SAN SALVADOR: San Salvador was founded by Spanish colonists in 1525. Since then it has been damaged by earthquakes many times. Much of the original Spanish architecture has been replaced with modem buildings. Overcrowded slum areas have developed around the city as thousands of refugees have arrived in search of work.

cuba

More than 200 rivers wind their way across Cuba, watering the lush green scenery of the Caribbean's largest island. The land is made up of mountains, rolling hills, and flat plains, ail covered in a fertile soil that is ideal for growing sugar, tobacco, and a variety of tropical fruits and vegetables. Most Cubans are descended from the early Spanish settlers, or from Africans brought over later to work as slaves on the plantations. In recent decades, the socialist policies of the long-standing leader Fidel Castro have kept Cuba isolated from much of the world.

In 1959, Fidel Castro and a group of rebels overthrew the ruling dictator, Fulgencio Batista. Since then, Cuba has been a communist state, aided by the Soviet Union until its breakup in the early 1990s. Many of Castro's social policies have been successful. Housing and health care have greatly improved, and most people can now read and write. However, the US remains hostile to the communist government.

CUBAN CIGARS

Cuba's warm days and cool nights are ideal for growing tobacco. Tobacco leaves are picked when pale green and hung up to dry for 40-45 days. They are then sorted and packed for the fermentation process, which mellows the flavor of the leaf before it is sent to one of Cuba's famous cigar factories. Cigars are rolled by hand by men and women working at long wooden tables.

jamaica

The beautiful island of Jamaica is a place of strong contrasts. On the one hand, there is the relaxed attitude of people enjoying the national passions - cricket and reggae music. On the other hand, there is tension between the few powerful families and the many poor living in violent slums. This side of life is rarely seen by the tourists who flock here each year. In addition to tourism, the mineral bauxite, used to make aluminum, is a valuable source of income.

REGGAE MUSIC

The driving rhythms of reggae music can be heard everywhere across the island. Its songs often tell of hardship and political struggle, and are linked to Rastafarianism. Reggae developed in Jamaica from ska, which was a blend of African, European, and South American styles. Jamaican singer Bob Marley (1945-81) made reggae music popular around the world.

venezuela

When the italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci first visited the southern shores of the Caribbean Sea in 1499, he named the land Venezuela, or "Little Venice." The lake dwellings of the native Indians reminded him of the houses and canals of the Italian city of Venice. Part of the Spanish Empire for three centuries, Venezuela became independent in 1811. Today it is a country of huge contrasts: the oil industry produces immense wealth, yet many people live in shantytowns. Most people live in cities, yet the tribes of the interior are barely touched by modem life.

brazil

The largest country in South America, Brazil covers almost half the continent. From the 16th to 19th centuries it was ruled by the Portuguese, who named it after the brazilwood tree. The country contains deserts in the northeast, rain forests in the north and west, and rolling grasslands in the south. Because the climate is so varied, it is possible to grow almost any crop. Brazil has crowded modem cities - and areas that have never been explored. In the south, the forces of the Paranâ and Paraguay rivers have been harnessed to form the world's largest hydroelectric project, the Itaipû Dam

people of brazil

The population of Brazil is a mixture of peoples. Some are descended from native Indians who have always lived in Brazil, others from the Portuguese who ruled there for 300 years. Many Brazilians have African ancestors who were brought over in the 17th century to work as slaves on the sugar plantations. At the beginning of this century many Japanese sailed to Brazil to escape crop failures at home. Also during this century, large numbers of European migrants have settled in the south of the country.

CARNIVAL

For four days and nights before Lent each year (February or March), it is carnival time in Brazil. People corne from ail over thé world to join thé célébration in Rio de Janeiro, where there are street parties, balls, and a contest for thé best costume. Day and night thé streets are crammed with people in wonderful costumes moving to thé rhythm of music. A parade of brightly colored floats, organized by neighborhood samba schools, is the highlight of the carnival.

agriculture

Brazil is the world's major producer and exporter of coffee, which is grown on huge plantations, mostly in the states of Paranâ and Sâo Paulo. However, coffee is only one of the country's main crops; soy beans, sugarcane, and cotton are also produced on a large scale. Brazil is one of the world's main producers of oranges, bananas, and cocoa beans as well. About one-third of Brazilians work in agriculture, although the size of farms varies from tiny plots of land to vast estates. Many people work in the fields for little pay, while a few rich landowners benefit from huge profits.

SOCCER

Everyone in Brazil plays or watches soccer, and there is a stadium in every city. The huge Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro was built for the 1950 World Cup, and holds 200,000 spectators. Brazil has won the World Cup more times than any other country, most recently in 1994. Many Brazilian stars play soccer abroad for teams in England, Spain, and Italy.

amazon

The Amazon River starts life in thé Andes Mountains of Peru and flows for 4,001 miles (6,439 km) across South America until it gushes into thé Atlantic Océan. For more than half of its length, thé Amazon flows •T    through Brazil. It is thé country's most important waterway, and large boats can travel inland as far as the  modern city of Manaus, about 994 miles(1600 Km) from the sea. Everyy year the river floods and deposits  fertile silt on the land.

argentina

Stretching from the subtropical forests of the north, down across the vast central plains of the Pampas, to the snowcapped mountains of Patagonia in thé south, Argentina occupies most of southern South America. The country is bounded by the Andes Mountains in the west, and slopes gently downhill to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. Today's population is a mixture of native Indians, Spanish settlers, and immigrants from southern Europe who arrived during the past 100 years. The country is relatively wealthy, but has suffered from years of political instability, with periods of military rule alternating with elected governments.

DANCING THE TANGO

Tango, the national music of Argentina, began in the slums of Buenos Aires. The music, and the dramatic dance style that goes with it, reflects the hopes of working people and is sometimes happy, but often sad-Tango music is played on a bandoneon, a type of concertina, with a piano and violin accompaniment.

gauchos of the pampas

As famous as his northern cousin, the American cowboy, the Argentine gaucho has roamed the rolling plains of the Pampas for about 300 years. The name gaucho cornes from a South American word for outcast, as gauchos have always chosen to live beyond the law of the cities. The men work on the vast estancias, or ranches, fixing fences and corrals (pens for animals), tending the horses, and looking after the large herds of cattle. Tough, self-reliant, and free, the gauchos have become legendary heroes and a national symbol of Argentina.