In 1492 Christopher Columbus landed
in theWest Indies. This voyage marked
the beginning of European exploration
in the Americas. The Spanish conquered
much of Latin America in the 1500s.
Many American Indians died while
fighting the Europeans or from the diseases
they brought from Europe.
Eventually, Spain ruled Mexico, Central
America, much of South America, and
parts of theWest Indies. Portugal ruled
Brazil. France claimed what is now
French Guiana and several islands in the
A Roman Catholic church in Guatemala is
colorfully decorated. Latin America has a
mixture of European and American Indian
cultures.
112 Latin America BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Caribbean. Many Europeans settled in
these areas. They brought their languages,
their Roman Catholic religion,
and their culture to the region. Europeans
also brought in many Africans as
slaves.
Most of Latin America gained independence
from Europe in the 1800s. But in
many places in the region, people with
European roots still held more power
than people with American Indian or
African ancestors.
#More to explore
Central America • Mexico • South
America •West Indies
Latinos
#see Hispanic Americans.
Latitude and
Longitude
Latitude and longitude are a system of
lines used to describe the location of any
place on Earth. Lines of latitude run in
an east-west direction across Earth.
Lines of longitude run in a north-south
direction. Although these are only
imaginary lines, they appear on maps
and globes as if they actually existed.
Latitude
Lines of latitude (also called parallels)
circle the Earth parallel to the equator.
The equator is an imaginary line that
lies halfway between the North Pole and
the South Pole. It runs east-west all the
way around Earth. Lines of latitude
describe positions north and south of
the equator.
A group of musicians plays together in Mazatlan, Mexico.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Latitude and Longitude 113
Lines of latitude are measured in degrees
(°). Degrees are broken down into
smaller units called minutes (') and seconds
(''). The equator is 0°. The North
Pole is 90° north (N), and the South
Pole is 90° south (S). Lines of latitude
north of the equator are numbered from
1° to 89° N. Lines of latitude south of
the equator are numbered from 1° to
89° S.
There are other important lines of latitude
besides the equator. For example,
the Arctic Circle (66° 30' N) and the
Antarctic Circle (66° 30' S) surround
the cold regions around the North and
South poles. The area between the
Tropic of Cancer (23° 27' N) and the
Tropic of Capricorn (23° 27' S) is called
the tropical zone or the tropics. It is
known for its generally hot weather.
Longitude
Lines of longitude run between the
North Pole and the South Pole. These
lines are also called meridians. Like lines
of latitude, meridians are measured in
degrees, minutes, and seconds.
The north-south line that marks 0° longitude
passes through Greenwich,
England, in Great Britain. This is called
the Greenwich, or prime, meridian.
Other lines of longitude describe positions
east and west of the prime meridian.
Lines of longitude east of the prime
meridian are numbered from 1° to 179°
east (E). Lines of longitude west of the
prime meridian are numbered from 1°
to 179° west (W). The 180th meridian,
or 180°, is the line of longitude exactly
opposite the prime meridian.
How the TwoWork Together
Latitude and longitude together can
describe the exact location of any place
on Earth. For example,Washington,
D.C., lies 39 degrees north of the equator
and 77 degrees west of the prime
meridian. Its position is 39° N, 77°W.
#More to explore
Equator • Map and Globe
Lines of longitude run north and south.
Lines of latitude run east and west.
114 Latitude and Longitude BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Latvia
The eastern European country of Latvia
lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic
Sea. For much of its history Latvia has
been controlled by foreign powers. In
1991 it achieved independence from the
Soviet Union. The capital is Riga.
Geography
Latvia is between the two other Baltic
countries, Estonia (to the north) and
Lithuania (to the south). Russia and
Belarus are to the east. The land includes
flat lowlands and hills.Winters are cold,
and summers are cool and rainy.
Plants and Animals
Forests cover much of Latvia. They are
home to elk, boars, foxes, hares, lynx,
badgers, and ermines (a type of weasel).
People
Ethnic Latvians, or Letts, make up more
than half the population. They speak
Latvian. Russians form the next largest
group. More than half of the people are
not religious; most of the others are
Christians. Most people live in cities.
Economy
Services, including education, transportation,
and banking, are the main economic
activities. Manufacturing is also
important. Latvia produces wood, metals,
clothing, and machinery.
History
The first people in what is now Latvia
were the ancient Balts. In the 800s the
Vikings took control of the region. Germany,
Poland, and Sweden later ruled.
By the end of the 1700s Russia controlled
all of Latvia.
In 1917 Latvia declared its independence.
In 1940 the Soviet Union
