Los Países Hispanoparlantes

1. Los PaísesHispanoparlantes Spanish-speaking countries

2. How many are there? • There are 22 different countries that speak Spanish. • They are in North America, Central America, South America, Europe, and Africa. • Write in the country, capital, nationality, and tidbits on your note sheet.

3. Counting Continents • By the United States’ definition, there are 7 continents. • By the rest of the world’s definition there are 5 or 6 continents. • The Americas are one continent and Antarctica doesn’t count. • That’s why there are 5 Olympic rings representing the 5 continents.

4. #1 The United States • el país: • Los EstadosUnidos de América • EE.UU. • la capital: • Washington, D.C. • nacionalidad: • American • The darker the blue, the more Spanish speakers live there. • We are the second-largest Spanish-speaking country behind Mexico with 45 million Spanish speakers! • We do not have an official language.

5. Spanish-speakers by county

6. #2 Mexico • el país: • México • la capital: • México, D.F. • nacionalidad: • Mexican • Also made up of states, so it is the United States of Mexico. • México, D.F. is the largest city in the western hemisphere. It was built over a lake, so some of the buildings in downtown sink a little every year. • D.F. stands for Distrito Federal

7. Mexico City’s original layout

8. #3 Guatemala • el país: • Guatemala • la capital: • Ciudad de Guatemala • nacionalidad: • Guatemalan • Has lots of ancient ruins from Aztecs and Mayas. • Many of the names come from the native Aztec and Mayan languages.

9. Mayan ruins in Guatemala

10. #4 Honduras • el país: • Honduras • la capital: • Tegucigalpa • nacionalidad: • Honduran • Was the first country to be called a “Banana Republic” because it gets most of its income from exporting bananas. • Also has lots of Mayan ruins.

11. Banana market in Honduras

12. #5 El Salvador • el país: • El Salvador • la capital: • San Salvador • nacionalidad: • Salvadoran • Is tiny but has lots of volcanoes. • Once went to war with Honduras over a soccer game.

13. Salvadorian Volcanoes

14. #6 Nicaragua • el país: • Nicaragua • la capital: • Managua • nacionalidad: • Nicarugauan • Contains Lake Nicaragua, which has fresh-water sharks! • National sport is baseball.

15. Freshwater sharks!

16. #7 Costa Rica • el país: • Costa Rica • la capital: • San José • nacionalidad: • Costa Rican • Does not have an army! It is a relatively safe country that tries to stay out of international politics. • Is a popular eco-tourist destination for cloud forests, volcanoes, and sea turtles.

17. Ziplining in a cloud forest

18. #8 Panamá • el país: • Panamá • la capital: • Ciudad de Panamá • nacionalidad: • Panaman • Gets 1/3 of income from the canal! • Canal is the only way to cross a boat from the Atlantic to Pacific without going all the way around South America.

19. Panama Canal

20. #9 Cuba • el país: • Cuba • la capital: • La Habana • nacionalidad: • Cuban • Is an island only 90 miles from Florida, but Americans are not allowed to visit. • Is under the communist rule of the Castro family, and the U.S. has an embargo… no trade, no travel.

21. American cars in Cuba

22. #10 La RepúblicaDominicana • el país: • La RepúblicaDominicana • la capital: • Santo Domingo • nacionalidad: • dominicano • Shares an island with Haiti. • Is the birthplace of Latin dancing like the merengue.

23. Salsa dancing in the Dominican

24. #11 Puerto Rico • el país: • Puerto Rico • la capital: • San Juán • nacionalidad: • Puerto Rican • Is a tiny island that is actually part of the United States. • Is not yet a state, so they don’t pay taxes… but they also don’t get government representation.

25. You can visit without a passport!

26. #12 Venezuela • el país: • Venezuela • La capital: • Caracas • nacionalidad: • Venezualan • Has lots of shoreline on the north end of South America… and there’s lots of oil there! • Famous for Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world.

27. Angel Falls

28. #13 Colombia • el país: • Colombia • la capital: • Bogotá • nacionalidad: • colombiano • Gets most of its money from exporting oil and coffee. • Also has a significant drug trade, so it is one of the least safe countries for travel.

29. Coffee on the hillside in Colombia

30. #14 Ecuador • el país: • Ecuador • la capital: • Quito • nacionalidad: • Ecuadoran • Gets its name because it is right on the equator. • Owns the Galapagos Islands, which are a national park and international tourist destination.

31. Famous animals on the Galapagos

32. #15 Perú • el país: • Perú • la capital: • Lima • nacionalidad: • Peruvian • Is mostly mountainous – the Andes mountains – which is home to the potato and the tomato. • Is famous for Machu Picchu, an ancient Incan mountain ruin.

33. Machu Picchu

34. #16 Bolivia • el país: • Bolivia • la capital: • La Paz • nacionalidad: • boliviano • Is mostly mountains and has Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world. • Has the world’s largest salt deposit!

35. Bolivian salt flats

36. #17 Chile • el país: • Chile • la capital: • Santiago • nacionalidad: • Chilean • Is made up of districts numbered from 1 (in the north) to 11 (in the south). • On the north end it has the Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world.

37. A sculpture in the Atacama Desert

38. #18 Argentina • El país: • Argentina • La capital: • Buenos Aires • Nacionalidad: • Argentine • Famous for cowboys, beef, grapes, and wine. • Many families immigrated from Italy and Germany, so there is a lot of blonde hair and blue eyes.

39. Argentine tango

40. #19 Uruguay • el país: • Uruguay • lacapital: • Montevideo • nacionalidad: • Uruguayan • 88% of population are European immigrants from Spain and Italy! • It’s a super healthy country – it has the highest birthrates and longest life expectancy in South America!

41. Diego Forlán, soccer legend

42. #20 Paraguay • el país: • Paraguay • la capital: • Asunción • nacionalidad: • Paraguayan • Known for the Guaraní, the native group there. • Has the largest hydroelectric plant in the world.

43. Massive hydroelectric plant

44. #21 España • El país: • España • La capital: • Madrid • Nacionalidad: • Spanish • Is the country that sent explorers to the new world, which is why so many Latin American countries speak Spanish. • Has beautiful old cities and also deserts. Has lots of Arabic influence because it’s so close to Africa.

45. Beautiful European cities

46. #22 Guinea Ecuatorial • el país: • Guinea Ecuatorial • la capital: • Malabo • nacionalidad: • Guinean • Is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa. • Populated by Spanish Jews who were exiled back in the 15th century.

47. Gorillas in Guinea