NORTH (AND CENTRAL)
AMERICA
Guatemala
Capital: Guatemala City
Nationality: guatemalteco
• Tikal: ancient Mayan ruins.
El Salvador
Capital: San Salvador
Nationality: salvadoreño
• Country name means
“The Savior”
Honduras
Capital: Tegucigalpa
Nationality: hondureño
-World’s highest murder rate, one of the poorest
countries in the Western Hemisphere
Nicaragua
Capital: Managua
Nationality: nicaragüense
• Lake Nicaragua is large lake where originally
Panama Canal was to be built
• Now China is building a canal
there
Costa Rica
Capital: San José
Nationality: costarricense
• Has no military and was until this year it was one
of safest Central American countries
• Known for beautiful rainforests and Eco-tourism.
Panama
Capital: Panama City
Nationality: panameño
• Panama Canal links Atlantic and Pacific
Mexico
Capital: Mexico City
Nationality: mexicano
• Capital of the Aztec Empire.
• Traditional music: Mariachi
Cuba
Capital: Havana
Nationality: cubano
• World famous for their cigars and sugar
• Communist dictator Fidel Castro ruled since
1959; now his brother Raul is “president”.
• Current embargo (ban of trade and travel)
enacted by the US in 1960 may be lifted soon
Fidel
Raul
Dominican Republic
Capital: Santo Domingo
Nationality: dominicano
• Island shares a border with French-speaking
Haiti.
Puerto Rico
Capital: San Juan
Nationality: puertorriqueño
• Commonwealth of the United States. Puerto
Ricans are granted U.S. citizenship.
SOUTH AMERICA
Venezuela
Capital: Caracas
Nationality: venezolano
Birthplace of So. American
liberator Simon Bolivar.
Columbia
Capital: Bogotá
Nationality: colombiano
• Named after Christopher Columbus.
Ecuador
Capital: Quito
Nationality: ecuatoriano
• Name means Equator, which passes through the
country
• Home of Galapagos Islands
(iguanas!)
Peru
Capital: Lima
Nationality: peruano
• Capital of the Inca Empire.
• Home of the famous ruins at Machu Picchu.
Bolivia
Capital: La Paz*
Nationality: boliviano
• Named after S. American hero Simon Bolivar.
• Home of Lake Titicaca and Lake Poopo.
•
Country actually has 2 capitals. Sucre is the
constitutional and judicial capital.
Chile
Capital: Santiago
Nationality: chileno
• Easter Island off coast.
Argentina
Capital: Buenos Aires
Nationality: argentino
• Birthplace of Tango, romantic dance.
Paraguay
Capital: Asunción
Nationality: paraguayo
• Rich Guarani Indian culture.
• 94% of the population speaks Guarani. Only 75%
speak Spanish.
Uruguay
Capital: Montevideo
Nationality: uruguayo
• Very modern and
developed country.
Spain
Capital: Madrid
Nationality: español
• La madre patria (mother country) of Spanish language
Equatorial Guinea
Capital: Malabo
Nationality: ecuatoguineano
• Only African nation where Spanish is the
official language.