Things You Need to Know About the Tropical North of South America

Attempts to Improve Trade Relations

All of the countries in this region joined the Union of South American Countries (UNUASUR) in 2008 and practice free trade. They are currently working on a universal currency much like the Euro in Europe for all of South America to help strengthen their economies. They are also trying to improve relations with the USA.

Major Landforms

Andes Mts. in Ecuador, Columbia, and Venezuela; narrow lowlands along the Pacific coast; Cotopaxi, the world's largest volcano in Ecuador; Galapagos Is. in Ecuador; Sierra Nevada de Santa Mada Mts. in Columbia; Darien swampland in Columbia; Llanos plains in Venezuela; the Guiana Highlands in Venezuela, French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana; and rainforests in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.

Mixture of Religions

Because of constant colonial takeovers, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana have this.

Altitude; landforms

Climates vary in this region because of the varying __________________ and varying ___________________.

FARC

Colombia has had a longtime struggle with a powerful organization called the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which wants Colombia to cut off all trade with foreign countries and wants the government to help the poor more. Funded through profits from the illegal drug trade.

Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana

Creole language, a mixture of European and African, is most common in __________________, _________________, and _______________________.

Important Resources

Ecuador: oil, gold, bananas, coffee, corn, rice. Columbia: oil, coal, gold, diamonds, emeralds, copper, iron-ore, bananas, coffee, corn, rice, wheat, sugarcane, cattle, cotton. Venezuela: oil, natural gas, coal, gold, diamonds, bauxite, copper, iron-ore, coffee, corn, rice Guyana: oil, diamonds, bauxite, copper, iron-ore Suriname: oil, diamonds, bauxite, copper, iron-ore French Guiana- None.

History of Independence

Fought with Spain for independence from 1819-1823 and created Gran Colombia, one country made up of Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. In 1830, they broke apart into individual countries, except for Panama, which broke from Colombia in 1900.

Carib and Arawak

Hunter-gatherers who lived in villages on the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts.

Venezualian and USA Tension

In 1998, elected Hugo Chavez as their president and he quickly became friends with USA enemies like Cuba and Iran and then in 2009 seized American oil companies. The poor majority supported him but the middle-class and wealthy did not. He died in 2013 but the current president continues his policies.

Challenges in Guyana

Independence came slowly. Did not gain independence from Great Britain until 1966. Dispute over territory with Suriname in 1975, which was not resolved until 2007. Disputes with Venezuela from 1966 until 2007 over territory. African and Asian populations within the country also often get into violent disputes.

Challenges in Suriname

Independence came slowly. Did not gain independence from Great Britain until 1975. Dispute over territory with Guyana in 1975, which was not resolved until 2007. Military rule from 1980-1990. Rebel African groups also try to overthrow the government but are usually killed off by the military.

Chibcha and Quitu

Lived in inland mountain valleys, farmed, and traded with the Inca.

Ethnicity and Settlement in Guyana, Suriname, and French Gianna

Majority are mixed peoples: Mulatto, Mestizo, and Asian-Spanish. Except for in Guyana, which is mostly rural, the population of the Tropical North is urban with a vast majority living in a few large cities.

Roman Catholicism

Most common religion in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

Major Waterways

Pacific Ocean borders Columbia and Ecuador; Guayas River in Ecuador; Caribbean Sea borders Columbia, Venezuela; Magdelena R. and Cuaca R. in Columbia, Orinoco R. and Angel Falls in Venezuela, Atlantic Ocean for Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana.

Cara

People who built fishing villages along the Pacific coast.

Challenges in Colombia

Political and social problems after independence. Assassinations and violence between political groups has been common, lasting from the 1940s to the 1970s and the loss of 200,000 lives. Attempted government overthrows (coups) are also common.

Challenges in Venezuela

Political and social problems after independence. Civil war until 1969! Disputes with Guyana from 1966 until 2007 over territory.

Challenges in Ecuador

Political and social problems after independence. Got in fights with Peru over territory in the Amazon Basin from the 1940s until they signed a treaty in 1968. Got into a fight with Colombia in 2008 over territory and almost went to war but finally resolved in 2010 when it was discovered that the rebel groups in Ecuador were actually Venezuelan.

Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela

Spanish is the official language of ___________________, ________________, and ___________________. However, 180 Native languages are commonly spoken.

Early 1500s

The Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the ___________________________ looking for gold, and natives to enslave.

Control

The Spanish set up local governments in the mid-1500s so that they could ______________ their colonies in the Tropical North.

Colombian and USA Tension

The occasional dictator, communist revolts, FARC, and the drug trade has hurt relations.

The French, the British, and the Dutch

What people fought over and colonized Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana?