10 Interesting Facts About Latin America

10 Interesting Facts About Latin America

Latin America is home to more than 600 million people currently. In the typical sense, it is made up of South America, Middle America, and parts of the Caribbean. When it comes to culture, Latin America is also home to quite a rich one and that is why it annually attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. It is a jackpot of all cultures, languages, and ways of life. Here are some of the interesting facts about Latin America.

1. More than 370 languages are spoken throughout Latin America

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When people hear of Latin America, the one language that comes to mind is Spanish. However, this isn’t really the case because one of the reasons the area is even called Latin America,, to begin with, has to do with the fact that collectively, the countries all speak the languages of romance. These include Spanish and Portuguese which top the list of the most widely spoken languages in Latin America

2. The shortest Coastline and the world’s largest salt flats are found in South America

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South America, part of Latin America is the fourth largest continent in the world and contains 12 countries. For such a large landmass one would expect an equally large landmass but the reality is quite the opposite. Due to the triangle shape of the continent, it had the shortest coastline. Some of the largest salt flats are found here too.

3. Latin America is very much urbanized

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Contrary to common belief, Latin America is also very urbanized and studies have shown that more than 80% here live in cities. Because of this, it is considered the most urbanized region in the world.  

4. It rains fish in one of the small towns in Latin America

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One of the most interesting facts about Latin America is how in a small town known as Yoro, it rains fish. Literally! It doesn’t have a very practical explanation but it does happen. It happens as much as four times a year and because of its consistent occurrence, the people of Yoro usually host an annual festival meant to commemorate it.  Scientists have tried to explain that this probably happens due to the extremely active and strong storms that Honduras has.

5. In Latin America, there are 17 different ways of saying popcorn

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Imagine having a word that has different ways of pronouncing it.  Within Latin America, popcorn has 17 different names as you move from one different country to another. This could be because it is a very popular dish. Some of the names include Cabritas in Chile and Maiz Pira in Colombia. Pororo in Uruguay, Millo in Panama, and Pochoclos in Argentina among many others.

6. Sao Paulo is one of the largest cities worldwide

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Sao Paulo, a city found in Brazil is usually referred to as a city within Brazil. It has been estimated that over 12 million people live in this city. It has therefore been ranked as of the largest cities in the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere. Moreover, Sao Paulo falls within the top 10 metropolitan areas in all the world.

7. The Amazon rainforest is found in South America

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The Amazon rainforest has so many fun facts surrounding it that it is impossible to ignore it. One of them is that it produces 20% of the oxygen the world uses. It is also the world’s largest rainforest with the world’s largest river and home to many indigenous and untainted tribes. The majority of the forest is found in Brazil and more than a million species of insects and trees are found within the rainforest.

8. Ninety percent of the world’s emeralds come from Colombia

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Colombia mines and even produces about 90% of emeralds and exporting them to the global market. These emeralds found in Colombia are over fifty carats and actually cost more than any diamond that is of the same size and carat.

9. The 29^th of every month is for Gnocchi in Argentina

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Gnocchi is a popular Italian cuisine. Typically it is a dumpling made from potatoes, flour, or semolina. This delicacy is enjoyed right across Argentina on the 29^th of every month.  This tradition began in the 19^th century when Italians did their migration to Argentina and settled there. They would money under plates that are filled with gnocchi since they believed that it attracted good luck and fortune.

10. This is where you will find pink dolphins

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Did you know that the amazon river is home to the famous pink dolphins? They are also known as Boto or simply Pink River Dolphins and they live in freshwater environments, contrary to the belief that they live in saltwater environments. The pink dolphins are typically found in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Venezuela. 

Latin America remains to be a very beautiful region in South America that has so many beautiful cultures and people. It has so many interesting facts as discussed and its originality continues to set it apart.