An introduction to the history, politics, art and literature of modern Latin America.The Portuguese and Spanish-speaking states created in the early 1820s following the wars of independence differed enormously in geographical and demographical scale, ethnic composition and economic resources, yet shared distinct historical and cultural traits; together they comprise Latin America. Specially-commissioned essays analyse history, politics, art and literature from the nineteenth century to the present day and consider the heritage of pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America. A chronology and guides to further reading are including, making this volume an invaluable introduction to the rich and varied culture of modern Latin America.The Portuguese and Spanish-speaking states created in the early 1820s following the wars of independence differed enormously in geographical and demographical scale, ethnic composition and economic resources, yet shared distinct historical and cultural traits; together they comprise Latin America. Specially-commissioned essays analyse history, politics, art and literature from the nineteenth century to the present day and consider the heritage of pre-Columbian and Colonial Latin America. A chronology and guides to further reading are including, making this volume an invaluable introduction to the rich and varied culture of modern Latin America.Specially-commissioned essays analyze Latin American history, politics, art and literature from the nineteenth century to the present and reveal the common heritage of pre-Columbian and colonial Latin America. Although the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking states created in the early 1820s differed greatly geographically and demographically (in ethnic composition and economic resources), they also shared distinct historical and cultural traits. A chronology and guide to further reading make this volume an invaluable introduction to the rich and varied culture of modern Latin America.List of illustrations; l³6