South and Central America, including Mexico

Download a South and Central America destination travel guide (PDF, 2128K)

From the Amazon to the Andes and all of the mystical wonders in between, Mexico and South and Central America are full of stories to tell. Whether you prefer to look for clues to the successes of ancient Incan and Mayan civilizations or take in the unrivaled variety of exotic plants and wildlife, these lands are sure to awaken your inner explorer.

• History
• Fast Facts
• Holidays and Festivals
• Books
• Videos
• Spanish for Travelers
• Weather
• Average Temperatures
• Tips

History

Mexico, South and Central America were home to several indigenous cultures prior to the European discovery of the New World in the late fifteenth century. The Mayan civilization populated Central America and Mexico as early as 1000 B.C. Their architectural prowess is illustrated by their monolithic stair-stepped pyramids, which stand to this day. The Incan civilization dominated the Andes region from 1438 to 1533 with precise stonework and agricultural techniques that enabled them to flourish in the harsh mountainous terrain.

In 1494, Spain and Portugal signed a treaty to share the western lands the two maritime powers were exploring. The result would put modern-day Brazil in the hands of the Portuguese with the rest of the continent going to Spain. The following years were difficult, as native cultures were plagued by European diseases and the incursion of the conquistadors. Independence from Europe did not come to the continent until the early part of the nineteenth century with the South American Wars of Independence. Brazil peacefully seceded from Portugal in 1822.

The Cold War made for political turbulence in South and Central America in the twentieth century. Chile was overthrown in the 1970s, and Peru suffered from internal conflicts in the ’80s and ’90s. Many a nation’s presidencies were overthrown under a cloud of corruption. A wave of democratization came over South America beginning in the ’80s and cooled much of the dissension. Although tough economic times have recently touched the region, the promise holds for development and growth well into the future.

Fast Facts

Argentina Fast Facts
Capital: Buenos Aires
Population: 39.5 million
Language: American Spanish and indigenous languages
Currency: Peso (ARS)
Time Zone: EST plus 2 hours
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz

Brazil Fast Facts
Capital: Brasília
Population: 186 million
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Reál (BRL)
Time Zone: EST plus 1-3 hours
Electricity: 110V, 220V

Costa Rica Fast Facts
Capital: San José
Population: 4 million
Language: Spanish, Creole, indigenous languages
Currency: Costa Rican colón (CRC)
Time Zone: EST plus 1 hour
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz

Ecuador Fast Facts
Capital: Quito
Population: 13 million
Language: Spanish, Quechua
Currency: U.S. dollar (USD)
Time Zone: EST
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz

Mexico Fast Facts
Capital: Mexico City
Population: 106 million
Language: Spanish, indigenous languages
Currency: Peso (MXN)
Time Zone: EST minus 1 hour
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz

Peru Fast Facts
Capital: Lima
Population: 28 million
Language: Spanish, Quechua, indigenous languages
Currency: Nuevo sol (PEN)
Time Zone: EST
Electricity: 220V, 60Hz

Holidays & Festivals

Books

• Andes to the Amazon: Seven Journeys in Mexico, Central and South America, by Bruce B. Junek
• Brazil: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture, by Jan Rocha
• Evita: The Real Life of Eva Peron, by Nicholas Fraser
• The Shaman’s Apprentice: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, by Lynne Cherry and Mark J. Plotkin
• The Trail to Titicaca: A Journey Through South America, by Rupert Attlee
• Travels in a Thin Country: A Journey Through Chile, by Sara Wheeler

Videos

• Romancing the Stone (1984)
• The Mission (1986)
• Evita (1996)
• Frida (2002)
• Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Spanish for Travelers

Weather

The Andes mountain range represents the only area of South and Central America with consistently cooler temperatures. Warm and humid in the north and mild and drier in the south is a pretty consistent climate pattern for South America. Be sure to bring comfortable rain gear as you are traveling through Brazil, Ecuador and Peru, as wet weather is a common occurrence.

Average Temperatures

Tips for Tipping

Throughout South America, Central America and Mexico you can follow some general rules of thumb. In restaurants, check and see if a service charge has been added. If so, leave an additional 5 percent. If not, tip 10 to 15 percent of the bill. For porters, tip a U.S. dollar (or equivalent in local currency) per day. Leave hotel maids the equivalent of a dollar a day.

Did you know?

• In Mexico, cats are believed to have seven lives, Tuesday the 13th is unlucky, and Fool’s Day falls on December 28.
• The Amazon retains about 30 percent of the genetic store of the planet and represents the most diversified and complex ecosystem known to mankind.
• Mexico has more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the Americas.
• Machu Picchu, the Lost City of the Incas, was not discovered until 1911 by Yale professor Hiram Bingham, who wondered in his diary if anyone would believe what he had found.
• The cloud forests of Monteverde, Costa Rica, host more than 425 bird species and an innumerable variety of insects.
• Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and is large enough to fit all of the countries in Europe.

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