South America¶
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Argentina¶- Coins
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Spain stumbled across Argentina in 1516, and they moved in for good around 1580. When Napolean took over Spain, Argentina took care of itself, declaring independance in 1816. Unfortunately, it took them 50 years to figure that one out. Argentina has some very nice coins with their sun motif, but only a few coins with animals.
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Bolivia¶- Coins
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Bolivia has been occupied for about 20,000 years. The ruins of Tiwanaku, near Lake Titicaca in the north are evidence of an artisically and culturally advanced civilization with no written language. The city was founded around 200 BCE, and collapsed around 1100. The area was absorbed into the Inca empire around 1440. The Spanish arrived in 1535 and turned everybody into slaves. Sixteen years of terrible fighting started in 1809, and ended with the establishment of the Republic of Bolivia in 1825. The country was named after the famous freedom-fighter Simon Bolivar. In the years since then, Boliva has survived through more than 16 constitutions and 160 revolutions.
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Brazil¶- Coins
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Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, and the largest country in South America where it occupies half the continent and borders every other country except Ecuador and Chile. It also features the largest river in the world -- the Amazon -- which cuts its way across the top of the country through the vast Amazon Rainforest before arriving at the North Atlantic. Brazil has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years and was recently claimed by the Portugese in 1500. The Portugese royal family took up residence in Rio de Janeiro during the Napoleonic wars.The country was declared an independent empire by Dom Pedro I (the new emperor) in 1822. That lasted until 1889, when Brazil became a federal republic. Brazilian democracy was interrupted by two brief dictatorships (1930-34, 1937-45), and by one long one after a 1964 military coup that saw a progression of generals running the show until 1985. Brazil enjoys vast amounts of natural mineral resources, and has lots of coffee beans and cocoa (among other things) for the rest of the world. Brazil is the only South American country whose national language is Portugese.
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Chile¶- Coins
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Squeezed between the Andes Mountains and the South Pacific, Chile is the longest country in the world, stretching over 4,200 km from north to south. It's widest point is only 430 km, making it look like the thinnest country. Native Americans on the move started settling in Chile's fertile valleys about 10,000 years ago. The Inca Empire briefly extended into the northern part of the country, but the hostility of the local tribes and the remote area kept them at bay. Same thing happened to the Spanish when they tried to conquer the land in the early 16th century. European settlement of the land was slow and torturous, taking almost 300 years. It ended in the late 19th century with the brutal repression of the Mapuche Indians. Once Spain got entangled with Napoleon, the European colonists in Chile proclaimed independence in 1810, and secured it after eight years of bitter fighting. Chile developed a democratic society, but ran into all sorts of problems in the 20th century including dictatorships and run-away inflation. Chile is a large exporter of copper.
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Colombia¶- Coins
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Colombia is primarily an agricultural country, and its biggest export crop is coffee beans. Native amerindians were culturally active in the area around 1450 BCE, and had developed a sophisticated political system around 1000 BCE. The Spanish arrived in 1500 CE and proceeded to really mess up the native population through war, disease, and exploitation. (When they ran out of natives to exploit, they simply imported slaves from Africa.) Santa Marta was settled in 1525, and the area became a Spanish colony named New Granada in 1549.Simon Bolivar was instrumental in achieving independence in 1819 when he united Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela as the Republic of Gran Colombia. Ecuador and Venezuela went their own way a decade later, and Panama hung in until 1903. Later on in the twentieth century, the country became plaqued with the drug trade and guerrilla groups who cause a lot of disruption and bloody internal fighting. Colombia is struggling with these problems today.
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Falkland Islands¶- Coins
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The Falkland Islands are located on the continental shelf off the east coast of the tip of South America. There are two main islands, called East Falkland and West Falkland and a bunch of other smaller islands. France, Spain, the UK and Argentina have tussled over ownership of the islands since they were discovered over 400 years ago. Pretty much all of them claimed to have discovered them first. France and Spain dropped out of the ring long ago, leaving the UK in possession and Argentina claiming their sovereignty over the islands.Argentina occupied the islands in 1982, leading to a month long war with the UK before they surrendered. Since the war, British military spending has become a major part of the Falkland Islands economy, along with farming and fishing. As of 2003 the population was less than 3,000 people. Reportedly, most of these people wish to remain British citizens. Many areas of the island are still filled with land mines and ordnance from the Falkland War. If you visit, be sure to pick up a free map from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) office in Stanley, West Falkland, detailing where not to step.
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Guyana¶- Coins
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Guyana is a country of lush rain forests, many rivers, gorgeous waterfalls, and prize-winning rum. The name means "Land of Many Waters" and the country is characterized by a friendly multicultural society. Arawak and Carib tribes lived there when Europeans first arrived around 1500. The full European invasion did not start until the early 17th century when the Dutch established two colonies: Essequibo and Berbice. In the mid-18th century they settled the colony of Demerara but by the end of the century Britain had taken control of all three. In 1831 these three colonies were united as British Guiana, independence from Britain was achieved in 1966, and in 1970 Guyana became a republic.Sugar exports are the largest single part of Guyana's economy and it is famous for its Demerara sugar, named for the colony it originally came from. Culturally, Guyana is very similar to english-speaking Caribbean, and in fact Guyana is a member of the Caribbean Community even though it is geographically separated from all the other Caribbean nations.
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Paraguay¶- Coins
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The Republic of Paraguay is a sub-tropical to temperate landlocked country in South America. The country is plagued by economic inequality: the top 10% of the population has over 40% of the national income, while the bottom 10% has 0.5% of the income. Land concentration is similary bad, with 10% of the population owning two-thirds of the land. Despite this, Paraguay has a good eduction system, high literacy rate, and good overall health.
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Peru¶- Coins
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The Republic of
Peru was home to the Norte Chico civilization -- one of the oldest in the world -- and to the Inca Empire. The land varies from arid plains on the Pacific coast, to the Andes mountains, and the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. Peru is a multi-ethnic country, formed by the combination of different groups over five centuries. Today, tourism is the third-largest industry in the country with tourists visiting for the archaeological monuments, ecotourism in the Amazon, and cultural tourism in the colonial cities. Tourists also enjoy the food, adventure tourism, and the beaches.
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Uruguay¶- Coins
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Officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (or the Eastern Republic of Uruguay), Uruguay is located in the south-eastern part of South America. With an area of 176,000 square kilometers and less than 4 million people, the country is the second smallest in South America. The country has no official religion and keeps church and state separate, guaranteeing freedom of religion. Uruguay has an impressive tradition of arts, music, and literature, especially considering its small size.
