Latin America
The mayan civilization
By: Nicole Kerrigan
One of the most famous and well known ancient empires were the Mayans, located in modern day Belize,Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and part of Mexico. For their time, the Mayans were very advanced in architecture, mathematics, and astronomy, and with that knowledge they created the world's first accurate calendar.
Architecture:
The Mayans created amazing architecture, and some methods are still used today. Many buildings were made using limestone, flint, stucco, and stone. These made strong buildings, and allowed the Mayans to make intricate designs on the building. From limestone and flint, the Mayans also created plaster and cement. Plaster and cement allowed the Mayans to create temples in the shape of pyramids, except with a thatched roof. Mayan cities were also "planned." Roads met so each one would form a ninety degree angle and create a block, so their ancient cities are similar to how our cities are today. Roofs of houses were flat and typically made of cedar wood and covered in mortar. Walls and ceilings were painted with designs of gods, monsters, and other creatures.
Religion:
Religion was very important in the lives of Mayans. Religion influenced Mayans daily lives, but not much is known about their belief system. The only information is from paintings and stories drawn on ruins of the Maya Civilization. The Mayans worshiped hundreds of gods, and it appears as if in the Maya belief system, there are thirteen heavens, nine underworlds, and nine lords of the nights. From drawings, it seems as if there was a battle between the sky gods and war gods. As Mayan society advanced, the religion changed with it. New gods were added, old gods had different jobs, and some gods actually went from good to evil, and vice-versa. The calendar was tightly interwoven with the Mayan religion because the ceremonies were held with connections to the calendar. The Mayans also performed human sacrifices, sometimes by dropping people to their deaths, or slitting their throats. Also, the Mayans would play a game similar to soccer, and the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods.
Science:
The Mayans are known for creating the very first accurate calendar. According to History.com, the calendar "was based on two overlapping annual cycles: a 260-day sacred year and a 365-day secular year. Under this system, each day was assigned four pieces of identifying information: a day number and day name in the sacred calendar and a day number and month name in the secular calendar. Every 52 years counted as a single interval, or Calendar Round. After each interval the calendar would reset itself like a clock."
Decline:
No one knows exactly what happened to the Mayan empire. It began to decline around the 11th century, then completely disappeared. Some people believe it was disease, war, interrupted trading routes, or climate change and deforestation from their farming practices. Spanish conquistadors eventually took over the area in the 16th century, but by then, the Mayans were gone.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/mayan-scientific-achievements
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/literature/world_literature/classprojects/mexico/maya.html
Architecture:
The Mayans created amazing architecture, and some methods are still used today. Many buildings were made using limestone, flint, stucco, and stone. These made strong buildings, and allowed the Mayans to make intricate designs on the building. From limestone and flint, the Mayans also created plaster and cement. Plaster and cement allowed the Mayans to create temples in the shape of pyramids, except with a thatched roof. Mayan cities were also "planned." Roads met so each one would form a ninety degree angle and create a block, so their ancient cities are similar to how our cities are today. Roofs of houses were flat and typically made of cedar wood and covered in mortar. Walls and ceilings were painted with designs of gods, monsters, and other creatures.
Religion:
Religion was very important in the lives of Mayans. Religion influenced Mayans daily lives, but not much is known about their belief system. The only information is from paintings and stories drawn on ruins of the Maya Civilization. The Mayans worshiped hundreds of gods, and it appears as if in the Maya belief system, there are thirteen heavens, nine underworlds, and nine lords of the nights. From drawings, it seems as if there was a battle between the sky gods and war gods. As Mayan society advanced, the religion changed with it. New gods were added, old gods had different jobs, and some gods actually went from good to evil, and vice-versa. The calendar was tightly interwoven with the Mayan religion because the ceremonies were held with connections to the calendar. The Mayans also performed human sacrifices, sometimes by dropping people to their deaths, or slitting their throats. Also, the Mayans would play a game similar to soccer, and the losing team would be sacrificed to the gods.
Science:
The Mayans are known for creating the very first accurate calendar. According to History.com, the calendar "was based on two overlapping annual cycles: a 260-day sacred year and a 365-day secular year. Under this system, each day was assigned four pieces of identifying information: a day number and day name in the sacred calendar and a day number and month name in the secular calendar. Every 52 years counted as a single interval, or Calendar Round. After each interval the calendar would reset itself like a clock."
Decline:
No one knows exactly what happened to the Mayan empire. It began to decline around the 11th century, then completely disappeared. Some people believe it was disease, war, interrupted trading routes, or climate change and deforestation from their farming practices. Spanish conquistadors eventually took over the area in the 16th century, but by then, the Mayans were gone.
Sources:
http://www.history.com/topics/mayan-scientific-achievements
http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~shale/humanities/literature/world_literature/classprojects/mexico/maya.html
Latin American Holidays:
By Nicole Kerrigan
Día de Los Reyes Magos:
Celebrated everywhere in Latin America and Spain, Día de Los Reyes Magos, which translates into The Day of the Three Kings, is exactly twelve days after Christmas on January 6th. Children normally recieve their gifts on this day, rather than Christmas. This holiday relates to the church calendar, and January 6th was the day the Three Kings brought gifts to Jesus. In the days before Three Kings Day, children write letters to the Magi asking for something they want. On January 5th, the night before, children leave out their shoes filled with hay to feed the Magi's animals. The hay is replaced with the gifts the children requested the next morning. The most iconic tradition however, is Rosca de Reyes, and according to http://tudecidesmedia.com, it is "a sweet bread shaped like a wreath, with candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby Jesus baked inside. The person who finds the figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2nd."
http://tudecidesmedia.com/traditions-the-tradition-of-three-kings-day-p3002-128.htm
Semana Santa:
Semana Santa, which translates to Holy Week, is the week before Easter Sunday, or in Spanish, Pascua. During this week, there are normally huge parades, and many stores, schools, and other businesses close for at least four days. People march in the streets in robes and celebrate in parades every night from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Fiestas/semana_santa.htm
Cinco De Mayo:
Cinco De Mayo translates to "The Fifth of May." By the name, it isn't hard to tell this holiday is celebrated May 5th. This holiday celebrates Mexico's victory over France in 1862 in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). On Cinco De Mayo, Mexican heritage is celebrated. Normally parades, mariachi music, street festivals, and dinners are held.
http://www.history.com/topics/cinco-de-mayo
El Día de los Muertos:
"The Day of the Dead," is a holiday celebrated November 1st and 2nd. It is believed at midnight on October 31st, the gates to Heaven open, and all deceased children are allowed to be with their families for 24 hours. On November 2nd, the children return to Heaven and the deceased adults are allowed to come down and enjoy food and activities with their families. A symbol of Day of the Dead is the sugar skulls. These were made because many families could not afford expensive ceramic skulls from Europe, so they learned how to make them out of sugar. This holiday is one of the most important, and some spend two months preparing for it. It is believed happy spirits gave protection and good luck.
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html
By Nicole Kerrigan
Día de Los Reyes Magos:
Celebrated everywhere in Latin America and Spain, Día de Los Reyes Magos, which translates into The Day of the Three Kings, is exactly twelve days after Christmas on January 6th. Children normally recieve their gifts on this day, rather than Christmas. This holiday relates to the church calendar, and January 6th was the day the Three Kings brought gifts to Jesus. In the days before Three Kings Day, children write letters to the Magi asking for something they want. On January 5th, the night before, children leave out their shoes filled with hay to feed the Magi's animals. The hay is replaced with the gifts the children requested the next morning. The most iconic tradition however, is Rosca de Reyes, and according to http://tudecidesmedia.com, it is "a sweet bread shaped like a wreath, with candied fruit on top, and a figurine of a baby Jesus baked inside. The person who finds the figurine is expected to host a party on Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas), celebrated on February 2nd."
http://tudecidesmedia.com/traditions-the-tradition-of-three-kings-day-p3002-128.htm
Semana Santa:
Semana Santa, which translates to Holy Week, is the week before Easter Sunday, or in Spanish, Pascua. During this week, there are normally huge parades, and many stores, schools, and other businesses close for at least four days. People march in the streets in robes and celebrate in parades every night from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday.
http://www.euroresidentes.com/Fiestas/semana_santa.htm
Cinco De Mayo:
Cinco De Mayo translates to "The Fifth of May." By the name, it isn't hard to tell this holiday is celebrated May 5th. This holiday celebrates Mexico's victory over France in 1862 in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861-1867). On Cinco De Mayo, Mexican heritage is celebrated. Normally parades, mariachi music, street festivals, and dinners are held.
http://www.history.com/topics/cinco-de-mayo
El Día de los Muertos:
"The Day of the Dead," is a holiday celebrated November 1st and 2nd. It is believed at midnight on October 31st, the gates to Heaven open, and all deceased children are allowed to be with their families for 24 hours. On November 2nd, the children return to Heaven and the deceased adults are allowed to come down and enjoy food and activities with their families. A symbol of Day of the Dead is the sugar skulls. These were made because many families could not afford expensive ceramic skulls from Europe, so they learned how to make them out of sugar. This holiday is one of the most important, and some spend two months preparing for it. It is believed happy spirits gave protection and good luck.
http://www.mexicansugarskull.com/support/dodhistory.html
Latin America Travel Itinerary
By:Sanaz ghaed
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian Island located 3,500 kilometres and 2,180 miles off the coast of Chile. Easter Island is famous because its known for being home to 887 monolithic statues known as moai. If you would go to Easter Island I would suggest you to wear shorts or a tank top because they say its really humid there. Almost all of the statues are located at Rano Raraku, a natural volcanic crater and the islands quarry. The largest statue, Paro, is almost about 10 metres and 33 feet high weighing 82 tons. Easter Island was created by the Rapa Nui people around the 1300 and 1500 A.D. , they say the statues represent gods and deified ancestors.
Easter Island is a Polynesian Island located 3,500 kilometres and 2,180 miles off the coast of Chile. Easter Island is famous because its known for being home to 887 monolithic statues known as moai. If you would go to Easter Island I would suggest you to wear shorts or a tank top because they say its really humid there. Almost all of the statues are located at Rano Raraku, a natural volcanic crater and the islands quarry. The largest statue, Paro, is almost about 10 metres and 33 feet high weighing 82 tons. Easter Island was created by the Rapa Nui people around the 1300 and 1500 A.D. , they say the statues represent gods and deified ancestors.
Patagonia, Chile & Argentina
Patagonia is a remote region of South America that has around 100,000 international tourists every year.If you would ever go there I would suggest you to wear really warm cloths because its freezing, as you can see in the picture. It's a mosaic of a bunch of landforms, golden pampas, soaring snow-capped mountains and vast ice fields. Shared by Argentina and Chile, the region is popular with trekkers, photographers, nature lovers and adventure sports enthusiasts. People say April is the best time to travel to the region.
The Amazon Jungle, Peru
The Amazon jungle dominates about more than two thirds of Peru's landscapes. If you want to know what to wear when going to the amazon jungle, it depends what season you go because theres two seasons in the amazon jungle, and its dry or rainy. so if its dry wear cold clothing and if its raining then wear warm cloths. The Amazon Jungle has a record of 90 different micro-climates. Iits home to some 1,200 types of butterflies, 2,000 species of fish, 300 reptiles and more than 50,000 plants. They say that there have been more species of bird observed than in the entire country of Costa Rica, just in that Jungle
source:http://www.southwindadventures.com/faq_patagonia.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest
By:Sanaz Ghaed
source:http://www.southwindadventures.com/faq_patagonia.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter_Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_rainforest
By:Sanaz Ghaed
travel
By: Neil Trytten
Peru is an exotic country filled with great hispanic culture. When traveling to this part of Latin America you will want to know one ofthe basic things like, what should you plan on taking to wear? Well first off, there are three major climate zones in Peru. The Amazon Jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the Coastal Desert.Peru’s climate hastwo main seasons – wet and dry – though the weather varies greatly depending on the geographical region. Temperature is mostly influenced by elevation: the higher you climb, the cooler it becomes. With this kind of weather, ones usual outfit could consist of a pair of pants with a short sleeve or long sleeve shirt, depending on how you feel towards the weather and also always have a jacket with you. Three places to visit in Peru is Machu Pichu. Machu Pichu is a historical landmark where the Incas once lived and now all that remains is there long gone empire. The second place to visit is the Amazon Jungle where you can see animals that don't live in Northern America. Lastly, you should definitely check out any museums that you see around because they'll have great history to learn about!
Cuisine of Haiti
By: sanaz ghaed
Haitian cuisine is a famous dish in Haiti. This hispanic dish is everyones favorite dish in Haiti. The cuisine is a mixture of different types of cuisines. It is made up of vegetables, meats, peppers and herbs, the herbs are usually used to strengthen up the flavor. This cuisine is famous in this region because it carries a uniqueness native only to the country and it appeals to many visitors in the island. This dish was influenced by the french, spanish, and Africans. Haitian cuisine is famous for its ability to scintillate the plate.
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_cuisine
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_cuisine
Peru
By: Alex
Peru is an exotic country filled with great Hispanic culture. When traveling to this part of Latin America you will want to know one of
the basic things like, what should you plan on taking to wear? Well first off, there are three major climate zones in Peru. The Amazon
Jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the Coastal Desert.Peru’s climate has two main seasons – wet and dry – though the weather varies greatly
depending on the geographical region. Temperature is mostly influenced by elevation: the higher you climb, the cooler it becomes. With this
kind of weather, ones usual outfit could consist of a pair of pants with a short sleeve or long sleeve shirt, depending on how you feel
towards the weather and also always have a jacket with you. Three places to visit in Peru is Machu Pichu. Machu Pichu is a historical
landmark where the Incas once lived and now all that remains is there long gone empire. The second place to visit is the Amazon Jungle where
you can see animals that don't live in Northern America. Lastly, you should definitely check out any museums that you see around because
they'll have great history to learn about!
the basic things like, what should you plan on taking to wear? Well first off, there are three major climate zones in Peru. The Amazon
Jungle, the Andes Mountains, and the Coastal Desert.Peru’s climate has two main seasons – wet and dry – though the weather varies greatly
depending on the geographical region. Temperature is mostly influenced by elevation: the higher you climb, the cooler it becomes. With this
kind of weather, ones usual outfit could consist of a pair of pants with a short sleeve or long sleeve shirt, depending on how you feel
towards the weather and also always have a jacket with you. Three places to visit in Peru is Machu Pichu. Machu Pichu is a historical
landmark where the Incas once lived and now all that remains is there long gone empire. The second place to visit is the Amazon Jungle where
you can see animals that don't live in Northern America. Lastly, you should definitely check out any museums that you see around because
they'll have great history to learn about!
More food
By: Alex
Latin America is a continent of many different cultures. Peru is one very flavorful country. It has spirit and life and their food is out of this world! Here is a recipe to a dish called Lomo Saltado that all Peruvian people and tourist love!
Ingredients:
1 package frozen french fries
vegetable oil as needed
1 pound beef tri tip sliced 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, sliced into strips
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced into strips
1 yellow chili pepper
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 dash soy sauce to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Ingredients:
1 package frozen french fries
vegetable oil as needed
1 pound beef tri tip sliced 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, sliced into strips
3 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and sliced into strips
1 yellow chili pepper
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 dash soy sauce to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley