| the part of the American continents south of the United States in which Spanish, Portuguese, or French is officially spoken. |
| Latin America The countries of the Western Hemisphere south of the United States, especially those speaking Spanish, Portuguese, or French. |
A term applied to all of the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking nations south of the United States.
Latin America
history of the region from the pre-Columbian period and including colonization by the Spanish and Portuguese beginning in the 15th century, the 19th-century wars of independence, and developments to the end of World War II.
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