AY Honors/South American Culture/Answer Key/en

South American Culture

Skill Level

1

Year

2019

Version

27.11.2024

Approval authority

South American Division

1

Describe which countries make up the South American Division of the SDA church and state three or four typical characteristics of the culture of each country, which can be language, flag, typical food, customs and typical clothing.

Argentina

Flag of Argentina

Argentina

Typical food: Chorizo, loin, parrilla, etc.
Language: Spanish, commonly called Castilian by Argentines.
Customs: Drinking mate, shortening words, etc.

Bolivia

Flag of Bolivia

Bolivia

Typical food: Rice empanada, locro, salchipapas, etc.
Language: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Guarani and a variety of lesser-used indigenous languages.
Customs: Deeply Catholic, rich folklore, etc.

Brazil

Flag of Brazil

Brazil

Typical food: Carne-de-sol, cheese buns, tacacá, etc.
Language: Portuguese
Customs: Exchange of affection in public, religious celebrations, late leaving home, etc.

Chile

Flag of Chile

Chile

Typical food: Chocolate pastries, curanto, ceviche, etc.
Language: Spanish
Customs: Greet with a kiss on the cheek upon arrival and departure, even if you don't know the person, super punctual, etc.

Ecuador

Flag of Ecuador

Ecuador

Typical food: Chifles, scorched rice (cocolón), muchines of cassava, etc.
Language: Spanish
Customs: Hospitality, good sense of humor and special accent when speaking.

Paraguay

Flag of Paraguay

Paraguay

Typical food: Chipa, Paraguayan soup, etc.
Language: Guarani, a language spoken by the majority of the population, and Spanish are the official languages. The dialect spoken in the country is Rioplatense Spanish.
Customs: Consumption of yerba mate through tereré, proudly guarding its indigenous past, etc.

Peru

Flag of Peru

Peru

Typical food: Olluquito, rotisserie chicken, spicy Guinea pig, etc.
Language: Spanish is spoken by 70% of Peruvians. The other languages spoken in Peru that are not official languages are Aymara and Quechua; Quechua is the second most widely spoken language.
Customs: Freedom of worship is the rule in Peru, although the majority religion is Catholic, the ancient Peruvians were artisans par excellence and developed a high level of technology in this activity; music and dance have always played an important role in Peruvian society, etc.

Uruguay

Flag of Uruguay

Uruguay

Typical food: Chivito, choripán, pancho, etc.
Language: Spanish, or Castilian, is Uruguay's official language, spoken by the vast majority of inhabitants.
Customs: The longest carnival in the world, saying "buen provecho" is a very strong custom before someone is going to have a meal, drinking mate, etc.

2

Choose a native South American tribe or civilization and prepare a visual presentation with about five photos per poster, video or PowerPoint about their history and customs.

3

Describe in 25 to 35 lines how the Spanish and Portuguese colonization occurred in South America and how the independence of the South American countries occurred. Describe what other peoples and immigrants helped build the South American towns in your country.

Spanish and Portuguese colonization

In 1492, at the service of the Spanish Crown, Christopher Columbus discovered a continent hitherto unknown to Europeans, which was later named America. The lands found were disputed between Portugal and Spain. To control the dispute between these countries, Pope Alexander VI of Spain proposed the papal bull Inter caetera, dividing the Atlantic Ocean by a meridian. But, with the meridian, Portugal would only have rights to African lands.

The Portuguese Crown pressured to change the agreement and the Treaty of Tordesillas was signed, dividing the continent between the two countries (Spain with the western portion and Portugal with the eastern portion). But other European countries did not agree with this.

The conquest of Spanish America happened in an exploratory way; that is, they didn't come to America in search of land to settle, they occupied the space, appropriating its riches. The Spaniards decimated the indigenous populations, imposing their culture, language and religion.

Independence of South American countries

The Spanish colonies in America were influenced by a number of factors in their independence processes. Spain held the largest colonial territory on the American continent, its possessions ranging from present-day Mexico to the extreme south of the continent. In these lands, a local elite known as Creoles, who were the children of Spaniards born in the New World, fortified themselves. Creoles developed their activities and interests in America, repeatedly contesting metropolitan attitudes. Internally, the strengthening of the Creoles and the dissatisfaction with the metropolis' demands influenced the emancipation movements.

Creoles spoke out in favor of greater political and economic freedom. On the international stage, the example of the independence of the United States, which filled the imagination of separatists, and the political situation in the metropolis, which was going through moments of great instability, made their contributions to the process. The result was a series of independences on American territory that once belonged to Spain, fragmenting the entire immense colony into several countries during the nineteenth century.

Brazil, a colony of Portugal, did not go through a war against the metropolis, as in the case of the United States, or through a great fragmentation of the territory, as happened with Spanish America.

At the end of the 1810s, King John VI decided to return to Portugal in an attempt to control the manifestations of the bourgeoisie, who saw themselves harmed due to the distance from the crown. However, in Brazil, the prince regent Dom Pedro I remained, who was convinced by the new local elite to make Brazil independent and continue to be its first emperor. Dom Pedro I was interested in the proposal and declared Brazilian independence in 1822. In Brazil there was no war against Portugal, but rather internal wars to assert the entire extension of the territory belonging to the new emperor.

Peoples and Immigrants

In the mid-nineteenth century, the unoccupied areas of southern Brazil and the growth of the coffee plantation attracted foreign labor, mainly European, who were looking for better living and working conditions.

Portuguese, Spaniards, Italians, Germans, Austrians, among other peoples, were attracted by the advertisements published in their countries, which beckoned a better life for those who wanted to venture into the tropics. It was from Italy, however, that most immigrants came. They fled from the lack of jobs and widespread hunger. Most immigrants arrived to the coffee plantations in São Paulo.

4

Describe at least eight regions that can be identified and are growing in South America, how the Adventist Church came to this continent and how it carries out its work. State the year the SDA church arrived in each country and detail in 10 lines how it arrived to your country.

5

What is the name of and where is the driest desert in the world located?

The Atacama Desert is located in northern Chile, between the Loa and Copiapó rivers. This desert is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Andes Mountains. According to climate experts, the Atacama Desert is the driest nonpolar desert in the world.

Atacama

6

What is the highest mountain in South America? What is its height and location?

Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia, at 6,961 meters (22,838 ft.) in altitude, located in Mendoza, Argentina.

Aconcagua

7

What is the area with the most forest in South America? State at least three species of animals found in that forest.

The Amazon Rainforest.

Black Caiman

Black caiman (Melanosuchus niger)

Jaguar

Jaguar (Panthera onca)

Cougar (puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount)

Mountain Lion (Puma concolor)

Anaconda

Anaconda

8

Choose a biome from South America and describe the climate, animals and ecology on at least one page.

8a

Pantanal

8b

Cerrado

8c

Pampa

8d

Atlantic Forest

8e

Caatinga

8f

Mangue

8g

Different types of South American coastlines

8h

Andes Mountains

8i

Patagonia

9

Describe five species of animals only found in South America.

Hyacinth Macaw

The largest parrot by length in the world, the hyacinth macaw is 1 m (3 ft, 3 in) long from the tip of its tail to the top of its head and weighs 1.2–1.7 kg (2 lb 10 oz–3 lb 12 oz). Each wing is 38.8–42.5 cm (15+1⁄4–16+3⁄4 in) long. The tail is long and pointed. Its feathers are entirely blue, lighter above. However, the neck feathers can sometimes be slightly grey. The ring around the parrots eyes and area just underneath the beak are a strong, vibrant yellow.

Hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus)

Jaguar

The jaguar is a compact and well-muscled animal. It is the largest cat native to the Americas and the third largest in the world, exceeded in size only by the tiger and the lion. It stands 68 to 75 cm (26.8 to 29.5 in) tall at the shoulders. Its size and weight vary considerably: weights are normally in the range of 56–96 kg (123–212 lb). Exceptionally big males have been recorded to weigh as much as 158 kg (348 lb). The smallest females weigh about 36 kg (79 lb). It is sexually dimorphic, with females typically being 10–20% smaller than males. The length, from the nose to the base of the tail, varies from 1.12 to 1.85 m (3 ft 8 in to 6 ft 1 in). The tail is 45 to 75 cm (18 to 30 in) long and the shortest of any big cat. Its muscular legs are shorter than the legs of other Panthera species with similar body weight.

The jaguar's coat ranges from pale yellow to tan or reddish-yellow, while the ventral areas are whitish, and is covered in black spots. The spots and their shapes vary: on the sides they become rosettes which may include one or several dots. The spots on the head and neck are generally solid, as are those on the tail where they may merge to form bands near the end and create a black tip. They are elongated on the middle of the back, often connecting to create a median stripe, and blotchy on the belly. These patterns serve as camouflage in areas with dense vegetation and patchy shadows. Jaguars living in forests are often darker and considerably smaller than those living in open areas, possibly due to the smaller numbers of large, herbivorous prey in forest areas.

Melanistic jaguars are also known as black panthers. The black morph is less common than the spotted one. Black jaguars have been documented in Central and South America. Melanism in the jaguar is caused by deletions in the melanocortin 1 receptor gene and inherited through a dominant allele.

Jaguar (Panthera onca)

Maned Wolf

The maned wolf bears minor similarities to the red fox, although it belongs to a different genus. The average adult weighs 23 kg (51 lb) and stands 90 cm (35 in) tall at the shoulder, and has a head-body length of 100 cm (39 in), with the tail adding another 45 cm (18 in). Its ears are large and long 18 cm (7.1 in).

The maned wolf is the tallest of the wild canids; its long legs are likely an adaptation to the tall grasslands of its native habitat.[15] Fur of the maned wolf may be reddish-brown to golden orange on the sides with long, black legs, and a distinctive black mane. The coat is marked further with a whitish tuft at the tip of the tail and a white "bib" beneath the throat. The mane is erectile and typically is used to enlarge the wolf's profile when threatened or when displaying aggression. Melanistic maned wolves do exist, but are rare. The first photograph of a black adult maned wolf was taken by a camera trap in northern Minas Gerais in Brazil in 2013.

Maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus)

Golden Lion Tamarin

The golden lion tamarin gets its name from its bright reddish orange pelage and the extra long hairs around the face and ears which give it a distinctive mane. Its face is dark and hairless. The bright orange fur of this species does not contain carotenoids, which commonly produce bright orange colors in nature. The golden lion tamarin is the largest of the callitrichines. It is typically around 261 mm (10.3 in) and weighs around 620 g (1.37 lb). There is almost no size difference between males and females. As with all New World monkeys, the golden lion tamarin has tegulae, which are claw-like nails, instead of ungulae or flat nails found in all other primates, including humans. Tegulae enable tamarins to cling to the sides of tree trunks. It may also move quadrupedally along the small branches, whether through walking, running, leaping or bounding. This gives it a locomotion more similar to squirrels than primates.

Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)

Ocelot

The largest member of its genus, the ocelot is a medium-sized cat with a head-and-body length of between 55 and 100 cm (21.7 and 39.4 in) and a 30 to 45 cm (11.8 to 17.7 in) long tail. It typically reaches 40–50 cm (15.7–19.7 in) at the shoulder. The weight of females ranges between 7 and 12 kg (15 and 26 lb) and of males between 7 and 15.5 kg (15.4 and 34.2 lb). Its footprint measures nearly 2 cm × 2 cm (0.8 in × 0.8 in).

The ocelot's fur is extensively marked with solid black markings on a creamy, tawny, yellowish, reddish gray or gray background color. The spots on the head and limbs are small, but markings on the back, cheeks, and flanks are open or closed bands and stripes. A few dark stripes run straight from the back of the neck up to the tip of the tail. Its neck and undersides are white, and the insides of the legs are marked with a few horizontal streaks. Its round ears are marked with a bright white spot. Its fur is short, about 0.8 cm (0.3 in) long on the belly, but with about 1 cm (0.4 in) long guard hairs on the back. The body has a notably strong odor. Each ocelot has a unique color pattern, which can be used to identify individuals.

Its eyes are brown, but reflect in a golden hue when illuminated.

Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)

10

Conduct an interview in person or online with a Pathfinder (10 to 15 years old) from a different South American country and ask: What are the Pathfinders of your country like? What honors do you like to do the most? What do you like most about your country? What places in South America would you like to visit? If possible, exchange a trophy, badge or shirt with this new friend.

References