Difference between Latin America and South America in tabular form

We explain that what is the difference between Latin America and South America with table. In 1492, when Christopher Columbus arrived at Terrafirma in the Caribbean, he thought he had found a shortcut to Asia. But after 10 years, Amerigo Vespucci denoted the land as ‘New World’. As a result, this western hemisphere was named “America” ​​in honor of Vespucci. At present, when it comes to the term South America and Latin America, people still have trouble classifying their America.

Latin America includes countries whose heritage is predominantly Spanish, Portuguese, or French. In general, it is made up of Mexico, the Caribbean island, Central America and the entire continent of South America. It is all the countries of America that speak Latin languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese.

South America is a continent mainly in the southern hemisphere and towards the western hemisphere with a small portion of the northern hemisphere. It is also sometimes referred to as the southern subcontinent of America. It is a piece of land that goes from Chile to Venezuela.

The difference between Latin America and South America is that Latin America is a linguistic or cultural division of the continent while South America is the geographical division of the continent.

Comparison table between Latin America and South America

What is Latin America?

Latin America is a region or sometimes considered a geographic region that includes the entire Caribbean, that is, all the countries in the Western Hemisphere south of the United States.

Some people define Latin America as a country with a history of Iberian colonialism like Spanish and Portuguese. Others define Latin America as a region of predominant romantic language such as Spanish, Portuguese or French. In short, Latin America is the country where Spanish or Portuguese is currently the dominant language.

Latin America had been colonized for millions of years by a wide range of indigenous groups before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. Some of these indigenous groups, such as the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas, boasted of advanced civilization. The first Europeans to reach America were Spanish, soon followed by the Portuguese. They colonized Brazil. They conquered Central America, South America and Mexico.

Most of Latin America gained independence from the Portuguese in 1825, and between 1810 and 1825 another section of Latin America gained independence from Spain. In 1898, Cuba, one of the two remaining colonies of Spain, gained independence.

North America, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean together constitute Latin America, with Mexico in North America being the largest and only country in Latin America.

What is South America?

South America is one of the seven continents and is the fourth largest continent in the world. In the Western Hemisphere, just like the United States, it is the southern portion of the land mass on Earth generally known as the New World. Geographically speaking, South America is almost triangular in shape and compact, narrowing to one point Chile in the south and wide in the north towards Central America.

In the northwest, South America has been joined with North America by a land bridge (Isthmus of Panama) that narrows to about 80 km. It is separated from Antarctica in the south by the Drake Passage. It is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest.

There are three different stages of development that summarize the history of South America. Each of these stages corresponds to an important division of geological time. Precambrian time, the first stage, dates back to 4.46 billion to 540 million years ago. The second stage, a Paleozoic era that witnessed the formation of the first supercontinent Gondwana, was between 541 and 252 million years ago. And finally, the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras, in which the current continental structure emerged, was about 252 million years ago.

Main differences between Latin America and South America

1. Latin America is a linguistic or cultural division of the continent. On the other hand, South America is the geographical division of the continent.
2. Latin America constitutes the whole of South America, Mexico in North America, the Island of the Caribbean Sea and Central America. In contrast, South America is the continent of the southern hemisphere, to the south and adjacent to North America.
3. Latin America has a larger population. It has a population of approximately 656,039,296 as of November 2020. On the other hand, South America has a comparatively smaller population. It has a current population of approximately Rs 42.24 million, making it the fifth most populous continent in the world.
4. Latin America is very pleased with the exports, a GDP of around 5.3 trillion dollars. By contrast, South America is engaged in mining, agriculture, and forestry. It has a GDP of around $ 3,990 trillion.
5. French, Spanish and Portuguese are spoken in Latin America. While in South America they speak Dutch, English, Spanish, etc.
6. The territorial extension of Latin America is approximately 19,197,000 km2 and the territorial extension of South America is approximately 17,840,000 square kilometers, which makes it the fourth largest continent in the world.

Final Thought

The Americas in a broader sense refer to the northern and southern continents, including all the territories and islands that lie within the borders. There is great misuse and confusion in Latin America and South America. Although for some people they are synonymous, there are many differences so that a geographical entity should not be confused with an ideological or cultural one.