Portal:Latin America/Did you know/2006

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[edit] Weeks in 2006

Week 23

The related term Iberoamerica is sometimes used to refer to the nations that were formerly colonies of Spain and Portugal.
A large percentage of the people in Latin America are of mixed origins, the result of racial intermingling among European settlers, African slaves, and American natives.
Despite 65% of Bolivians being ethnically indigenous, the first leader of that nation to come from this group was Evo Morales in 2005.

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Week 24

...that Argentina have won the World Cup twice, in 1978 and 1986?
...that Uruguay were the first ever winners of the World Cup, in 1930?
...that Ronaldinho, a Brazilian, is the current holder of both the European Footballer of the Year award and the FIFA World Player of the Year award?
...that Costa Rica played in the first match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a 4-2 win for Germany?
...that Haiti have only ever qualified for the World Cup once, in 1974?

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Week 25

…that Frida Kahlo (pictured) reputedly had an affair with Leon Trotsky?
…that Mario de Andrade was a leading proponent of modernism in Brazil?
…that Tito Puente, well as winning a Grammy award, has appeared on the Simpsons?
…that One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez is a major novel in the genre of magical realism?
…that Saint-John Perse, a Guadeloupean poet, won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1960?

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Week 26

…that the Aztecs associated the jaguar with the god Tezcatlipoca?
…that orchids are named after the Greek word for testicle?
…that the Titan arum has the largest has the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world?
…that piranhas, contrary to popular belief, do not eat human flesh?
...that the Galapagos Islands have many species unique to them, including the Galápagos tortoise and the Galápagos Penguin?

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Week 27

...that the strongest recorded eathquake ever was the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1970, which measured 9.5 moment magnitude?
...that the eruption of Nevado del Ruiz in 1985 was so bad that it cost 20% of the GDP

of Colombia to repair the wreckage?

...that Hurricane Allen was one of only two hurricanes in the Atlantic to achieve 190 mph winds?
...that Paricutín, a volcano in Mexico, is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World?
...that Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala has smouldered almost constantly since at least the Spanish conquest?

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Week 28

...that Guinea pigs are so important to Andean cuisine that a painting of the Last Supper in Cusco shows Jesus eating one?
...that both maize and potato, two of the top four most freshly-grown crops in the world, both originate from Latin America?
..that the first people to enjoy a hot chocolate may have been the Olmecs, in at least 400 BCE?
...that the fruitlets of a pineapple occur in Fibonacci sequence?
...that Quesadilla fillings usually include cheese, whereas taco fillings generally include meat products?
...that Sopa de Mondongo is a traditional dish in Nicaragua containing tripe?

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Week 29

Image:Villa Lobos image 02.jpg

...that the Quena is a type of flute native to the Andes region?
...that Latin American music includes such diverse forms as Milonga and Bachata?
...that Shakira's song Whenever, Wherever was her first number 1?
...that Heitor Villa-Lobos (right) wrote classical music with many indigenous influences?
...that Agustín Barrios often performed in traditional Paraguayan dress?

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Week 30

Image:Itaipu3.jpg

...that the Itaipu Dam (pictured) is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World according to the American Society of Civil Engineers?
...that the court for the Mesoamerican ballgame found at Chichen Itza is the largest ever discovered?
...that Guatemala City is the largest in Central America?
...that the Inca road system covered approximately 22,530 km (14,000 mi) and provided access to over three million km² of territory?
...that the Catedral da Sé in São Paulo is in the Gothic style, even though it was begun in 1913?

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Week 31

...that Encomiendas were run by conquistadores, who were given the ability to tax their subjects but not to try them?
...that the Peso is the name of the currency of seven countries in Latin America?
...that the Petrobras 36 Oil Platform (P36) was the largest floating production platform in the world prior to its sinking in March, 2001?
...that as of 1999 Colombia was the world's leading producer of cocaine, with three-quarters of the world's annual yield produced there?
...that Telmex, a telecommunications company, had a revenue of $12.450.536 billion USD in 2005?

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Week 32

...that Teacher's Day on September 11 in Argentina commemorates the death of one of its Presidents, Domingo_Faustino_Sarmiento?
...that the Brazilian Carnival (pictured) is held forty days prior to Lent?
...that Día de la Raza commemorates Christopher Columbus's landing in the Americas, and is controversial because of the subsequent bloodshed in the region?
...that Juan Pablo Duarte is celebrated by the Dominican Republic on the 26 January, as one of the key men in their early history?
...that Paraguayans celebrate the founding of their capital, Asunción, on 15 August?

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Week 33

...that Teacher's Day on September 11 in Argentina commemorates the death of one of its Presidents, Domingo_Faustino_Sarmiento?
...that the Brazilian Carnival (pictured) is held forty days prior to Lent?
...that Día de la Raza commemorates Christopher Columbus's landing in the Americas, and is controversial because of the subsequent bloodshed in the region?
...that Juan Pablo Duarte is celebrated by the Dominican Republic on the 26 January, as one of the key men in their early history?
...that Paraguayans celebrate the founding of their capital, Asunción, on 15 August?

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Week 34

...that Rodrigo de la Serna, Che Guevara's second cousin, played Alberto Granado in the Motorcycle Diaries?
...that the Peruvian film industry is often called Chollywood?
...that ¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa! is considered a key work of the Golden age of the cinema of Mexico?
...that City of God was nominated for four Oscars?
...that Now by Santiago Álvarez was the first video clip in the history of cinema, and featured Lena Horne (pictured)?

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Week 35

...that Rodrigo de la Serna, Che Guevara's second cousin, played Alberto Granado in the Motorcycle Diaries?
...that the Peruvian film industry is often called Chollywood?
...that ¡Vámonos con Pancho Villa! is considered a key work of the Golden age of the cinema of Mexico?
...that City of God was nominated for four Oscars?
...that Now by Santiago Álvarez was the first video clip in the history of cinema, and featured Lena Horne (pictured)?

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Week 36

...that Hernando de Soto's work on land titling has been used by several governments in an attempt to ease the ability to get bank loans?
...that the Escondida (right) is the largest copper mine in the world, and creates 8% of the world's supply?
...that the Miracle of Chile is credited to the Chicago Boys, although some dispute its existence?
...that in 2000, in Cuba 76% of people with jobs were employed by the state?
...that in exchange for French recognition of Haiti as a sovereign republic, France demanded payment of 150 million francs (modern equivalent of $21 billion)?

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Week 37

...that Hernando de Soto's work on land titling has been used by several governments in an attempt to ease the ability to get bank loans?
...that the Escondida (right) is the largest copper mine in the world, and creates 8% of the world's supply?
...that the Miracle of Chile is credited to the Chicago Boys, although some dispute its existence?
...that in 2000, in Cuba 76% of people with jobs were employed by the state?
...that in exchange for French recognition of Haiti as a sovereign republic, France demanded payment of 150 million francs (modern equivalent of $21 billion)?

Archive

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Week 38

Image:Itaipu3.jpg

...that the Itaipu Dam (pictured) is one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World according to the American Society of Civil Engineers?
...that the court for the Mesoamerican ballgame found at Chichen Itza is the largest ever discovered?
...that Guatemala City is the largest in Central America?
...that the Inca road system covered approximately 22,530 km (14,000 mi) and provided access to over three million km² of territory?
...that the Catedral da Sé in São Paulo is in the Gothic style, even though it was begun in 1913?

Archive

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Week 40

...that the War of the Triple Alliance (pictured) resulted in the death of at least 300 000 of its 500 000 or so pre-war population?
...that the Haitian Revolution is the only successful slave rebellion in history?
...that the Falklands War is known in Argentina as the Guerra de las Malvinas or Malvinas war?
...that the Mexican–American War caused Mexico to lose more than half its pre-war territory?
...that Bernardo O'Higgins led the cavalry charge that won the Battle of Chacabuco?

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Week 41

...that the War of the Triple Alliance (pictured) resulted in the death of at least 300 000 of its 500 000 or so pre-war population?
...that the Haitian Revolution is the only successful slave rebellion in history?
...that the Falklands War is known in Argentina as the Guerra de las Malvinas or Malvinas war?
...that the Mexican–American War caused Mexico to lose more than half its pre-war territory?
...that Bernardo O'Higgins led the cavalry charge that won the Battle of Chacabuco?

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Week 42

Portal:Latin America/Did you know/Week 42, 2006
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Week 43

Image:MLPlogo.jpg

...that Brazilian Portuguese is written with different spelling from European Portuguese? (logo of the Museum of the Portuguese Language pictured)
...that Haitian creole, unlike French, has no grammatical gender?
...that Riverense Portuñol language is a mixed language spoken on the Brazil-Uruguay border?
...that in Chipilo, Mexico, people speak a dialect of Venetian?
...that, although Romance languages predominate over Latin America, Aymara and Quechua are both official languages in certain countries in the region?

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Week 44

Image:MLPlogo.jpg

...that Brazilian Portuguese is written with different spelling from European Portuguese? (logo of the Museum of the Portuguese Language pictured)
...that Haitian creole, unlike French, has no grammatical gender?
...that Riverense Portuñol language is a mixed language spoken on the Brazil-Uruguay border?
...that in Chipilo, Mexico, people speak a dialect of Venetian?
...that, although Romance languages predominate over Latin America, Aymara and Quechua are both official languages in certain countries in the region?

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Week 45

... that a route through Nicaragua was considered as a possible alternative to the Panama Canal at various times in the past?
... that Tierra de Gracia (Land of Grace), is Venezuela’s nickname?
... that the Panamanian city Colón is named in honor of Christopher Columbus.
... that the Iguazu Falls waterfalls (pictured) are displayed in several films, like Miami Vice (2006) and Happy Together (1997)?
... that the Fiestas Patrias is the independence day celebration of Chile?
... that Honduras only has one lake in the entire country, Lago de Yojoa?