South America's culture and people

Many from inhabitants of the South America are indigenous, therefore their culture is full of traditions and customs kept unaltered during the centuries.

The indigenous South American culture is having its roots during the Mayan civilization. Later on, the colonists of the European culture added their own cultural flavor on top of the historic heritage of the indigenous people. The African culture of the African slaves brought here by the European settlers has influenced the culture of the South America too. More recently the modern culture has its own contribution, mostly coming from the North America but also from other parts of the world.

The South American culture is strong, diverse, autonomous and reticent to change. People here are very proud of their roots. As an effect of the colonial period the vast majority of South Americans are Catholics. Usually the indigenous population of the South America is friendly and open with the foreigners but at times they may avoid contact with outsiders because of the long history of oppression by the colonial powers. The South American culture is very rich.

Around three quarters of South America’s population live in cities, some in the mega cities such as Sao Paolo, Buenos Aires, Lima and Santiago. However, in the Andes people are still keeping their way of life from the past, based on the respect for the mother nature. African Americans in the region still dance and play music with joy and great passion. There are still farmers to live connected to the Earth resources, people are still creating clothes and hats in a traditional way. South America is home of a mix of races and cultures and in time those diverse influences have grown together in a symbiosis of beliefs, customs and traditions.