Latin America In Focus – serie

This comprehensive overview of Venezuelan history, culture, and politics is designed to ground the high school student's knowledge of the crucial role of the nation on the international scene.Venezuela stands out as one of Latin America's most influential, yet controversial countries, leading students to want to know more about the nation and its outspoken president. Taking an interdisciplinary approach to ground an understanding of the contemporary nation, Venezuela provides the reader with an overview of the Venezuelan story from 1499 to the present. The study provides a comprehensive look at all aspects of life in this South American powerhouse, discussing the nation's geography, history, government and politics, economy, society, and culture. Specific attention is directed to topics such as industry, labor, religion, ethnicity, women, etiquette, literature, art, music, and food, among many others. In addition, the book examines the controversy surrounding Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez. Written in an accessible and engaging tone, this volume is ideal for high school and undergraduate students—and essential for library shelves.

Written by some of the best-known independent scholars, citizen journalists, cyber-activists, and bloggers living in Cuba today, this book presents a critical, complete, and unbiased overview of contemporary Cuba.In this era of ever-increasing globalization and communication across national borders, Cuba remains an isolated island oddly out of step with the rest of the world. And yet, Cuba is beginning to evolve via the important if still insufficient changes instituted by Raul Castro, who became president in 2008. This book supplies a uniquely independent, accurate, and critical perspective in order to evaluate these changes in the context of the island's rich and complex history and culture. Organized into seven topical chapters that address geography, history, politics and government, economics, society, culture, and contemporary issues, readers will gain a broad, insightful understanding of one of the most unusual, fascinating, and often misunderstood nations in the Western Hemisphere.

Ideal for high school and undergraduate students, this one-stop reference explores everything that makes up modern Brazil, including its geography, politics, pop culture, social media, daily life, and much more.Home to the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games—and one of the world's fastest-growing economies—Brazil is quickly becoming a prominent player on the international stage. This book captures the essence of the nation and its people in a unique, topically organized volume. Narrative chapters written by expert contributors examine geography, history, government and politics, economics, society, culture, and contemporary issues, making Brazil an ideal one-stop reference for high school and undergraduate students.Coverage on religion, ethnicity, marriage and sexuality, education, literature and drama, art and architecture, music and dance, food, leisure and sport, and media provides a comprehensive look at this giant South American country—the largest nation in Latin America as well as the fifth largest nation in the world. Students will be engaged by up-to-the-minute coverage of topics such as daily life, social media, and pop culture in Brazil. Sidebars and photos highlight interesting facts and people, while a glossary, a chart of holidays, and an annotated bibliography round out the work.