Latin America refers to territories in the Americas where the Spanish or Portuguese languages prevail: Mexico, most of Central and South America, and in the Caribbean Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Latin America is a vibrant and quickly changing area. In recent decades, Latin America has played a growing role in global politics and trade. Whilst the region had large economic ties with the United States for much of the 20th century, recent indicators suggest that the continent is tilting towards China, Iran and the "global south".
