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Readers can look up the various HBC South America country pages alphabetically. South America is dominated by the ABC countries: Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Argentina and Brazil are the two largest countries. Argentina almost made the leap todevelped xtatus, but both Peron and Socilist ideology have essentilly wrecked what promised to be the wealthiest country in the coninent. Brazil is the South American superpower. It is commonly said that Brazil is the country of the future and always has been. Free market reforms resulted in enormous econnomic progress in rhe 1990s and 200s, but subsequent Socialist policies have undermkined some of that progress. Chile is a relatively small country, but has played a major role in South American history because it was more developed than some of its neigbors. And free market reforms have had a huge impact. Uruguay developed between the Continent's two superpowers. Uruguay like Argentina showed some prospect to becoming a developd country, but Socialist policies destroyed the country;s economic foundation. Peru was the center of both the Inca Empire and most other advanced pre-Colonbian civilizations. It also became the Spanish colonial administration. Colombia spanned the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, but is a Andean country. Venezuela proved to be a regional backwater, but oil discoveries offered economic opportunities which the country has not used wisely, especially after tuning to Communism under Chavez.
Modern Argentina is essentially a transported European country. Much of the population is of Spanish or Italian ancestry. The Native Americans peoples were essentially exterminated. Argentina did not have corsive impact of slavery to contend with that Brazilians faced. Argentina is one of the more fortunate Latin American countries. There are enormous natural resources and vast areas of rich agricultural lands. It is potentially one of the world’s richest nations. Argentina at the time of World War I was mjaking the transition from developing to modern developed country. Poor governance which undrmined the country's finances and profuctive economy stopped that development. Abnd even tiday, socialist politicans supported by many Argentines continue to resist the free market reforms that have permitted real eonomic progress in countries klike Chile and Brazil. Clothing styles thus reflected basically European styles--at first Spanish styles. There were some Native American influences, the most important being the Andean poncho. The most destinctive Argentine style is that of the poncho. But unlike the American ciwboy, there was no lsting influence on modern Agentine clothing styles. Both Italy and England infkuenced Argentine clothing styles. Large numbers of Italians in the late 19th- and early-20th ceturies immigrated to Argentina. More recently America appears to have influenced Argentine boys fashions.
HBC at this time has very little information on Bolivian boys' clothes. A HBC reader reports, "I lived over 10 years in Bolivia where boys as young
as 10 wore long trousers but usually short ones, also in varying lengths. Some were as short as the Japanese, normally though longer shorts, but well above the knee were most common up to the age of about 13. They also wore dark blue or black suits with short jackets so they wouldn't overlap the shorts. I worked for a while in a textile store where customers could buy remnants at discounted prices. I remember a couple buying one piece for the jacket and another for the short when the father said, `The jacket will be longer than the pants.' And sometimes so they were." Bolivian school children wear white smocks.
Brazil is by far the largest country in Latin America. About half of Latin America in area and population is Brazil. We have just begun to acquire information and images on Brazil. We are more familiar with some of the Spanish speaking countries, but hope to everntually persur Brazil in some detail. Brail is of course significantly influenced by Portugal, the European country which colonized Brazil. The Catholic Church hazs also been an important influence. Brazil became independent somewhat later than neighboring countries and had one of the few Latin Americann monarchies. The Portuguese did not encounter an advanced Native American civilization. Unable to enslave the Indiahns, they imported large numbedrs of African slsves. Hopefully our Brazilian readers will contribute some insights into fashions trends in their country.
Chile is one of the geographic odities amomg countries. It has to be the narowest of any substantial country. It occupies mist of the Pacific coast of southern South America. The Cold Humboldt Current flowing up the coast creates a massive fish population and in the north, one of the driest deserts n the world. Quechua-speaking tribes inhabited the northern region of what is now Chile. Araucanian tribes dominated central Chile. The Inca came to dominte much of Chile, but were resisted by the fierce Araucanian tribes who prevented the Inca from moving further south. At stake was Chile's fertile central valley south of modern Santiago. There are both European an Native American components. Native American groups held out longer in Chile than other South American countries. The primaryEuropean group is Spanish. There is a small German community. The largest Gypsy community in South America is Chilean. Latin American boys like Chile basically followed European fashion trends, especially wealthy and middle-class boys. Spain may have been important, but other countries, including England, France, and Germany were the major influences. After World War II (1939-45), American fashions became increasingly important. We have very little information on Chile. Hopefully our Chilean readers will provide more information about clothing trends in their country.
We have very little information on Colombia. It is one of the largest countries in South America. Like other Andean countries, it is a very diverse country, the only South American country with a Cariibean and Pacific coasts. In adiition to narrow coastal palins, there is both a large Andean Highland area and Amazonian basin interior. We do have a page on Colombian history and economic development. Ethnically the country is a mixture of the Native American people and Spanish setters. The Chibcha of Colombian were the only major Andean civilization not conquered by the Inca, probably because the Spanish arrived before the Inca could move north of Ecuador. There are also people of African ancestry, mostly along the tropical coasts. There were more than 80 Native American groups in the early-21st century.
Ecuador is the smallest of the four Pacific-coast Andean republics. The country is notable for the great diversity of climates and terraine. The country has a tropical Pacigoc coast, the Andean highland (sierra), and Amazonian lowlands. Native Americans make up a substantial share of the population and there are tribes in all three regions, many of which maintain their communal organizations. The country was the northern extent of the Inca Empire. After the colonial era, Ecudor has experienced a tumultous political life and fought wars with neighnoring Peru, primatily over the poorly defined Amazonian region. The Indian community have destinctive clothing. Staw hats are an important industry and the source of the hats often described as Panama hats. One of the most destinctibe clothing item is the poncho--an item evolving from Native American clothing and popular throughout the Andes. Children's clothing are largely American-European styles. Indian children may wear traditional clothing, but this is becoming less common.
Native American peoples occupied the northern edges of South America for centuries. From here the population of the Caribbeab began. The first European to reach what is now French Guiana was Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage to this New World (1498). The Europeans who subsequently attemoted to settkle the Guianas were entirely unprepared for the inhospitable jungle conditions. Most died at the hands of Native Americans effectively defending the interior as well as deadly tropical disease. We have a detailed history page. French Guiana (Guyane française) is one of the three Guianas located at the northeastern corner of South America. It is today the only part of South America that is not independent, wedged between Suinane and Brzil. It is governed as a department of metropolitan France. The people have the same rights and privileges enjoyed by all other French citizens. It is a little bit of South America that has not been significantly developed, extending from the Atlantic coast into the northern Amazonian basin. Tropical French Guiana is sparsely populated. There are beautuful pristine rainforests. As a result, it has some of the most diverse plant and animal life in the world. The people are a mixture of Native Americans, former slaves, and French, some of who are the paroled convicts. It is the wealthiest corner of the continent, heavily subsidized by France. People in neigboring Brazil and Suriname try to cross the border because of the high wage rates. The European uses Kourou as a stable base for their space program. Despite this modern image, French Guiana is perhaps best known a kind of huge penal colony where Papillon and Alfred Dreyfus were left to rot away.
Guyana is one of the three Guianas located at the northeastrn corner of South America. It was a British colony known as British Guiana. The country borders on Suriname, Brazil, and Venezuela. The poorly defined border with Venezuela has been a major issue over time. We have some information on Guyanese history. The indigenous peoples inhabiting the area called their land Guiana meaning 'land of water'. This is the name that the British, Dutch, and French gave to their colonies in this small corner of South America. Modern Guyana has both a British and Dutch colonial history. European counties vied for control of the area. until Britain achied control of the areas after the Napoleonic War. It is the only English-speaking country in South America and is more closely connected culturally to the Caribbean area wgere there are other forner British colonies. The country achueved its independence (1966). The country's economy is based on exploiting its natural resources: pristine rainforests, sugarcane plantations, rice fields, and bauxite and gold mines. Guyana is, however, one of the poorest countries in South America. The capital and chief port of Guyana is Georgetown. Guyana’s populatiom is of mixed colonial origins located mostly along the coast. They include the descendants of ensalved Africans. When they refused to work on the sugarcane plantations after emancioation (1830s). The British imported indentured workers from Indias. Issues between these two groups have disrupted Guyanese society after indeoendence. A small population of Amer-Indians populate the interior rain forest. We do not yet have a Guyana country page. We do have a Guyana education page.
Paraguay along with Bolivia are the two land-locked countries in Latin America. It is notable that both are very poor. Latin American socialists argue that the region has been expoloited by the Unites States and other industrialized countries. Both Paraguay and Bolivia a a result of being land locked have limited international commerce. This would mean that they should be the lease exploited, yet they are both deperately poor. Paraguay achieved its independence from Spain as a result of developments in Buenos Aires (1811). The country endurred the greatest lossess of any Latin American country during the traumatic war of the Triple Alliance (1865-70). Paraguay suffered the loss of two-thirds of all adult males--virtually unpredented in history. It also loss much of its territory. The lossess were also felt economically and Paraguay entered the 20th century as one of the most backward countries in the region. Paraguay as a result of the Chaco War with Bolivia gained a large part of the Chaco lowland region (1932-35). General Alfredo Stroessner who goverened the country for 35 years did little to modernize it (19??-89). Paraguay has managed relatively free presidential elections since then, but economic progress has proven more difficult. It is a very poor country with a large Native American population. Both Spanish and Guarani are official languages. The religion is primarily Christian. Native American population was converted to Christianity during the colonial era. The country is ovewealmingly Catholic. There is also a small Protestant minority as a result of the work of missionaries. While we have developed very little information on the country, we do have a page on Parguayan soccer. This of course is a testimony to the global reach of the sport.
We have very limited information on Peru ar this time. This page is just link various HBC pages about Peru, until we can build a Peruvian country page. Hopefully Peruvian readers visiting HBC will help help us with this as HBC develops. Any discussion of clothing in Peru must begin with the Inca and other Andean Native American civilixzations. The Inca were renowed for their marvelous textiles. Peru played a fundamental role in the development of modern Europe. While the Conquistadores in the 16th century were primarily after gold, the humble potato made possible a population explosion that played a key role in the industrial revolution and the making of modern Europe. We do have a Peruvian artist that has painted a scene of a boy in traditional clothing. We also have a 1917 portrait of a boy with an Eton collar. A fashionalble Peruvian boy from an affluent family of European origin in the late 19th and early 20th century might wear a suit with an Eton collar. I believe that thsi was common throughout Latin America at the time. Most Peruvian boys at the time, however, were very poor and still not wearing European fashions. The most noted Peruvian photographer is Martin Chambi. We have some information on school uniform.
Suriname is one of the three Guianas located at the northeastern corner of South America. It was a Dutch colony known as Dutch Guina, located between the French Guiana and Guyana (former-British Guiana). The population is very diverse, including Native Americans, Dutch and other Europens, Blacks, and Jews. The Blacks incluse both former slaves and Maroons, escaped slaves. The colonial economy was based on the plantation production of sugar using slave labor. After slavery ws abloished, few emancipated slaves wanted to work in the plantations. Thevmodern economy ia based on the export of bauxite, rum coffee and timber. The area was at first colonized by the British. The Dutch began founding colonies (1616). The first Dutch colony was located in what is now Guyana. Colonization was conducted by the Dutch West Indies Company. The conflict between the British and Dutch was finally resolved as part of the international settlements following the Napoleonic Wars (1815). We do have a Suriname history page. The colony's name was changed (1948). It status was chjanged to an internally autonomus member of the Dutch kingdom (1954). Surimame achieved indepedence in 1975.
We have very limited information on Uruguay at this time. As far as we can determine there are few destinctive Uruguayan styles for boys' clothing. We see boys, especially boys from affluent families, wearing various clothing and hair style fashions worn in Europe at the time. Both Argentina and Uruguay have een more influenced by Europe, in part because most of the population are of European origins. The primary fashinon influences appear to be Spanish and Italian. Uruguay was a colony of Spain , but beginning in the late 19th century there was considerable Italian emmigration, as in Argentina. Children wear white school smocks,but we are not sure if that is a Spanish or Italian fashion influence. The British have also hadsome influence, primarily because of trade ties. After World War II, American fashion influences became increasingly important. Hopefully Uruguayan readers will provide us some more detailed information.
Venezuela and Colombia are the two most northerly South Amerivan countries. The country is divided into several areas. There is a narrow coastal strip. Inland there is a mountneous or hilly area with a great deal of agricultural, well watered land. South of this is the llanos are flat plsain drained by the Orionono River, one of South America's great rivers. In the extreme south and the east there is Amazonian jungle. Venezuela and Colombia were the first South American areas reached by the Spanish, the primary motivation was slave raiding. The Native American peoples were largely wiped out, just as in Caribbean. The only survivors fled inlasnd to rempte Amazonian areas. Here a small numbers of Native Americans still live today. Africans were brought in as slaves to provide the work force. This ocurred in the early colonial period. As a result, Native Americans have played only a minor role in Venezuelan history. Modern Venezuelans are a mixture of Native Americans, Spanish colonists and African slaves. The country is predominately Catholic with a Protestant minority. There is also a small Jewish community with President Chavez has targeted. The country's economy in the 20th century has been dominated by the oil industry. his brought great wealth which was not very well distributed. President Chavez is seeking to build a socialist and is leveling out incomes, but as in Cuba the primary impact has been to generally reduce the overall standard of living. Venezelan boys' clothes once varied substantially by class. As a result of the oil income, many middle-class families were affluent and able to afford stylish Western clothing. The small Europeanm elite wore clothes influenced by European countries. Wealthy boys might wear styles like Eton suits. Poor boys in the country wore more localy developed styles--simple garments more suited to the tropical climate. Since the 1950s American casual styles have become increasingly important. While boys from wealthy have much more extensive wardrobes, there is now less difference in the styles that they wear. Ouur infoirmnation on Venezuela is very limited. We do have a Christmas page. Hopefully, Venezuelan readers will provide usmore information about their country.
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