Competing Visions, Shifting Boundaries: The Construction of Latin America as a World Region

Latin America is a popularly accepted world region. A systematic review of geographic interpretations of Latin America reveals that the origin of the term goes back to the mid-nineteenth century and that the region's boundaries have shifted over time. This article argues that four basic principles operate in the formation of world regions such as Latin America: contiguity, continentality, geopolitics, and human relatedness. The article considers different conceptualizations of Latin America in an effort to challenge students to consider how regional boundaries are constructed and what they tell us about places. This article is a case study with guided questions for high school advanced placement or college students in introductory courses. Students will encounter geographic elements that play into the definition of a region while undertaking an exercise in academic reading for primary themes and supporting illustrations.