April 19 – Celebrate South America Today!

April 19, 2021

Posted on April 19, 2021

This is an update of my post published on April 19, 2010:

Today is a holiday in three different South American countries.

In Uruguay, this is Landing of the 33 Patriots Day.

Today the people of Uruguay celebrate the 1825 arrival of 33 “Orientals” (people who lived in the Banda Oriental province of Brazil, the region that is now Uruguay). These men sailed by ship from an area near Buenos Aires and began a rebellion against the Empire of Brazil. The eventual result was an independent Uruguay.

In Brazil, this is the Day of the Indian.

Most years, a National Indian Festival is held in Bertioga, on a weekend either before or after April 19. It has been called the largest indigenous cultural event in the world and features music, dance, food, crafts, sports, and body art. There are also forums and panels on climate change and other important issues. The event is meant to reduce prejudice and foster mutual respect among Indian and non-Indian peoples.

According to IWGIA, almost 900,000 indigenous people live in Brazil today. They represent 305 ethnic groups and speak around 274 languages!

In Venezuela, this is Beginning of the Independence Movement Day.

This day commemorates the 1810 coup that began Venezuela’s struggle for independence from Spain. Because Napoleon was fighting Spain, in Europe, a group in Venezuela’s largest city, Caracas, seized control and declared independence. Eventually, in 1821, the people of Venezuela and of what are now several other Latin American countries won independence from Spain under the leadership of Simon Bolivar. They formed the Republic of Gran Colombia until 1830, when Venezuela broke off from the republic to become its own separate nation.

Celebrate South America!

Do you know the ABCs of South America? Here is a list of countries on this continent. See if you can complete each name:

1. A ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

2. B ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

3. B ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

4. C ___ ___ ___ ___

5. C ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

6. E ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

7. F ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ G ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

8. G ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

9. P ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

10. P ___ ___ ___

11. S ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

12. U ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

13. V ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

ANSWERS:

1. ARGENTINA

2. BOLIVIA

3. BRAZIL

4. CHILE

5. COLOMBIA

6. ECUADOR

7. FRENCH GUIANA

8. GUYANA

9. PARAGUAY

10. PERU

11. SURINAME

12. URUGUAY

12. VENEZUELA

Did you know…?

The tallest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, is in Venezuela.

Venezuela means “little Venice.” The name refers to the fact that early Spanish explorers thought that the houses built on stilts reminded them of Venice, Italy.

Venezuela’s money is called a bolivar after the hero who helped win independence from Spain. However, these days more and more Venezuelans are using U.S. dollars instead of bolivars – because when gas prices went down in 2013, and Venezuela’s economy tanked, the government printed more money in an effort to save the economy – but then the money (bolivars) became almost worthless!

The largest lake in Latin America, Lake Maracaibo, is in Venezuela. And this lake is the biggest hot spot on the planet for lightning strikes!

Uruguay’s “national drink” is mate (pronounced mah-tay), which is made by brewing the dried leaves of the yerba mate plant with hot water. It is drunk from a hollow gourd or gourd-shaped cup through a metal straw that also acts as a sieve to keep the leaves out. The drink is sort of like tea or coffee.

Uruguay’s most famous statue may be this giant hand!

If you count all the Iguazú Falls together, they become the largest waterfall in the world. These falls are on the border between Brazil and Argentina.

The capybara is the largest living rodent in the world. It lives in South America, including Venezuela, Brazil, and Uruguay.

Brazil is the largest country in South America and is home to the largest river in the world, the Amazon.

Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas.

Brazil borders every other country in South America except for two. (Do you know which two?)

Answers: ECUADOR AND CHILE

Here are some websites to explore.

Venezuela for Kids
Virtual 360-degree tour of Venezuela

Mount Roraima – Venezuela

National Geographic Kids on Uruguay
Loads of info on Uruguay
For more on Uruguay, including a cool photo gallery, check out this December post.