1) Latin America is not a continent. It's a group of people that speak a language that evolved from Medieval Latin. That's why it includes Spanish (i.e., Argentina), Portuguese (i.e., Brazil), and French (i.e., French Guiana). The country of Suriname, formerly the Dutch Guiana, is not part of Latin America, since their official language is Dutch. The French part of Canada, on the other hand, would indeed be part of Latin America, since they speak French, and French evolved from Latin. To speak of "Latin America" as if it were a region is like talking about "Anglo-Saxon America" as a region, it kinda makes no sense. Agree or disagree?
I agree, Latin America is not a continent, although I'm not sure it makes sense to include within Latin America certain regions of the Francophone. Areas which are clearly still in the 'Americas' and have that cultural or linguistic pedigree, but may nevertheless cause a headscratcher if bundled up with the others, say Quebec in Canada. Or like if it was it was considered Spanish or French speaking historically, but then later conquered and absorbed into the Anglophone, like say Acadia or New Orleans in the United States. Anything acquired during the Mexican Session would probably be excluded there. Like I'm not sure we could get away with calling California or New Mexico part of Latin America, although it clearly was at one point. Like just look at all the City names right hehe. I'm not super particular there. I mean technically to be a City it needs a Cathedral, cause that's the dictionary definition of the term, but I'm not sure that holds much water these days. Other points of confusion, similar to the Suriname Dutch Guiana thing, would be what to do with the Caribbean edge cases... I would consider for example that Puerto Rico is for sure part of Latin America, whereas the US Virgin Islands might be pushing it, even though they're part of the same island chain, I guess just cause the latter was somehow Denmark until Wilson bought it in 1917. A fear of German Uboats, I suppose it must have made sense. Similarly the Dominican Republic seems very much Latin America to me, like DR gets included no contest, whereas Haiti maybe has a different set of associations, despite both being on the island of Hispaniola. I worked with a gal from Belize, who definitely considered herself both Latin as well as Afro-Caribbean and Central American, would have called it home. Despite the Brits stubbornly holding on by the fingernails there for quite a while, and probably trying to dispute that one for as long as possible lol.
2) Central America, if it exists, is a region, not a continent. The only continents of the Americas are: North America and South America. Those are the continents. Everything else is just regions and countries and, in some cases, colonies (French Guiana, for example). Agree or disagree?
Agree. Trying to redefine Continent to mean something other than the typical continent seems problematic. I can see room for splitting hairs if it's like plate-tectonics or sub-continents, or if someone really needs it to be Eurasia instead of Europe and Asia, stuff like that, but generally what I got in grade school is that there are only 7 (or maybe 8) and Central America is just folded into North America under that scheme.
3) Mexico is physically located in the continent of North America. It is therefore part of North America, in the same sense that Canada and the United States are. Agree or disagree?
Agree. Mexico is located within North America, with the direct flights and everything.
4) Central America, together with the Caribbean, is physically, geographically, part of North America. After all, Mexico is indeed part of North America in that sense, so why would the other countries in Central America be an exception? Agree or disagree?
Agree. It'd be kinda curious and nonsensical to say that for example Panama, is not part of either North or South America, regardless of what the trade agreements say, but somehow both and none, and also super central to boot. Like lets argue about it with Colombia, but still. Also half the time that canal is used as the quickie dividing line. I think it's useful more for like cultural anthropologists than practical cartographers, cause it's a bit all over the map.
Cheers
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-m.
P.S.: How's everyone liking the game so far? Makes no sense to play it (or even read it) if you're not having fun.
So far so good! Fun is fun!
