Anglo-Saxon America (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what Anglo-Saxon America is, its characteristics, culture and the countries that make it up with their capitals. Also, what is Latin America.

Anglo-Saxon America

Anglo-Saxon America, also known as Anglo-America, is one of the cultural regions into which the American continent can be divided. It is made up of countries and dependencies (mostly in North America and the Caribbean) that have English as their main language and that adopted the Anglo-Saxon culture, because they are, in general, the former British colonies in America. For example: United States, Canada and Bahamas.

It is often spoken of as Anglo-Saxon America as opposed to Latin America or Latin America a region in which the Spanish language, the Portuguese language and the Hispanic culture predominate, because it is made up of countries that were Spanish and Portuguese colonies. For example: Mexico, Colombia and Brazil. There are also other cultural regions, such as French-speaking or Dutch America, but they are geographically and culturally minority.

The first Anglo-Saxon colonizers arrived on American soil in the 17th century, after Spain had arrived on the continent to begin a bloody process of conquest and colonization. There were several reasons for Anglo-Saxon colonization: from preventing the advance and strengthening of Hispanic rivals to the flight of religious practitioners (mainly Puritans) persecuted in Europe.

However, the regions that today are classified as Anglo-America were not necessarily a British colony from the beginning. For example, Many of the southern states of the United States belonged to Mexico until the 19th or early 20th century and had previously been a Spanish colony. The same occurs with regions that are called part of Anglo-America, but whose official language is Latin languages, such is the case of the Quebec region in Canada, which has French as its official language and Catholicism as its predominant religion.

Characteristics of Anglo-Saxon America

Some characteristics of Anglo-Saxon America are:

It is geographically located in the North American region and on different islands in the Caribbean, with the exception of British Guyana which is in South America.
The official language of their countries is English although in some countries there are also other languages in their territory, with more or less official recognition, such as French, Spanish, Creole, among others.
It is made up of a variety of ethnic groups such as mestizos, African Americans, Creoles, Orientals, among others. These groups emerged during the colonization period, with the arrival of slaves and then with the constant waves of immigrants from different parts of the world.
Its majority religion is Protestant Christianity in its different churches, such as Anglican, Lutheran, Adventist, among others. Catholicism is also present and, to a lesser extent, other religions, such as African ones.
Presents different degrees of economic development. Countries such as the United States and Canada have a high degree of industrialization and an important participation in the world economy, while other Anglo-Saxon countries have an economy similar to the Latin one, dependent on tourism and primary activities.

Anglo-Saxon American Culture

Anglo-Saxon America characteristics — Some of the countries with the highest standard of living are found in Anglo-Saxon America.

Anglo-Saxon American culture, in countries like the United States and Canada, is mainly Creole, with a large number of the population descended from the British colonizers. Its dominant language is English and its majority religion is Protestantism. In addition, there is an important presence of African American culture, a product of the introduction of slave labor during the colonial era.

Immigration also contributed an important social and cultural ingredient to Anglo-Saxon America, especially in the United States, with individuals from areas such as Latin America, the Middle East and Asian nations (Japan, China, Taiwan and the Philippines). These influences turned countries like Canada and the United States into truly cosmopolitan societies.

Much smaller is the presence of Native Americans, that is, aboriginal peoples, especially fought in the United States and Canada.

In a large part of the Caribbean countries that are part of Anglo-Saxon America There is a strong influence of African culture due to the introduction of slaves in colonial times. It is important to highlight that some of these nations were first former Spanish colonies, so they also received influences from that culture, such as the Catholic religion.

The racial issue has been in the background of many of the social dilemmas of the region, in general, linked to the development of poverty, despite the fact that Anglo-Saxon America is home to some of the most industrialized countries in the world and with the highest standards. of life on the continent.

Countries of Anglo-Saxon America and their capitals

Anglo-Saxon America countries capitals Antigua and Barbuda Saint John — Some Anglo-Saxon American countries, such as Antigua and Barbuda, are Caribbean islands.

Anglo-Saxon America is made up of the following countries:

Eel. It is a British overseas territory located in the Caribbean and its capital is The Valley.
Antigua and Barbuda. It is a country made up of a group of Caribbean islands that are part of the Lesser Antilles, its capital is Saint John (“San Juan”) and is located on the island of Antigua.
Bahamas. It is a country officially called the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and is an independent Caribbean state, whose capital is Nassau, on the island of New Providence (“New Providence”).
Barbados. It is a country that is part of the Lesser Antilles and was the island that received Christopher Columbus on his first trip from Europe to America, so it was initially a Spanish colony. Since the 17th century it belonged to the United Kingdom and since 1966 it has been an independent nation with its capital in the city of Bridgetown.
Belize. It is a country located in Central America that borders Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. This country is governed by a parliamentary monarchy headed by Elizabeth II (British monarch) and, although its official language is English, its population speaks mostly Spanish (56.6%), Belizean Creole (44.6%) and Mayan language (10.6%). 5%). Its capital is the city of Belmopan.
Bermuda. It is an archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, off North America, famous for being one of the vertices of the “Bermuda Triangle.” It was a former Spanish colony, but since the 17th century it has been a British colony. Its capital is the city of Hamilton.
Cayman Islands. It is a British overseas territory located northwest of Jamaica, in the Caribbean Sea. Its capital is George Town.
Canada. It is the second largest and northernmost country on the planet, occupying almost half of North America. It was founded as a French colony by explorer Jacques Cartier in 1534, but later became a British colony. Its capital is Ottawa and the region of Quebec is the only one that does not belong to Anglo-Saxon America.
Dominica. It is a Caribbean island that is part of the Lesser Antilles and has its capital in the city of Roseau. It was a British colony and has been an independent country since 1978 (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic).
United States of America. It is a nation located in North America, between Mexico and Canada. Its capital is Washington and Alaska and the Hawaiian archipelago are part of its territory. It is one of the most developed countries in the world.
Grenade. It is the second smallest independent country in the West and is an island in the Caribbean Sea whose capital city is Saint George (“Saint George”).
Guyana. It is a South American nation that is located between Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela. Two thirds of its territory are claimed by Venezuela (the region called Guayana Esequiba), while on the other side Suriname also claims a portion of the eastern territory. Its capital is Georgetown and it was a British colony from 1831 to 1966.
Jamaica. It is a nation that is part of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It is close to the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola and its capital and most populated city is Kingston.
Falkland Islands. It is an archipelago administered by the United Kingdom since 1833. These islands are part of the overseas territories of the British crown, but they are in historical dispute with Argentina and were the scene of the Falklands War between these two nations. The archipelago covers two main islands: Isla Gran Malvina and Isla Soledad, and its capital is the city of Stanley or Puerto Argentino.
Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is a Caribbean country made up of two islands that were named by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to America and which constitute the smallest country on the American continent. Its capital is the city of Basseterre, in San Cristóbal.
Saint Lucia. It is a Caribbean and island country that was controlled by the British Kingdom from 1663 to 1667 and was then administered (alternately) by the French and British. Finally, in 1814, it became part of the British Overseas Territories and since 1979 it has been an independent state of the British Commonwealth of Nations. Its capital is the city of Castries.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is a country that is part of the Lesser Antilles and its capital Kingstown, in Saint Vincent, was part of the landing of Christopher Columbus on his 1498 voyage.
Trinidad and Tobago. It is an independent state located a few kilometers from the Venezuelan Caribbean coast. It covers the islands of Trinidad and Tobago and 21 other smaller islands. It was initially a Spanish colony, as demonstrated by the name of its capital, Port of Spain.
Turks and Caicos Islands. It is an overseas territory dependent on the United Kingdom. These Caribbean islands had the opportunity to govern themselves independently in 1982, but decided to continue under the command of the British crown. Its capital is the city of Cockburn Town.
British Virgin Islands. It is a group of islands located in the Francis Drake Channel, east of Puerto Rico. There are more than 50 islands belonging to the British overseas territory, of which only a few are inhabited. Its capital is the city of Road Town.
United States Virgin Islands. It is a group of Caribbean islands belonging to the United States of America and forming part, along with the British Virgin Islands, of the Virgin Islands archipelago. Its territory covers the islands of Saint Thomas, Saint John and Saint Croix, as well as other smaller ones. Its capital is the city of Charlotte Amalie.

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Anglo-Saxon America and Latin America

Anglo-Saxon America and Latin America are the two terms used to differentiate the set of countries colonized by Great Britain from the set of countries colonized by Spain and Portugal.

Although both groups have a similar colonial history and occupy the same continent there are some differences between them:

While Anglo-Saxon America embraces the culture of northern Europe, with the Protestant religion and the English language, Latin America has a strong Hispanic and Mediterranean heritage, which is manifested in its Spanish and Portuguese language, its Catholic religion and its mixed and mestizo racial society.
Anglo-Saxon America has reached a high level of industrial development in the United States and Canada, while the rest of its island territories have an economy dependent on tourism. For their part, Latin American nations have more fragile economies, which are characterized by the export of raw materials and have high rates of poverty and social inequality.
In Latin America, the original pre-Columbian heritage survives, in some cases, autonomously and in others half integrated into Spanish culture, in matters such as gastronomy, languages, traditions and folklore. In Anglo-Saxon America, on the other hand, few aboriginal peoples survive and they are not very integrated into the dominant culture. In its place, there is an important black culture imported from Africa.