Ten Terrific Facts About Latin America

Over the past year, I’ve shared my travel philosophies with you, reviewed books and movies, and given you the scoop about my trips to Costa Rica and Mexico.

But the most popular post is one which lists 7 surprising facts about Latin America.

So here are 10 more:

• Sao Paulo, Brazil is the home of the world’s largest Japanese population outside of Japan.
• Mexico drinks more Coca Cola than any other country in the world. (The Coke there is made with sugar, not corn syrup like in the U.S.).
• The Dominican Republic’s lax divorce laws has made it a popular destination for those seeking to free themselves of the bonds of matrimony.
• There are no McDonald’s restaurants in Belize or Boliva.
• Rio de Janeiro is home to two of the world’s largest urban forests.
• Those who live in Puerto Rico enjoy a higher life expectancy than people who live in the continental U.S.
• The Cavendish banana, which Americans eat more of than apples or oranges combined, is expected to die out between five and 30 years as a result of Panama disease.
• The domestication in the Americas can be traced as far back as the Aztecs.
• Among the top 10 countries with which the U.S. trades are Mexico (#3) and Brazil (#10)
• There are more Hispanics in the U.S. than any other country in the world outside of Mexico.

Got any interesting facts to share about Latin America?

Photo by erix! (Via Creative Commons)