1 - Introduction: Latin America Leading the Learning Curve - Jan Knippers Black; PART I - The land and the people: 2 - Landscape and settlement patterns - Alfonso Gonzalez; 3 - The Indian populations of Latin America - Karl H. Schwerin; 4 - Harmonizing and disharmonizing human and natural environments - David Stea and G. Shane Lewis. PART II - Historical setting: 5 - Colonial Latin America - Peter Bakewell; 6 - Latin America since independence: An overview - Michael Conniff. PART III - Economic and social structures: 7 - Latin american economies restructure, again - William P. Glade; 8 - Social structure and change in Latin America - Henry Veltmeyer and James Petras; 9 - Strategies and trends in Latin American activism. PART IV - Political processes and trends: 10 - Participation and political process: The collapsible pyramid - Jan Knippes Black; 11 - Women and Latin American politics: Participation , Citizenship, and democracy - Jane S. Jaquette; 12 - Globalization, insecurity, and crisis in the America - Jorge Nef. PART V - External relations: 13 - International relations in Latin America: Conflict and cooperation - James Lee Ray; 14 - The United States and Latin America - Into a New Era - Wayne S. Smith. PART VI - Mexico and Central America: 15 - Mexico: A revolution laid to rest? - Fred R. Harris and Martin C. Needler; 16 - Central America: From revolution to "low-intensity democracies" - Thomas W. Walker and Christine J. Wade; 17 - Panama and the canal - Steve C. Ropp. PART VII - Cuba and the Caribbean: 18 - The Cuban revolution - Nelson P. Valdés; 19 - The Caribbean: The Structure of modern-conservative societies - Anthony P. Maingot. PART VIII - The Andes: 20 - Colombia's split-level realities - Jan Knippers Black with William H. Godnick; 21 - Venezuela: The challenge to a "model democracy" - Steve Ellner; 22 - Ecuador: Political turmoil, social mobilization, and a Turn Toward the Left - Pablo Andrade A. and Liisa L. North; 23 - Peru: Precarious democracy amid dependent development in a divided nation Cynthia McClintock; 24 - Bolivia: An indigenous movement consolidates power - José Z. Garcia. PART IX - Brazil and the southern cone: 25 - Brazil: From military regime to worker's party government - David Fleischer; 26 - Chile: The development, breakdown, and recovery of democracy - J. Samuel Valenzuela and Arturo Valenzuela; 27 - Argentina: Decline and revival - Peter Calvert; 28 - Uruguay and Paraguay: An arduous transition - Diego Abente Brun with Michael Danielson; 29 - Conclusion: A New Kind of togetherness - Jan Knippers Black.