[public]

[haruno]

To those from any of the Earth's represented on ship: Are there any modern equivalents to Hispania outside of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula? Or maybe something called High Spania or Hispain?

[ ooc: Asking from the Media Library over here. ]

Comments

[neverwastenaya]

As far as I know, it comes down to empires--who conquered who. The Spanish empire spread into the Caribbean Sea islands and most of one continent and part of another, which was called Latin America later on, even though none of them spoke the language Latin, which was long dead by that point. Why they did that and also called the people there Hispanic, I don't know. I think it's marked somewhere under "human weirdness."

[haruno]

Wait, then in Latin America, where they don't speak Latin, they call the people Hispanic, even if they're not living in Spain, because they... maybe speak Spanish?

And where does the America part come in? Is that language related too?

[neverwastenaya]

Hold on. Let me look it up fast.

Okay. Best I got is that America was named after the first guy who decided to slap his name on two continents when he was making a map, so he got dibs.

[haruno]

There are two continents with the same name? Are they both called Latin America?

[neverwastenaya]

Nope, North America and South America, though the region between them is usually called Latin America. Named for mapmaker Amerigo Vespucci. Guess they thought America sounded better than Amerigo.

[haruno]

Then it's this middle region where they still speak Spanish? That's what ties those countries together?

[neverwastenaya]

Looks like it. Descendents of colonists and the natives, so their cultures would probably have mixed together.

[haruno]

Then by now, Hispanics can refer to a mixture of cultures and language? Between natives and the colonists.

How often did nations on Earth decide to colonize other nations?

[neverwastenaya]

The colonists used some pretty aggressive assimilation tactics, and between disease, war, and slavery, they imposed their language pretty effectively. Looks like native cultures had to blend with the Spanish culture in order to survive, so Hispanic culture is slightly different from mainland Spanish culture.

Really often, since everything I'm reading says it was to primarily secure trade. Looks like most of it was started by the strongest nations in Europe, who tried to race for the best trade routes, and took over everything between them and whatever sources of trade materials they could.

[haruno]

How many nations did they take over altogether?

And these kinds of trade-based take-overs ended up happening world-wide?

[neverwastenaya]

Hard to say. Between wars, coups, and treaties, a lot of the colonies changed hands and most became independent countries.

Except on one continent, but it was too cold for anyone to live on. But there were science research stations set up there anyway by the different major powers of the world.

[haruno]

Too cold to live on? Was it permanently snowbound?

[neverwastenaya]

Yep, and completely isolated. It wasn't until technology improved that anyone was able to explore it, and even then, there wasn't enough worth settling there permanently.

[haruno]

How many continents were there in total?

[neverwastenaya]

Officially, there's Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. Plate tectonics add India to the list, but it's still attached to Asia--even though Europe and Asia are attached and only separated by mountains. Don't ask me why one counts and the other doesn't.

[haruno]

Thank you. Kind of sounds like continental divides can be a bit like national divides, at least with Europe and Asia. Some barriers are big enough they act like natural separators, though if that's why, then this India sounds like it should probably be one too. More food for thought!