1. Spain:
- Spain was the dominant power in Latin America during this period. The Spanish Empire established colonies in large parts of Central and South America, including Mexico, Peru, and Colombia.
- The Spanish conquistadors arrived in the Americas in the late 15th century and quickly conquered large territories, subjugating the indigenous populations.
- Spain established a centralized system of government and administration, with the Viceroy of New Spain in Mexico City serving as the highest authority in the region.
- The Spanish Empire derived significant wealth from Latin America through the exploitation of natural resources such as gold, silver, and sugar, as well as through the establishment of large-scale plantations.
2. Portugal:
- Portugal primarily controlled Brazil, which occupies a vast portion of South America. The Portuguese colonization of Brazil began in the early 16th century.
- Portugal's main economic activity in Brazil was the production and export of cash crops such as sugar and tobacco, which were grown on large plantations worked by enslaved African labor.
- The Portuguese Empire established a centralized government in Brazil, with the governor-general based in Salvador, Bahia.
Together, Spain and Portugal held significant control over Latin America during the 1600s and 1700s, shaping its political, economic, and cultural development for centuries to come.