Spain and Portugal divided South America to exploit resources and convert souls.
Beginner's guide
Why is Portuguese spoken in Brazil, while Spanish is spoken in much of the rest of South America?
Regions
Viceroyalty of Peru
Viceroyalty of New Granada
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
Colonial Brazil
Amazonia
All content | South America c. 1500–1900
Artists in colonial South America created art that drew on both European and Indigenous traditions.