Name the Spanish speaking country these people are from!

1. My name is Roberta. I live in Europe and I speak Spanish with my mother and Catalan with my father. I like to dance flamenco.  I am from ______________.

2. I am 17 years old and I live near the United States. My uncle lives in San Diego. My father always listens to mariachi music on the radio. I am from ______________.

3. I live in a country famous for beautiful beaches. Many tourists visit my father’s hotel every year. The island I live on is shared with another country. I am from ______________.

4. My country is most famous for its exotic animals and plants. We are located in Central America and have a huge amount of tropical birds. I love to hike in the jungle with my uncle. I am from _______________.

5. I live where Latin America meet South America. We are famous for our canal which allows people and goods to travel more quickly. I am from _____________.

6. My country is very long! In the north we have a desert and in the south we have snow! Like most people I live near the middle in the capital city of Santiago. I am from ______________.

7. My father is a cattle rancher as my South American country produces a lot of beef. I am a huge soccer fan! I am from ______________.

8. I live on an island in the Caribbean. My island is a territory of the United States and I speak both English and Spanish perfectly. My sisters and I are all good dancers! I am from ______________.

9.I live in a small country with 15 million people. We are famous for our ancient Mayan Ruins. Many people in my country still speak indigenous languages. I am from _____________.

10. My name is Rigoberto and my favorite singer is Shakira because she is from my country! We also have many cities that are famous for their colonial architecture. I am from _______________.

Answer Key:

1. España
2. México
3. Dominican Republic
4. Costa Rica
5. Panamá
6. Chile
7. Argentina
8. Puerto Rico
9. Guatemala
10. Colombia

Mariachi is the most popular music found in Mexico especially during festivals and weddings. Mariachi is performed by men who travel in bands of three or more players. The players wear traditional clothing which consists of large sombreros (see picture above), special decorated suits and a type of colourful cravat. Generally, the group features a guitar player, a trumpet player and an individual who plays a large guitar called a guitarón. The music is lively and may or may not feature singing.

Salsa is a type of dance based out of the Caribbean. Most traditional salsa comes from Cuba or Puerto Rico and was brought to America in the 1960s when a large number of Puerto Ricans emigrated to New York. Salsa employs a lot of percussion instruments particularly the cencerro. Also included are the trumpet, trombone and guitar. Salsa dancing is very popular globally. Couples combine basic steps with a lot of hip movement and twists and turns.

The cueca is a dance with a long history in Chile, Bolivia, Peru and parts of Argentina. According to legend the dance emulates the mating dance of chickens! Couples dancing la cueca wear old-fashioned clothing. Women wear long dresses and men wear traditional ranchero type outfits. Rancheros are the men that work with cattle. The couple around each other waving white handkerchiefs which represent the feathers of the chicken. This dance is most popular in Chile where it is considered the national dance and is performed on festive days.