The structure The IMF and the World Bank are in practice completely independent, although they are formally counted as specialized bodies under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). They are not subject to the UN
The WTO works for increased global free trade. The organization works to produce agreements concerning trade and settles trade disputes between members. Introduction Since the Second World War, the world economic order has been largely organized through the financial bodies
Prehistory The oldest trace of human presence, a leaf-shaped Paleo-Indian spearhead, has been dated to between 9000 and 7000 BC. Later prehistoric settlements are found mainly along Lake Maracaibo and Orinoco. Findings on the Paria Peninsula as well as the
Before the first Spaniards arrived on the coast of what is today Uruguay, the area was populated by a modest number of nomadic Indians who came under the common name charrua. The area attracted little interest among the colonial powers.
Prehistory Suriname belongs to the field of culture between the rivers Orinoco and Amazon, which in historical times populated by arawakfolket (see Arawak). The region may have been inhabited as early as 8000 BC; it is clear that its coastal
Peru was the center of a number of great Andean civilizations long before the Spanish colonization began. The largest of them was the Incaricet, which stretched from present-day Ecuador in the north, through Peru and Bolivia to present-day Chile in
Before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1537, Guarani-speaking people were spread over a large area with the center around Paraná and its bees in Paraguay. The original Guarani population hardly constituted any solid state, though the word nation is
History Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the area was inhabited by various Native American people, including Arawaks and Caribs. The coast of Guyana was visited by the Spaniards as early as 1500. The Dutch settled here in the
Prehistory Ecuador, like Colombia, belongs to the intermediate region between the high cultures of Mexico and Peru. Findings of Paleo-Indian spearheads testify to settlement as early as 7000 BC Kitchen moorings reflect a maritime adaptation circa 5000 BC, and pottery
Colombia’s strategically important location on the Caribbean north of South America, its wealth of natural resources and fertile soils have made the country attractive both before and after the Spanish colonization. Simón Bolívar’s big dream of a large and united
Prehistory Chile belongs to the South Andean Archaeological Region. Northern Chile was affected by the agricultural cultures of Bolivia and Peru from 800 BC, while the southern part of the country, especially the Land of Fire, retained an economy based
Traces of humans have been found in the interior of Brazil dating back to approximately 8000 BCE. Around 5000 BCE There were pre-ceramic folk groups scattered throughout much of the highlands. From the same time, the oldest piles of shellfish
Bolivia became an independent state in 1825. Before the Spanish colonization, what is today Bolivia consisted of various peoples. The highlands were part of the Incarct and inhabited by the Quechua and Aymara people. In the lowlands lived various smaller
Prehistory Paleo-Indian hunters were found at Pampas in Patagonia (Los Toldos Cave) as early as 13000–9000 BC. (for the so-called paleoindian stage, see America, Prehistory). Llamas, deer and nandu were hunted with leaf-shaped spearheads. In southern Argentina, the coastal area’s
South America – History South America’s first residents were descendants of the groups who immigrated to North America from northern Asia during the last ice age. The oldest traces of humans currently found in South America are 12,000-14,000 years old;