Hispanic America

Hispanic America (Spanish: Hispanoamérica or América Hispana), refers to the Spanish territories in the Americas, historically known as Spanish America (Spanish: América Española) or Castilian America (Spanish: América Castellana), part of the Spanish overseas territories officially known as "the Indies" (Sp. las Indias), and consisting of the modern Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas that are its successor states or inheritors of its territory. In all of these countries, Spanish is the main language—sometimes sharing official status with one or more indigenous languages (such as Guaraní, Quechua, Aymara or Mayan) or English (in Puerto Rico), and Latin Catholicism is the predominant religion. Hispanic America is sometimes grouped together with Brazil under the term Ibero-America, meaning those countries in the Americas with cultural roots in the Iberian Peninsula. Hispanic America also contrasts with Latin America, which includes not only Hispanic America, but also Brazil (the former Portuguese America), and by few definitions, the former French colonies in the Western Hemisphere (areas that are now in either the United States or Canada are usually excluded).