Modern Developments

Political instability plagued most South American countries throughout the 19th century and into the 20th. Revolutions were frequent, and the constant turmoil led to the rise of dictatorships. Social inequalities dating from the colonial period continued. Growing pressure from the laboring and middle classes for social and political reforms became widespread. Economic problems, especially inflation, were common in the period following World War II and added to the unrest.

South America's population increased rapidly during the 1950's and 1960's. Many rural laborers moved to the cities to search for jobs. Land reforms were undertaken in several countries; large estates were broken up to provide more of the rural population with land. Economic difficulties and a heightened sense of nationalism led several countries to take control of foreign-owned industries. In the 1960's and 1970's Communist-led revolutionaries were active in a number of countries, and most nations were at one time or another under military rule. During the 1980's a number of countries replaced military rule with democratic rule, and by the mid-1990's all had some form of democratically elected governments.

Economic problems—particularly those caused by the huge national debts owed to foreign banks and countries by many South American nations—continued into the 1990's. By the late 1990's, however, the economies of some countries, including Chile, and Argentina, had recovered and had experienced strong economic growth.