The heterogeneity of Latin America can come to life for students in a variety of ways--by exploring images, objects, and documents, as well as through quantitative evidence. Analyzing data on gross domestic product (GDP), life expectancy, illiteracy, and education spending from various countries can reveal the diversity of the continent, and allow students to probe the extent to which various countries have prioritized social spending in different periods.

This database contains a wealth of statistical information on Latin American economies and societies in the 20th century in an easily searchable format. It focuses on demographic, social, and economic statistics from 20 countries. Data is available on population and demographics, the labor force, trade, industry, transportation and communications, tax revenue, government spending, and prices. To access data, users select a country or countries, specify the date range, and select a statistical series. A click of the mouse produces an easy-to-read chart that can be viewed on-screen, printed, or downloaded as a CSV file. Used wisely, this website can serve as an introduction to Latin American economic history and to the practice of interpreting statistics.

Read a more in-depth review of Oxford Latin American Economic History Database written by Matthew Karush of George Mason University.

Explore additional website reviews at World History Matters.