Latin America Word Search

Mexico, Brazil, Havana, Andes, Amazon and 11 more Latin America words fill the first grid, answer key included.

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0 of 16 words found

TXUCARIBBEANLEG

NESMMPARGENTINA

ELAEATTKWLDTMEX

NGOXZYIPJNVGATA

DTRIODONAECUBAN

HOJCNCDOGRUPUCO

NICODPERUFXDGOQ

TYCLLLAMAMPBBEJ

BUENOSAIRESRTPD

GHTWMQAOSATAALO

MACHUPICCHUZFSR

GVNTOHQDZCFIYSH

DAHFNMBAYOTLJOK

YNEITEGPNANDESA

OAPOLNTNJATANGO

This grid is wider and taller than its box. Slide it to see every letter.To drag, hold the first letter for a moment, then slide.Keyboard: Tab to the grid, arrow keys to move, Enter on the first and last letter.

MexicoMEXICO
BrazilBRAZIL
ArgentinaARGENTINA
PeruPERU
CubaCUBA
LimaLIMA
HavanaHAVANA
Buenos AiresBUENOS AIRES
AndesANDES
AmazonAMAZON
CaribbeanCARIBBEAN
Machu PicchuMACHU PICCHU
JaguarJAGUAR
LlamaLLAMA
TacoTACO
TangoTANGO

16 of 28 words from the Latin America Favorites list.

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Answer key: Latin America Word Search

TXUCARIBBEANLEG

NESMMPARGENTINA

ELAEATTKWLDTMEX

NGOXZYIPJNVGATA

DTRIODONAECUBAN

HOJCNCDOGRUPUCO

NICODPERUFXDGOQ

TYCLLLAMAMPBBEJ

BUENOSAIRESRTPD

GHTWMQAOSATAALO

MACHUPICCHUZFSR

GVNTOHQDZCFIYSH

DAHFNMBAYOTLJOK

YNEITEGPNANDESA

OAPOLNTNJATANGO

MEXICO, BRAZIL, ARGENTINA, PERU, CUBA, LIMA, HAVANA, BUENOS AIRES, ANDES, AMAZON, CARIBBEAN, MACHU PICCHU, JAGUAR, LLAMA, TACO, TANGO

Next step Make a puzzle from your own Latin America unit words Scramble the countries and their capitals

All 270 words

Latin American Countries 24

Argentina Country of the Pampas and Patagonia; its capital is Buenos Aires.
Bolivia Landlocked country in the Andes with two capitals, Sucre and La Paz.
Brazil Largest country of the region, where people speak Portuguese.
Caribbean Sea of many islands between North and South America.
Central America Land bridge of seven countries between Mexico and Colombia.
Chile Long, narrow country between the Andes and the Pacific.
Colombia Country with coasts on both the Caribbean and the Pacific; its capital is Bogotá.
Costa Rica Central American country whose name means rich coast; its capital is San José.
Cuba Island country of the Caribbean, south of Florida; its capital is Havana.
Ecuador Country named for the equator, which crosses it; the Galápagos Islands belong to it.
El Salvador Central American country on the Pacific whose name means the Savior.
Guatemala Central American country south of Mexico, home of many Maya peoples.
Haiti Country on the western part of Hispaniola, where people speak a French-based Creole and French.
Hispaniola Island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Honduras Central American country on the Caribbean, with a short Pacific shore; its capital is Tegucigalpa.

Show all 270 words (255 more)

Latin American Countries, continued

Mexico Northernmost country of the region, south of the United States.
Nicaragua Central American country known as the land of lakes and volcanoes; its capital is Managua.
Panama Country on the narrow strip of land that joins Central and South America.
Paraguay Landlocked country where Spanish and Guaraní are both official languages.
Peru Andean country where the Inca had their capital at Cusco; its capital today is Lima.
Puerto Rico Caribbean island that is a territory of the United States; its capital is San Juan.
South America Continent that holds Brazil, Argentina, Peru and nine more independent countries.
Uruguay Country on the Atlantic between Argentina and Brazil; its capital is Montevideo.
Venezuela Country on the Caribbean coast of South America; its capital is Caracas.

Latin American Capitals and Cities 41

Asunción Capital of Paraguay, on the river that gives the country its name.
Barranquilla Colombian port near the mouth of the Magdalena, famous for its Carnival.
Belém Brazilian port near the mouth of the Amazon.
Bogotá Capital of Colombia, on a high plateau in the Andes.
Brasília Capital of Brazil, a planned city opened in 1960.
Buenos Aires Capital of Argentina, on the wide Río de la Plata.
Cali Colombian city famous for salsa dancing.
Cancún Mexican beach resort on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán.
Caracas Capital of Venezuela, in a mountain valley near the Caribbean.
Cartagena Walled port city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
Córdoba Argentine city in the middle of the country whose university dates from 1613.
Cuenca City in the highlands of Ecuador with a historic center of churches and cobbled streets.
Curitiba Brazilian state capital known for its parks and its bus system.
Cusco City in the Andes of Peru that was the capital of the Inca Empire.
Granada Colonial city of Nicaragua on the shore of a great lake.
Guadalajara Mexican city known as the home of mariachi music.
Havana Capital of Cuba, a port on the island's north coast.
La Paz City high in the Andes where Bolivia's government sits.
Lima Capital of Peru, a city of millions beside the Pacific.
Managua Capital of Nicaragua, on the shore of a lake with the same name.
Medellín Colombian city in a mountain valley, nicknamed the City of Eternal Spring.
Mendoza Argentine city at the foot of the Andes, in a land of vineyards and orchards.
Mexico City Capital built where the Aztec island town of Tenochtitlan once stood.
Monterrey Industrial city in northern Mexico, at the foot of the Sierra Madre.
Montevideo Capital of Uruguay, on the north bank of the Río de la Plata.
Oaxaca City in southern Mexico near the ancient site of Monte Albán.
Panama City Capital at the Pacific entrance of a famous canal.
Port-au-Prince Capital of Haiti, on a bay of the Caribbean.
Puebla Mexican city southeast of the capital, known for painted Talavera pottery.
Quito Capital of Ecuador, high in the Andes and close to the equator.
Rio de Janeiro Brazilian city of beaches and Carnival, below Sugarloaf Mountain.
San José Capital of Costa Rica, in the middle of the country.
San Juan Capital of Puerto Rico, with old Spanish forts above its harbor.
San Salvador Capital of the smallest country on the Central American mainland.
Santa Marta City on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, below a snowy mountain range.
Santiago Capital of Chile, in a valley below the Andes.
Santo Domingo Capital of the Dominican Republic, on the Caribbean coast of Hispaniola.
São Paulo Largest city of Brazil.
Sucre Constitutional capital of Bolivia.
Tegucigalpa Capital of Honduras, in a valley ringed by hills.
Trujillo City on the north coast of Peru, near the adobe ruins of Chan Chan.

Latin America Land and Water 36

Aconcagua Highest mountain in the Americas, in Argentina.
Amazon Giant river of South America that carries more water than any other on Earth.
Andes Mountain range that runs down the whole west side of South America.
Angel Falls World's tallest waterfall, in Venezuela.
Atacama Desert in northern Chile, one of the driest places on Earth.
Baja California Long peninsula of northwestern Mexico.
Cape Horn Rocky headland at the stormy southern end of South America.
Cenote Natural sinkhole pool of the Yucatán.
Chiloé Large island off the coast of southern Chile.
Colca Canyon Deep river gorge in southern Peru where condors soar.
Cozumel Mexican island in the Caribbean, off the Yucatán coast.
Darién Roadless jungle between Panama and Colombia.
Easter Island Remote Chilean land in the Pacific, known for giant stone statues.
Fitz Roy Jagged granite peak in Patagonia, on the border of Argentina and Chile.
Galápagos Volcanic islands of Ecuador, home of giant tortoises.
Huascarán Highest mountain in Peru.
Iguazu Falls Wide curtain of waterfalls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.
Magdalena Chief river of Colombia, flowing north to the Caribbean.
Ometepe Island of two volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua.
Orinoco Great river that crosses Venezuela on its way to the Atlantic.
Pampas Wide grassy plains of Argentina and Uruguay.
Panama Canal Waterway that lets ships cross between the Atlantic and the Pacific.
Pantanal Huge wetland, most of it in Brazil.
Paraná Long river that flows through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
Patagonia Windy southern region shared by Argentina and Chile.
Pico Duarte Highest peak in the Caribbean, in the Dominican Republic.
Popocatépetl Active volcano in sight of Mexico City.
Rio de la Plata Wide estuary between Argentina and Uruguay.
Roatán Island of Honduras in the Caribbean, ringed by coral reef.
Roraima Flat-topped mountain where Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana meet.
Sierra Madre Name shared by the great mountain chains of Mexico.
Sierra Maestra Mountain range of southeastern Cuba.
Tehuantepec Narrowest part of Mexico, between the Gulf and the Pacific.
Tierra del Fuego Islands at the southern tip of South America, shared by Chile and Argentina.
Titicaca High lake in the Andes shared by Peru and Bolivia.
Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico between the Gulf and the Caribbean.

Latin American Animals and Plants 38

Alpaca Andean animal raised for its soft fleece.
Anaconda Giant water snake of the Amazon basin.
Anteater Long-snouted animal that licks up ants and termites.
Arapaima Giant air-breathing fish of the Amazon basin.
Armadillo Burrowing mammal in a suit of bony plates.
Axolotl Salamander from lakes near Mexico City that keeps its gills all its life.
Basilisk Lizard that can run across water on its hind legs.
Capybara Largest rodent in the world.
Ceiba Towering rainforest tree, a national emblem of Guatemala.
Coati Long-nosed relative of the raccoon.
Condor Giant vulture of the Andes.
Dart Frog Tiny, brightly colored rainforest animal with poison in its skin.
Electric Eel River fish that stuns its prey with a shock.
Giant Otter Longest member of the weasel family, found in South American rivers.
Harpy Eagle Powerful rainforest bird of prey, the national bird of Panama.
Hoatzin Odd rainforest bird whose chicks have claws on their wings.
Hornero Bird that builds a mud nest shaped like an oven, the national bird of Argentina.
Howler Monkey Primate famous for a call that carries far through the forest.
Huemul Deer of the southern Andes, shown on the coat of arms of Chile.
Jaguar Largest cat of the Americas.
Leafcutter Ant Insect that carries bits of leaf to grow fungus for food.
Llama Woolly pack animal of the Andes.
Macaw Large long-tailed parrot.
Maned Wolf Long-legged wild dog of the South American grasslands.
Motmot Bird with a racket-tipped tail, the national bird of El Salvador and Nicaragua.
Orchid Flower family with thousands of kinds in tropical forests.
Piranha River fish with sharp teeth.
Pudú The world's smallest deer, from the forests of the Andes.
Puma Big cat that ranges from Canada to the southern Andes.
Quetzal Green long-tailed bird shown on the flag of Guatemala.
River Dolphin Pink mammal that swims in the Amazon and the Orinoco.
Sloth Slow tree-dweller of the rainforest.
Spider Monkey Long-limbed primate that swings by its tail.
Tapir Large plant-eater with a short, bendy snout.
Tocororo Red, white and blue bird, the national bird of Cuba.
Toucan Rainforest bird with a huge colorful bill.
Troupial Orange and black songbird, the national bird of Venezuela.
Vicuña Wild relative of the llama with very fine wool; it is the national animal of Peru.

Latin American Landmarks 20

Arenal Cone-shaped volcano in Costa Rica.
Atitlán Lake ringed by volcanoes in the highlands of Guatemala.
Chichén Itzá Maya city in the Yucatán with a great stepped pyramid.
Copacabana Famous beach of Rio de Janeiro.
Copán Maya site in western Honduras, known for its carved stone monuments.
Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro topped by the statue of Christ the Redeemer.
El Morro Old Spanish fortress at the entrance of San Juan Bay.
Machu Picchu Inca town on a mountain ridge in Peru.
Moai Giant stone figures carved by the Rapa Nui people of Easter Island.
Monteverde Cloud forest reserve in Costa Rica.
Nazca Lines Huge figures drawn on the desert floor of southern Peru.
Old Havana Historic center of Cuba's capital.
Palenque Maya city in the forests of southern Mexico.
Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentine Patagonia.
Sugarloaf Rounded peak at the mouth of the bay in Rio de Janeiro, reached by cable car.
Teotihuacan Ancient city near Mexico City with the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon.
Tikal Ruins of a Maya city in the rainforest of Guatemala.
Torres del Paine National park of granite towers in Chilean Patagonia.
Tulum Maya port town ringed by a wall, on cliffs over the sea in Mexico.
Zócalo Main square of Mexico City.

Latin American Food 38

Açaí Dark purple palm fruit from the Amazon.
Ajiaco Chicken and potato soup of Colombia.
Arepa Round cornmeal cake of Venezuela and Colombia.
Asado Meat grilled over coals, a tradition in Argentina and Uruguay.
Avocado Green fruit from Mexico and Central America.
Baleada Honduran flour tortilla folded over beans and cheese.
Bandeja Paisa Big Colombian platter with beans, rice, meat, egg and avocado.
Brigadeiro Brazilian chocolate sweet rolled in sprinkles.
Cacao Tree whose seeds are made into chocolate.
Ceviche Raw fish cured in citrus juice, a favorite in Peru.
Chilaquiles Mexican breakfast of fried tortilla pieces simmered in salsa.
Chili Pepper Spicy pod first grown in the Americas.
Chimichurri Green herb sauce for grilled meat, from Argentina and Uruguay.
Chivito Steak sandwich that is the national dish of Uruguay.
Churro Fried dough stick rolled in sugar.
Dulce de Leche Thick caramel spread made by slowly heating sweetened milk.
Empanada Baked or fried turnover with a filling.
Enchilada Rolled tortilla covered in chili sauce.
Feijoada Stew of beans and meat, a favorite in Brazil.
Flan Custard dessert with caramel sauce.
Gallo Pinto Rice and beans, a daily dish in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Guacamole Mexican dip of mashed avocado.
Lomo Saltado Peruvian stir-fry of beef strips with onions, tomatoes and fried potatoes.
Maize Corn, first grown in Mexico thousands of years ago.
Moqueca Brazilian fish stew.
Nacatamal Large Nicaraguan tamale steamed in plantain leaves.
Pabellón Venezuelan plate of shredded beef, rice and black beans.
Pozole Mexican soup of hominy and meat.
Pupusa Thick stuffed flatbread, the national dish of El Salvador.
Quinoa Seed crop first grown in the Andes.
Ropa Vieja Shredded beef stew, a national dish of Cuba.
Salteña Baked Bolivian turnover with a juicy filling.
Taco Folded tortilla with a filling, from Mexico.
Tamale Corn dough steamed in a husk or leaf.
Tortilla Thin round flatbread of corn or wheat.
Tostones Twice-fried slices of green plantain.
Tres Leches Sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk.
Vanilla Flavoring from the pod of an orchid native to Mexico.

Latin American Music and Dance 32

Bachata Guitar music and dance from the Dominican Republic.
Bandoneón Button squeezebox that gives tango its sound.
Berimbau One-stringed musical bow that leads capoeira.
Bossa Nova Soft, jazzy style of samba from Rio de Janeiro.
Cajón Box-shaped drum from Peru that the player sits on.
Candombe Drum music and dance of Uruguay with African roots.
Capoeira Brazilian art that mixes dance, acrobatics and fighting moves.
Carnival Festival of parades, costumes and samba; the most famous is in Rio de Janeiro.
Claves Pair of short wooden sticks struck together to keep the beat.
Corrido Story-telling ballad of Mexico.
Cuatro Small four-stringed guitar of Venezuela.
Cueca National dance of Chile, danced with a handkerchief.
Cumbia Dance music from the coastal region of Colombia.
Danzón Official music and dance of Cuba.
Güiro Hollow gourd with notches, played by scraping it with a stick.
Joropo Fast music and dance of the plains of Venezuela and Colombia.
Mariachi Mexican band of violins, trumpets and guitars.
Marimba Wooden bars struck with mallets; the national instrument of Guatemala.
Marinera Graceful couple dance of the coast of Peru, danced with handkerchiefs.
Merengue Fast dance music of the Dominican Republic.
Milonga Lively music and dance from the Río de la Plata that came before the tango.
Pan Flute Row of pipes of different lengths, played in the Andes.
Plena Song and dance style of Puerto Rico played on hand drums.
Punta Dance and music of the Garifuna people.
Ranchera Song style of the Mexican countryside, often sung with a mariachi band.
Reggaeton Dance music born in Puerto Rico from the Spanish reggae of Panama.
Rumba Cuban music of drums, song and dance.
Salsa Lively dance music with Cuban roots.
Samba Brazilian music and dance, the sound of Carnival in Rio.
Tamborito Drum dance that is the national dance of Panama.
Tango Dance and music born in Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Vallenato Accordion folk music from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Latin American Peoples and Languages 21

Adobe Sun-dried mud brick.
Aymara People and language of the high plateau around Lake Titicaca.
Aztec People who ruled central Mexico from Tenochtitlan until 1521.
Creole Language of Haiti, grown from French.
Garifuna People of African and Indigenous descent on the Caribbean coast of Central America.
Gaucho Skilled horseman of the Pampas.
Guaraní Indigenous language that is official in Paraguay.
Hacienda Large estate with a main house, from Spanish colonial times.
Inca People whose empire stretched along the Andes until the Spanish conquest that began in 1532.
Mapuche Indigenous people of southern Chile and Argentina.
Maya Peoples of southern Mexico and Guatemala who built cities with stepped pyramids.
Nahuatl Language of the Aztecs, still spoken in Mexico.
Panama Hat Straw headwear woven in Ecuador, in spite of its name.
Piñata Decorated figure full of treats, broken open at parties.
Portuguese Language of Brazil.
Quechua Family of languages of the Andes, once spoken across the Inca Empire.
Sombrero Wide-brimmed hat of Mexico.
Spanish Language spoken in most countries of the region.
Taíno People who lived in the Caribbean islands when Columbus arrived.
Vaquero Horse-riding cattle herder of Mexico, the model for the cowboy.
Zapotec Indigenous people of Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

Latin American History and Heroes 20

Artigas National hero of Uruguay.
Balboa Spanish explorer who crossed Panama and saw the Pacific in 1513.
Bolívar Venezuelan general called the Liberator, who led the fight to free several countries from Spain.
Cabral Portuguese captain whose fleet reached Brazil in 1500.
Clemente Puerto Rican baseball star remembered for helping others.
Darío Poet of Nicaragua who started a new movement in Spanish-language poetry.
Darwin English naturalist who studied the wildlife of the Galápagos in 1835.
Diego Rivera Mexican painter of giant murals.
Dom Pedro Prince who declared Brazil independent from Portugal in 1822.
Frida Kahlo Mexican painter known for her self-portraits.
Hidalgo Priest whose call in 1810 began Mexico's war of independence.
Juárez Zapotec lawyer who became president of Mexico.
Louverture Leader of the uprising that led to Haiti's independence.
Mistral Chilean poet, the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, in 1945.
Morelos Priest who led Mexico's independence fight after Hidalgo.
Neruda Chilean poet who won the Nobel Prize in 1971.
O'Higgins Leader of Chile's fight for independence from Spain.
Pelé Brazilian soccer star who won three World Cups.
San Martín General who helped free Argentina, Chile and Peru from Spanish rule.
Tordesillas Treaty of 1494 that split newly reached lands between Spain and Portugal.

How this list was compiled: Own work. Words and names about Latin America for grades 2 to 8: nine themed lists (countries; capitals and cities; land and water; animals and plants; landmarks; food; music and dance; peoples and languages; history and heroes), Latin America Favorites, an easy list of every word of 3 to 5 letters and a hard list of every word of 8 letters or more. Entries have 3 to 14 letters once spaces, hyphens, apostrophes and accents are dropped, and inside one list no word sits inside another, forwards or backwards. Clues are our own wording for readers of about 8 to 13; no clue repeats a word of four letters or more from its own entry. The countries are the Spanish-, Portuguese- and French-speaking republics from Mexico to Argentina, with Puerto Rico, as Wikipedia's article Latin America describes the region. The grid keeps only the letters A to Z, so São Paulo is hidden as SAOPAULO and Bogotá as BOGOTA. No brand, team, living person or drink is listed, and no clue describes a religious custom; the people named are figures of the region's past. Every place, name and number was checked on 16 October 2026 against the English Wikipedia article for the entry (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America and the article of each entry, license CC BY-SA 4.0). Dates, records and firsts were checked the same day in a second work, Store norske leksikon, the Norwegian national encyclopedia (https://snl.no); where it did not confirm one, the clue leaves it out. Unofficial; an educational puzzle, so check an official source before you rely on a fact. Licence: own work

How it works

This Latin America word search opens on 16 favorites, Argentina, Peru, Buenos Aires, Machu Picchu and Tango among them. Nine lists go further: countries, capitals and cities, land and water, animals, landmarks, food, music and dance, peoples, and history.

Read the full guide

Nineteen countries, Puerto Rico and one long name

Latin American Countries runs from Mexico to Argentina: 19 republics and Puerto Rico. Dominican Republic is 17 letters long, too many for one entry, so Santo Domingo and Hispaniola stand in for it. Every capital is in Latin American Capitals and Cities but Guatemala City, whose letters would hide Guatemala inside a longer word.

National birds, dishes and dances

The clues say which country claims what. The Hornero is the national bird of Argentina, the Troupial of Venezuela and the Tocororo of Cuba. Pupusa is the national dish of El Salvador and Chivito of Uruguay. Cueca is the national dance of Chile and Tamborito of Panama. Open More options and tick Show clues, not words, for a quiz.

Easy Latin America has the 47 words of 3 to 5 letters: Peru, Cuba, Lima, Quito, Andes, Llama, Sloth, Taco, Tango and Maya among them.
For a music class, start from Latin American Music and Dance: Mariachi, Marimba, Cajón and Claves sit beside Tango, Samba, Cumbia and Merengue.

Questions and answers

Are these free printable word searches of Latin America?

Yes. Each of the nine lists prints as its own puzzle: pick it under Start from a list, then press Print or save as PDF. The sheet has a Name and Date line, and the answer key follows on a second page.

Which countries are in the Latin America word search?

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, with Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.

Are Brazil and Haiti part of Latin America?

Yes. The region is the part of the Americas where Spanish, Portuguese or French is spoken, so both are entries. Their clues name the languages: Portuguese in Brazil, French and a French-based Creole in Haiti.

Does it have the Andes and the Amazon?

Both are in the first grid. Latin America Land and Water adds Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas, Angel Falls, Atacama, Patagonia, Titicaca, the Galápagos and the Panama Canal.

All 270 words

Latin American Countries 24

Latin American Countries, continued

Latin American Capitals and Cities 41

Latin America Land and Water 36

Latin American Animals and Plants 38

Latin American Landmarks 20

Latin American Food 38

Latin American Music and Dance 32

Latin American Peoples and Languages 21

Latin American History and Heroes 20

How it works

Nineteen countries, Puerto Rico and one long name

National birds, dishes and dances

Questions and answers

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