<P> Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas in 1492 . Subsequently, the major sea powers in Europe sent expeditions to the New World to build trade networks and colonies and to convert the native peoples to Christianity . Spain concentrated on building its empire on the central and southern parts of the Americas allotted to it by the Treaty of Tordesillas, because of presence of large, settled societies like the Aztec, the Inca, the Maya and the Muisca, whose human and material resources it could exploit, and large concentrations of silver and gold . The Portuguese built their empire in Brazil, which fell in their sphere of influence owing to the Treaty of Tordesillas, by developing the land for sugar production since there was a lack of a large, complex society or mineral resources . </P> <P> During the European colonization of the western hemisphere, most of the native population died, mainly by disease . In what has come to be known as the Columbian exchange, diseases such as smallpox and measles decimated populations with no immunity . The size of the indigenous populations has been studied in the modern era by historians, but Dominican friar Bartolomé de las Casas raised the alarm in the earliest days of Spanish settlement in the Caribbean in his A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies . </P> <P> Because the Spanish were now in power, native culture and religion were forbidden . The Spanish even went as far as burning the Maya Codices (like books). These codices contained information about astrology, religion, Gods, and rituals . There are four codices known to exist today; these are the Dresden Codex, Paris Codex, Madrid Codex, and HI Codex . </P> <P> The Spanish Crown regulated immigration to its overseas colonies, with travelers required to register with the House of Trade in Seville . Since the crown wished to exclude anyone who was non-Christian (Jews, crypto - Jews, and Muslims) passing as Christian, travelers' backgrounds were vetted . The ability to regulate the flow of people enabled the Spanish Crown to keep a grip on the religious purity of its overseas empire . The Spanish Crown was rigorous in their attempt to allow only Christians passage to the New World and required proof of religion by way of personal testimonies . Specific examples of individuals dealing with the Crown allow for an understanding of how religion affected passage into the New World . </P>

Which economic problem did many latin american nations faced in the years following world war ii