tehskyman
Banned
I agree we don't need to be constrained but personally I wouldn't mind following in the previous thread's footsteps. Of course, we should change stuff if we want our own ideas.
In regards to Central America, I would agree with you. A coast vs inland view is a very simplistic one.
Perhaps the interior plan of Venezuela could be to the coastal regions and mountains what Columbia is to Cascadia. I do believe the inhabitants of this plain would be semi-nomadic or they would rule over a farmer population as nomadic elites.
I should have been more clear. When I say Hispanic and Amerindian, I mean linguistically because IIRC there are still many Amerindian speakers in Peru. Physically, there would be little to no difference between the two groups but the linguistics and even culture would be different. I like the idea that the entire Latin world is similar to the Islamic world in how they perceive themselves and the Andes being like Persia is indeed an interesting comparison.
Perhaps Belem could have a massive business of capturing Amazonian slaves and selling them to work in ships and the islands which are constantly being depopulated by warfare, disease and environment. It uses this wealth made from its colonies (nothing more than outposts which produce their own rice and capture slaves) to then expand its influence outwards and ends up fighting the State of Maranhao.
It would be interesting seeing how the Portuguese-speakers and Spanish-speakers would interact in La Plata and who would come out on top.
I think because the nature of Peru is similar to Persia, you'd have a multi-ethnic neo-Incan empire emerge after a while. In such a scenario, gradually, I'd say that Quecha would be dissolved into and subsumed by Spanish, influencing the vocab and grammar of the new Peruvian language kinda like how the different pre-Han languages have influenced the Chinese languages that were established later. The emergence of a neo-Incan empire is also why I think there'd some sort of wacky Incan-Catholic theocracy, similar to the Zoroastrian kings.
Also, I think an interesting place to explore would be Paraguay. Their language would have to be some mix of Guarani and Spanish and who know how'd they get along with their neighbors.
The La Plata would mostly be Spanish speaking. Brazil doesn't border it, thought with the State of Rio de Janeiro becoming a naval empire, they might contend.