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"Latins" can refer to several groups of people. The original Latins were an Italian tribe inhabiting central and south-central Italy. Through population expansion and conquest by their most populous city-state, Rome, the original Latins "Latinized" all of Italy and, subsequently, other regions, particularly European ones such as Spain and France, whose cultures became lastingly Roman to large degrees. A millennium after the fall of the Western Roman Empire of which they were part, these nations began to spread their Latin-derived languages and cultures around the world, especially in the Americas. The meaning of the term "Latin" has thus been broadened from its ancient meaning to refer to several peoples in Europe and to Latin Americans. Contents 1 Antiquity 2 Middle Ages 3 Modern uses 3.1 Latin Europeans 3.2 Latin Americans 3.3 Hispanic and Latino Americans 4 See also 5 External links 6 References Antiquity Main article: Latins (Italic tribe) Further information: Latin League Groups within the Italian peninsula.   Ligures   Veneti   Etruscans   Piceni   Umbrians   Latins   Osci   Messapii   Greeks

The Latins were an ancient Italic people of the Latium region in central Italy, (Latium Vetus - Old Latium), in the first millennium BC. Although they lived in independent city-states, the Latins had a common language (Latin), common religious beliefs, and a close sense of kinship, expressed in the myth that they were all descendants of Latinus. Latinus was worshiped on Mons Albanus (Monte Albano) during an annual festival that was attended by all Latins, including those from Rome, one of the Latin states. The Latin cities extended common rights of residence and trade to one another. Rome's territorial ambitions united the rest of the Latins against it in 341 BC, but the final victory was on Rome's side in 338 BC. Consequently, some of the Latin states were incorporated within the Roman state, and their inhabitants were given full Roman citizenship. Others became Roman allies and enjoyed certain privileges.

Gradually, with the spread of Roman power throughout Italy and Western Europe, 'Latin' ceased to be an ethnic term and became a legal category. Middle Ages Further information: Latin Rite and Western Christianity After the fall of the Roman Empire, many Europeans clung to the identity of the Latins and, more specifically, that of the Romans. In the Byzantine Empire, "Latins" was a synonym of "Western Europeans" and "Northern European", referring to all people of the Latin Rite, who were of the Roman Catholic faith. Today, the term "Latins" is used in the sense of "Latin Rite Roman Catholic", as a distinction to Eastern Orthodox. The Holy Roman Empire was founded after the fall of Rome but brandished the name of the Roman people and honored the king with the title "King of the Romans". Despite this, the Holy Roman Empire was almost in entirety a German affair with German kings and a majority of its territory in present day Germany. At times the Holy Roman Empire did not even include the city of Rome.

The term was later borrowed, in various variants, by several languages of the Middle East and southern Asia, sometimes referring to any European.citation needed Modern uses Latin Europeans Main article: Latin Europe The term "Latin" is sometimes used in reference to European peoples whose cultures are particularly Roman-derived, generally including the use of Romance languages and, in most cases, Roman Catholicism.1 Strong Roman legal and cultural traditions characterize these nations. The largest Latin European peoples are the Italians, French, Spaniards, Romanians, Portuguese, Occitan, Catalan, Sicilians, Sardinians, French, Italian, and Romansch Swiss people, Belgian Walloons, Dalmatians, and Corsicans. Latin Europe is a major subdivision of Europe, along with Germanic Europe and Slavic Europe. Latin Americans Main article: Latin America

The region of the Americas which received its strongest European cultural influence from Latin Europe came to be called "Latin America" in the 19th century. The French Emperor Napoleon III is often credited with this naming.2 The term usually refers to Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations, namely Hispanic America and Brazil, but the French-speaking countries and regions are sometimes included. Most Latin Americans have biological descent from Romance speaking Europeans, particularly from the Spanish, Portuguese, and Italians. "Latin America" is distinguishable from those parts of the Americas sometimes referred to as "Anglo America". There is no consensuscitation needed on categorizing the largely English speaking state of Canada as an "Anglo" country, due to the importance of its Francophone provinces Quebec and New Brunswick (though New Brunswick is no longer majority-Francophone). Quebec, a former colony of France that is a province of confederal Canada, is itself sometimes classified as a "Latin" country.citation needed Hispanic and Latino Americans

In the United States, Hispanic and Latino Americans are sometimes referred to as "Latins" erroneously. See also Latin Rights External links Distinguishing the terms: Latins and Romans References ^ [1] ^ Chasteen, John Charles (2001). Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. W. W. Norton. p. 156. ISBN 0393976130. 

In the United States, Hispanic and Latino Americans are sometimes referred to as "Latins" erroneously. See also Latin Rights External links Distinguishing the terms: Latins and Romans References ^ [1] ^ Chasteen, John Charles (2001). Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. W. W. Norton. p. 156. ISBN 0393976130. 

In the United States, Hispanic and Latino Americans are sometimes referred to as "Latins" erroneously. See also Latin Rights External links Distinguishing the terms: Latins and Romans References ^ [1] ^ Chasteen, John Charles (2001). Born in Blood and Fire: A Concise History of Latin America. W. W. Norton. p. 156. ISBN 0393976130.