R&D in Latin America: RF and Microwave Research in Latin America

Latin America is a vast region of the American continents, spanning the southern part of North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, covering 21 million km² or roughly a little over twice the size of the United States, as shown in Figure 1. Close to 600 million people inhabit the area and go about their daily activities in Spanish, Portuguese, French, English, and a considerable number of autochthonous languages and dialects, varying from region to region. The area presents all types of geography and weather, from deserts to tropical rain forests, from very high temperatures to the very cold at the southernmost points bordering Antarctica, from beautiful beaches to high peaks. Its legacy dates from the early inhabitants, who settled several thousand years ago, leaving impressive rock constructions throughout. Adding to these archaeological ruins, the impressive colonial buildings in most cities make a very important destination for the savvy traveler, who can then glimpse the richness of the area´s historical past to understand the incredible cultural and ethnic diversity that Latin America offers the world. Through this article, the authors aim to present, at a glance, the state of development in the fields of RF and microwaves in the following countries: Argentina, Mexico, Perú, and Venezuela. The authors do not claim to be exhaustive, since no doubt there is a lot more research being performed in other countries.