R E S E A R C H   G U I D A N C E

Latin America
Research Outline
   

Table of Contents
Introduction
     Using This Outline
Latin American Search Strategies
Records At The Family History Library
The Family History Library Catalog
     Map Of Central America
     Map Of South America
Archives And Libraries
     Archives In Spain
     Latin American Archives
Biography
     Family Information
     Compiled Biographies
Cemeteries
     Locating Cemeteries And Cemetery Records
Census
Church Records
     Information Recorded In Church Registers
     Inquisition Records
     Locating Church Records
     Search Strategies
Civil Registration
     Information Recorded In Civil Registers
     Locating Civil Registration Records
Emigration And Immigration
     Finding The Immigrant's Town Of Origin
     Locating Emigration Records
Gazetteers
Genealogy
     Family Histories
     Compiled Genealogies
     Major Databases And Collections
History
     Historical Chronology
     Calendar Changes
     Historical Geography
     Local Histories
Land And Property
Language And Languages
     Language Aids
Maps
     Using Maps
     Locating Maps And Atlases
Military Records
     Types Of Military Records
     Locating Military Records
Names, Personal
Native Races
     Racial Terminology
Nobility
     Untitled Nobility [Hidalgos/Fidalgos]
     Titled Nobility [Nobleza/nobreza]
     Military And Fraternal Orders[Ordenes Militares And Cofradías/Confraternidades]
Notarial Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Societies
Other Records
For Further Reading
Comments And Suggestions

ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIESLook this term up in the glossary.

Archives collect and preserve original documents of organizations such as churches or governments. Libraries generally collect published sources such as books, maps, and microfilm. This section describes the major archives and libraries of genealogical and historical records for Latin American research. When one of these institutions is referred to elsewhere in the outline, return to this section to obtain the address.

If you plan to visit one of these institutions, contact the organization and ask for information about its collection, hours, services, and fees. Some archives have catalogs, inventories, guides, or periodicals that describe their records and how to use them. If possible, study these guides before you search the records of an archive so you can use your time more effectively.

The Family History Library may also have a microfilm copy of the Latin American records you need. The library has filmed records from archives and libraries in many Latin American countries and maintains an ongoing program of records acquisition throughout Latin America. See the sections of this outline entitled “Records at the Family History Library” and “The Family History Library Catalog.”


Archives in Spain

Records of international interest about the era of European discovery, exploration, and colonization of Latin America are found in the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, Spain, and the Archivo General Militar in Segovia, Spain. The mailing addresses of these archives are as follows:

For information about records of particular genealogical value in these archives, see the “Emigration and Immigration” and “Military Records” sections of this outline.

A summary of the records preserved at the Archivo General de Indias is found in:

Peña y Cámara, José María de la. Archivo General de Indias de Sevilla: Guía de Visitante (General Archive of the Indies of Seville: Visitor's Guide). Madrid: Dirección General de Archivos y Bibliotecas, 1958. (FHL book 946 A2s; film 0,896,895.)

An additional description of the records at the Archivo General de Indias, as well as other Spanish and Latin American archives which house documents of the Spanish American colonial period, is found in:

Documentación y Archivos de la Colonización Española (Documentation and Archives of the Spanish Colonization). Madrid: Ministerio de Cultura, 1980. (FHL book 946 A3d.)


Latin American Archives

Latin American countries have several types of genealogical repositories. The following list shows the kinds of archives and libraries that may be found in the country you are researching:

  • National archives and libraries.
  • State and provincial archives.
  • Local civil registry offices.
  • Church parish archives.
  • Public and university libraries.


National Archives and Libraries

Each Latin American country has a national archive or library that is an important source of genealogical and historical information. The national governments collect records relating to history, culture, and population. Records of genealogical value usually kept at national archives and libraries include census records, court records, emigration and immigration lists, land records, military records, and, occasionally, church records. Census and church records from the national archives and libraries of most Latin American countries may also be found in the Family History Library.

A description of the records at the various national archives of Latin America, along with a historical sketch of each of the archives, is found in:

Hill, Roscoe R. Los Archivos Nacionales de la América Latina (National Archives of Latin America). La Habana: Archivo Nacional de Cuba, 1948. (FHL book 980 J5h.)

The addresses of Latin American national archives and libraries are listed below:

•Argentina:

Biblioteca Nacional
México 564
1097 Buenos Aires
Argentina
Archivo General de la Nación
Av. Leandro N. Alem 246
1003 Buenos Aires
Argentina
•Belize:

National Library Service
Bliss Institute
POB 287
Belize City
Belize
•Bolivia:

Biblioteca y Archivo Nacional de Bolivia
Calle España 25
Casilla 338
Sucre
Bolivia
•Brazil:

Biblioteca Nacional
Av. Rio Branco 219–239
20042 Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Brasil
•Chile:

Biblioteca Nacional
Av. Bernardo O'Higgins 651
Santiago
Chile
Archivo Nacional
Miraflores 50
Santiago
Chile
•Colombia:

Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia
Calle 24, 5–60
Apdo. 27600
Bogotá
Colombia
•Costa Rica:

Biblioteca Nacional
Calle 15–17, Av. 3 y 3b
Apdo. 10008
San José
Costa Rica
Archivo Nacional de Costa Rica
Calle 7, Av. 4
Apdo. 10217
San José
Costa Rica
•Cuba:

Biblioteca Nacional “José Martí”
Pl. de la Revolución José Martí
Apdo. Oficial 3
La Habana
Cuba
Archivo Nacional de Cuba
Compostela esq. San Isidro
La Habana 1
Cuba
•Dominican Republic:

Biblioteca Nacional
César Nicolás Penson 91
Plaza de la Cultura
Santo Domingo
La República Dominicana
Archivo General de la Nación
Calle M.E. Díaz
Santo Domingo
La República Dominicana
•Ecuador:

Biblioteca Nacional
García Moreno y Sucre
Apdo. 163
Quito
Ecuador
Archivo Nacional de Historia
Av. 6 de Diciembre 332
Apdo. 67
Quito
Ecuador
•El Salvador:

Biblioteca Nacional
8 A Av. Norte y Calle Delgado
San Salvador
El Salvador
Archivo General de la Nación
Palacio Nacional
San Salvador
El Salvador
•French Guiana (Guyane):

Université des Antilles et de la Guyane
Bibliothèque Universitaire
Campus Universitaire
Schoelcher, BP7210
Martinique
•Guatemala:

Biblioteca Nacional de Guatemala
5a Av. 7–26
Zona 1
Guatemala
Guatemala
Archivo General de Centro América
4a Av. 7–16
Zona 1
Guatemala
Guatemala
•Guyana:

National Library
POB 10240
Georgetown, Guyana
•Honduras:

Biblioteca Nacional de Honduras
6a Av. Salvador Mendieta
Tegucigalpa
Honduras
Archivo Nacional de Honduras
6a Av. 408
Tegucigalpa
Honduras
•Mexico:

Biblioteca Nacional de México
Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliográficas
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Centro Cultural, Ciudad Universitaria
Delegación Coyoacán
Apdo. 29–124
04510
México
Archivo General de la Nación
Tacuba 8, 2o. piso
Palacio Nacional
Apdo. 1999
México 1
México
•Nicaragua:

Biblioteca Nacional
Calle del Triunfo 302
Apdo. 101
Managua
Nicaragua
Archivo Nacional
6a Calle 402
Apdo. 101
Managua
Nicaragua
•Panama:

Biblioteca Nacional
Apdo. 2444
Panamá
Panamá
Archivo Nacional
Apdo. 6618
Panamá
Panamá
•Paraguay:

Biblioteca y Archivo Nacionales
Mariscal Estigarriba 95
Asunción
Paraguay
•Peru:

Biblioteca Nacional del Perú
Av. Abancay
Apdo. 2335
Lima
Perú
•Puerto Rico:

Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña
Av. Ponce de León 500
POB 4184
San Juan
Puerto Rico, 00905
•Suriname:

Anton de Kom Universiteit van Suriname
Centrale Bibliotheek
Leysweg
Postbus 9212
Paramaribo, Suriname
•Uruguay:

Biblioteca Nacional del Uruguay
Centro Nacional de Documentación Científica,
Técnica, y Económica
18 de Julio 1790
Casilla 452
Montevideo
Uruguay
Archivo General de la Nación
Calle Convención 1474
Montevideo
Uruguay
•Venezuela:

Biblioteca Nacional
Bolsa a San Francisco
Apdo. 68350
Caracas 106
Venezuela
Archivo General de la Nación
Santa Capilla a Carmelitas 5
Caracas
Venezuela

State and Provincial ArchivesLook this term up in the glossary.

In Latin American countries, many states, provinces, and departments have their own archives. These archives serve as repositories for records pertaining to their particular area. Records of genealogical value at state and provincial archives include census records, land records, and some church records. Information about how to contact state and provincial archives is found in Internationales Bibliotheks-Handbuch, cited below under “Public and University Libraries.”


Local Civil Registry OfficesLook this term up in the glossary.

Civil registration began in Latin America around 1870. Records created by local governments, including birth, marriage, and death records, are kept in local offices. Civil records of persons living in small communities or villages are usually registered in the nearest town, city, or municipality. Large cities and metropolitan areas are divided into numerous civil registration districts. Civil records are typically available to the public. You can obtain information or copies of the records kept at local civil offices by writing to the offices. For more information about civil records, see the "Civil Registration" section of this outline.


Church Parish ArchivesLook this term up in the glossary.

Roman Catholicism is the dominant religious faith in Latin America, and the baptisms, marriages, and deaths or burials of most Latin Americans have been recorded in Catholic parish registers. Records are kept at the local parish level, and duplicates of parish records are usually sent to diocesan archives as well. You can write to these archives and request brief searches of their records. For more information, see the “Church Records” section of this outline.


Public and University Libraries

Public and university libraries can be good sources for local and regional histories, maps, newspapers, population and social studies, biographies and genealogies of early settlers and community leaders, and other useful records. Contact public and university libraries in the local area you are researching and ask about their records collections, hours, services, and fees.

A comprehensive list of the names and addresses of Latin American libraries can be found in library reference books such as:

Internationales Bibliotheks-Handbuch (World Guide to Libraries). Munchen: K.G. Saur, 1989. (FHL book 027 W893.)

Library reference books or lists of libraries in a specific country can usually be found in major public libraries or in university libraries in that country.


InventoriesLook this term up in the glossary., RegistersLook this term up in the glossary., CatalogsLook this term up in the glossary.

Some books in the Family History Library Catalog list the contents of a specific archive or library. For example, see:

Platt, Lyman D. and Ariel Mazzella. Catalogs of the National Archive of Chile. Salt Lake City: N.p., n.d. (FHL book 983 A3p; film 908,437, item 2.)

Other records that describe Latin American archives or list their records may be found in the Family History Library Catalog under:

LATIN AMERICA - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES [COUNTRY] - ARCHIVES AND LIBRARIES

Under the “Archives and Libraries” heading, also see the following sub-headings:

–INDEXES–INVENTORIES, REGISTERS, CATALOGS

Return to top of page

Previous Document   Next Document

©1998, 2001 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. No part of this document may be reprinted, posted on-line, or reproduced in any form for any purpose without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. FamilySearch is a trademark of Intellectual Reserve, Inc.
[FamilySearchTM: Research Guidance
Version of Data: 6/9/2001]