Major Indian Ocean states like India are being courted or challenged by outside powers such as the People's Republic of China and the United States for control of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Those rivalries have effects in another fast evolving, resurgent area, the Latin American Continent (LAC) whose colonial history parallels Asia's own and whose abundant natural resources are much in demand. Leading Asian nations, primarily Japan, China and India are engaging the LAC economically and politically while building bilateral strategic partnerships with some of its states, mainly Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Chile.
