Eli5: why there are so many languages in Europe? But in America there are less languages?

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I mean, for example south and Central America only have like 2 or 3 languages, and is like the same territory of Europe, but in Europe in a “small” area are more than 6 languages (Portuguese, Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian). Focus more in explaining why in Europe are so many languages in such a “small” territory?

Edit 1: yeah I know América has a lot of different indigenous languages and dialects, also Europe. I’m focusing on the principal languages

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Europe developed many cultures for centuries, when the empires fell they became different nations which developed several languages. German and Latin, for example, where latin was spoken in the Roman Empire and German by the “barbaric” people. Now, on the American side, Europe literally destroyed and turned to ashes SEVERAL cultures, like the ones in South America (literally thousands of different cultures reduced to dozens, where only the European prevailed)

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