The celebration of the fifth centenary of the discovery of Latin America raises the need for describing and assessing the scientific production characterizing the region after five centuries of historical evolution with the aim of establishing a reference point for comparison to be used in future decades to analyze the development and the interest of the rest of the world in this geographical area. The inclusion of serials from the region in international databases and repertories was studied. The main characteristics of the scientific production generated by or about the region were analyzed. The outcomes showed the existence of a limited scientific production; a scarce representation of the publications in the international databases and repertories; a minimum consumption of the literature of the area in the international current; a scientific production model which is mainly clinical; and the existence of numerous local journals, which are not adequate for the dissemination of the scientific development of Latin America, thus provoking a great drain of scientific papers to foreign journals. A substantial interest on the region was observed through the great number of papers written about it. A first level was attained in the characterization of the scientific production of the studied area
