This subjugation of Africans and the indigenous populations has had dramatic effects on society. As most regions emancipated the slaves sometime in the mid eighteenth century, a social pyramid developed where white elite's at the top, mulatto landowners and poor whites in the middle and Blacks and Indians at the bottom. This social structure developed into the stereotypical and racist notions found in most regions today. Regardless of the change in government, sweeping social change has not occurred and almost all of these two groups remain poor. The plantation was the center of the agriculture life. Large-scale agriculture is still important as many countries rely on these products as they put large strain on export -oriented growth. Only recently has there been any significant attempts at industrialization and many countries are economically backward. From the very outset of the exploration of the New World, members of the church have been side by side with the explorers and colonists. The church had a dual role in Latin America. The church was interested in saving the souls of the indigenous peoples found in the newly discovered regions and also they reinforced the control of the Iberian powers. A unique form of Catholicism emerged that was a mixture of the three cultures mentioned above. The most vivid example of this fusion can be seen in Brazil were dozens of religions have sprouted with African, indigenous and European roots. The final topic of colonial legacies is politics. From an early point in the history of Latin America, the regions have enjoyed a certain level of autonomy. There was a tendency towards administrative centralism and regional/local decision-making, which was primarily due to the physical distances to Europe. This incomplete control led to the growth of regionalism, strongman rule and ineffective government that constantly threatened national unity after independence was granted.