Central America

Central America
Area	523,780 km2 (202,233 sq mi)
Population	41,739,000 (2009 est.)
Density	77 /km2 (200 /sq mi)
Countries	7
Demonym	Central American, American
GDP	$107.7 billion ( exchange rate) (2006) $ 226.3 billion ( purchasing power parity) (2006).
GDP per capita	$2,541 ( exchange rate) (2006) $5,339 ( purchasing power parity) (2006).
Languages	Spanish, English, Mayan languages, Garifuna, Kriol, European languages, and many others
Time Zones	UTC - 6:00, UTC - 5:00
Largest cities (2002)	Guatemala City San Salvador Tegucigalpa Managua San Pedro Sula Panama City San José, Costa Rica Santa Ana, El Salvador León San Miguel

Central America (Spanish: América Central or Centroamérica) is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent. Central America consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Central America is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from northern Guatemala through central Panama. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, the North Pacific Ocean to the west, and Colombia to the south-east.

Central America is an area of 524,000 square kilometers (202,000 sq mi), or almost 0.1% of the Earth's surface. As of 2009, its population was estimated at 41,739,000. It has a density of 77 people per square kilometer.

History

In pre-Columbian times, the north-western areas of modern Central America were part of the Mesoamerican civilization. The Native American societies of Mesoamerica occupied the land ranging from central Mexico in the north to Costa Rica in the south. Most notable among these were the Maya, who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the Aztecs, who created a vast empire. The pre-Columbian cultures of Panama traded with both Mesoamerica and South America, and can be considered transitional between those two cultural areas.

Following Christopher Columbus's discovery of the Americas for Spain, the Spanish sent numerous expeditions to the region, and they began their conquest of Maya lands in the 1520s. In 1540, Spain established the Captaincy General of Guatemala, which extended from southern Mexico to Costa Rica, and thus encompassed most of what is currently known as Central America, with the exception of British Honduras (present-day Belize). This lasted nearly three centuries, until a rebellion (which followed closely on the heels of the Mexican War of Independence) in 1821.

After the dissolution of Spanish authority, the former Captaincy General remained intact as part of the short-lived First Mexican Empire. Central America then emerged as a distinct political entity upon the independence of the Federal Republic of Central America a representative democracy with its capital at Guatemala City. This union consisted of the present day nations of Guatemala (which included the former state of Los Altos), El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (which included a region which is now part of Panama, and the Guanacaste Province which was once part of Nicaragua), and Soconusco, a portion of the modern Mexican state of Chiapas. The Republic lasted from 1823 to 1838, when it began to disintegrate due to civil wars.

Belize was contested between the Spanish Empire and the British Empire, a dispute that continued after the independence of Guatemala, who considered Belize to be a Guatemalan department. It was declared a British colony and given the name British Honduras in 1871, gaining independence as Belize in 1981.

Panama, situated in the very south of Central America on the Isthmus of Panama, has for much of its history been culturally linked to South America. Panama was a part of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Granada, and then, following independence, became part of Gran Colombia. Only after independence from Colombia in 1903 did some begin to regard Panama as a North or Central American entity.

After two decades of internal violent conflict, social unrest, and revolutions in the 1980s and 1990s, Central America is still in a period of political transformation. Poverty, social injustice and violence are still widespread.

Geography

Central America has an area of 524,000 square kilometers (202,000 sq mi), or almost 0.1% of the Earth's surface. As of 2009, its population was estimated at 41,739,000. It has a density of 77 people per square kilometer or 206 people per square mile.

Physical geography

Physiographically, Central America is the tapering isthmus of southern North America, with unique and varied features extending from the north-western borders of Belize and Guatemala southeastward to the Isthmus of Panama where it connects to the Colombian Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Alternatively, some physiographists sometimes locate its northern border at some point in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico.

Central America is an area of some 524,000 square kilometres. The Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, the Caribbean Sea lies to the northeast, and the Gulf of Mexico lies to the north. Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate.

The region is geologically active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring frequently. The 1976 Guatemala earthquake killed 23,000 people. Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in 1931 and 1972; the latter killed about 5,000 people. Three earthquakes have occurred recently in El Salvador: one in 1986, and two in 2001. An earthquake struck northern and central Costa Rica in 2009, killing at least 34 people. In Honduras, a powerful earthquake killed 7 people in 2009.

Volcanic eruptions are common in the region. In 1968 the Arenal Volcano, in Costa Rica, erupted killing 87 people as the 3 villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis were buried under pyroclastic flows and debris. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lavas have made it possible to sustain dense populations in the agriculturally productive highland areas.

Central America has many mountain ranges; the longest are the Sierra Madre de Chiapas, the Cordillera Isabelia and the Cordillera de Talamanca. Between the mountain ranges lie fertile valleys that are suitable for the people; in fact most of the population of Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala live in valleys. Valleys are also suitable for the production of coffee, beans and other crops.

Biodiversity

Central America is part of the Mesoamerican Biodiversity hotspot, boasting 7% of the world's biodiversity. As a bridge between North and South America, Central America has many species from the Nearctic and the Neotropic ecozones. However the southern countries (Costa Rica and Panama) of the region have more biodiversity than the northern countries (Guatemala and Belize), meanwhile the central countries (Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador) have least biodiversity. The table shows current statistics for the seven countries:

Country	Amphibians	Birds	Mammals	Reptile
Belize	46	544	147	140	877	2894	3771
Costa Rica	183	838	232	258	1511	12119	13630
El Salvador	30	434	137	106	707	2911	3618
Guatemala	133	684	193	236	1246	8681	9927
Honduras	101	699	201	213	1214	5680	6894
Nicaragua	61	632	181	178	1052	7590	8642
Panama	182	904	241	242	1569	9915	11484

Demographics

Countries of Central America

Name of territory, with flag	Area (km²)	Population (July 2009 est.)	Population density (per km²)	Capital	Official language	HDI
Belize	700422966000000000022,966	7005307000000000000307,000	700113000000000000013	Belmopan	English	0.694 High
Costa Rica	700451100000000000051,100	70064196000000000004,196,000	700182000000000000082	San José	Spanish	0.744 High
El Salvador	700421040000000000021,040	70066163000000000006,163,000	7002292000000000000292	San Salvador	Spanish	0.674 Medium
Guatemala	7005108890000000000108,890	700714027000000000014,027,000	7002129000000000000129	Guatemala City	Spanish	0.574 Medium
Honduras	7005112090000000000112,090	70067466000000000007,466,000	700167000000000000067	Tegucigalpa	Spanish	0.625 Medium
Nicaragua	7005130373000000000130,373	70065743000000000005,743,000	700144000000000000044	Managua	Spanish	0.589 Medium
Panama	700478200000000000078,200	70063454000000000003,454,000	700144000000000000044	Panama City	Spanish	0.768 High
Total	7005523780000000000523,780	700741356000000000041,356,000	700180000000000000080	-	-

Largest metropolitan areas in Central America

City	Country	Population	Census Year	% of National population
Guatemala City	Guatemala	3,700,000	2010	26%
San Salvador	El Salvador	2,415,217	2009	39%
Managua	Nicaragua	2,408,000	2012	42%
San Jose	Costa Rica	1,715,485	2006	37%
San Pedro Sula	Honduras	1,542,364	2010	21%
Tegucigalpa	Honduras	1,324,000	2010	18%
Panamá City	Panama	1,272,672	2010	37%

Politics

Central American Integration

Central America is currently undergoing a process of political, economic and cultural transformation that started in 1907 with the creation of the Central American Court of Justice.

In 1951 the integration process continued with the signature of the San Salvador Treaty, which created the ODECA, the Organization of Central American States. However, the unity of the ODECA was limited by conflicts between several member states.

In 1991, the integration agenda was further advanced by the creation of the SICA, Sistema para la Integración Centroamericana or System for the Central American Integration. The SICA provided a clear legal basis to avoid disputes between the member states. The SICA membership includes the 7 nations of Central America plus the Dominican Republic, a state that is traditionally considered part of the Caribbean.

On December 6, 2008 SICA announced an agreement to pursue a common currency and common passport for the member nations. No timeline for implementation was discussed.

Central America already has several supranational institutions such as the Central American Parliament, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Central American Common Market.

On July 22, 2011 President Funes of El Salvador became the first president pro tempore to the SICA. El Salvador also became the headquarters of SICA in the inauguration of a new building.

Foreign Relations

Until recently, all Central American countries have maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of China. President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, however, established diplomatic relations with China in 2007, severing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

Infrastructure

Roads

The Pan-American Highway runs through Central America, and except for an 87 kilometres (54 mi) rainforest break, called the Darién Gap, the road links the mainland nations of the Americas in a connected highway system. According to Guinness World Records, the Pan-American Highway is the world's longest "motorable road". However, because of the Darién Gap, it is not possible to cross between South America and Central America by traditional motor vehicle.

Rail

• Belize: see Rail transport in Belize
• Costa Rica: see Rail transport in Costa Rica
• El Salvador: see Rail transport in El Salvador
• Guatemala: see Rail transport in Guatemala
• Honduras: see Rail transport in Honduras
• Nicaragua: see Rail transport in Nicaragua
• Panama: see Rail transport in Panama

Airlines

Usage

"Central America" may mean different things to various people in the world based upon different contexts:

• In English-speaking countries, Central America is usually considered a region of the North American continent. Geopolitically, it usually comprises seven countries – Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Mexico, in whole or in part, is sometimes included, regardless of correctness, by Britons. Some geographers include the five states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán, together representing 12.1% of the country's total area.
• In Latin America, Iberia, and some other parts of Europe, the Americas are considered to be a single continent called America, and Central America is considered a distinct region of this continent and not a part of North America. In Ibero-America, the region is defined as seven nations – Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama – and may occasionally include Mexico's southernmost region. Geopolitically, Mexico is considered part of North America.
• Occasionally, regardless of correctness, the term Central America is used synonymously with Middle America. Among some German geographers, Mittelamerika may be used to refer to the territories on the Central American isthmus.
• In German, Zentralamerika may be used to refer to the territories on the Central American isthmus.
• The UN geoscheme defines the region as all states of mainland North America south of the United States; conversely, the European Union excludes Belize and Mexico from its definition of the region.