Central America
| Area | 523,780 km²[1] |
|---|---|
| Population | 40,545,745 (2007 est. )[1] |
| Density | 77 per km² |
| Countries | 7 |
| GDP | $107. 7 billion (exchange rate) (2006) $ 226. In Finance, the exchange rates (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how 3 billion (purchasing power parity) (2006). The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. |
| GDP per capita | $2,541 (exchange rate) (2006) $5,339(purchasing power parity) (2006). In Finance, the exchange rates (also known as the foreign-exchange rate, forex rate or FX rate) between two currencies specifies how The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. |
| Languages | Spanish, English, Garifuna, Kriol, Mayan languages, European languages, and many others |
| Time Zones | UTC - 6:00, UTC - 5:00 |
| Largest cities (2002) | Tegucigalpa Managua Guatemala City San Salvador San Pedro Sula Panama City San José, Costa Rica Santa Ana, El Salvador León San Miguel[2] |
Central America (Spanish: Centroamérica or América Central) is a central geographic region of the Americas. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Garifuna is an Arawakan language spoken in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Belize by the Garifuna people. Belizean Creole, known as Kriol by its speakers is a Creole language closely related to Miskito Coastal Creole, Limón Coastal Creole, Most of the many Languages of Europe belong to the Indo-European Language family. Mesoamerican languages are the Languages indigenous to the Mesoamerican cultural area which covers southern Mexico, all of Guatemala Tegucigalpa (teɰusiˈɰalpa ( Teguz for short is the Capital city of Honduras and is also the country's largest city Managua is the Capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name Guatemala City (in full La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the Capital and largest city of the San Salvador is the Capital and largest city of the nation of El Salvador. San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country in the Valle de Sula (Sula Valley about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés Panama City (Ciudad de Panamá is the Capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. San José ( Spanish: San José; ˌsɑːn hɒˈsɛː is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica, and is at the heart of the sprawling Gran Area Metropolitana Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Santa Ana is the second largest city in El Salvador, located 64 kilometers west of San Salvador, the capital city El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. León is the second largest City in Nicaragua, after Managua. San Miguel is the third most important and populous City in El Salvador. Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geografia) is the study of the Earth and its lands features inhabitants and phenomena The article is about the geographic sense of the term For other uses including Regions and Regional, see Region (disambiguation. The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America It is variably defined either as the southern portion of North America, which connects with South America on the southeast, or as a region of the American continent in its own right. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a [3][4] Most of Central America is considered to be part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot. Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined A biodiversity hotspot is a Biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is threatened with destruction [5]
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Physical geography
Physiographically, Central America is a very narrow isthmus of southern North America extending from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico southeastward to the Isthmus of Panama where it connects to the Colombian Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Physical geography (also known as geosystems or physiography) is one of the three major subfields of Geography. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas The Isthmus of Tehuantepec is an Isthmus in Mexico. It represents the shortest distance between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Colombia (kəˈlʌmbɪə officially the Republic of Colombia () is a country in northwestern South America. Natural regions Colombia usually classifies its geography into five regions South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Alternatively, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt delimits the region on the north. For other topics with the same name see " Sierra Nevada " Central America has an area of some 592,000 square kilometres. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, the Caribbean Sea lies to the northeast, and the Gulf of Mexico lies to the north. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions For the region see Caribbean. The Caribbean Sea (kəˈrɪbiən or /ˌkærɨˈbiːən/ is a tropical Sea in the Western Hemisphere The Gulf of Mexico ( Spanish: Golfo de México) is the ninth largest Body of water in the world
Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate. The Caribbean Plate is a mostly oceanic Tectonic plate underlying Central America and the Caribbean Sea off the north coast of South The region is geologically active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring from time to time. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in 1931 and 1972, and three earthquakes devastated El Salvador, one in 1986 and two in 2001. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lavas have made it possible to sustain dense populations in the agriculturally productive highland areas. .
Human geography
Geopolitically, Central America has traditionally consisted of the following countries:
| Name of territory, with flag |
Area (km²)[1] |
Population (July 2007 est. Geopolitics is the study that analyzes Geography, History and Social science with reference to Spatial politics and patterns at various scales A flag is a piece of Cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used Symbolically for signaling or identification This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. )[1] |
Population density (per km²) |
Capital |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belize |
22,966 | 294,385 | 13 | Belmopan |
 Costa Rica |
51,100 | 4,133,884 | 81 | San José |
 El Salvador |
21,040 | 6,948,073 | 330 | San Salvador |
 Guatemala |
108,890 | 12,728,111 | 117 | Guatemala City |
 Honduras |
112,090 | 7,483,763 | 67 | Tegucigalpa |
 Nicaragua |
129,494 | 5,675,356 | 44 | Managua |
 Panama |
78,200 | 3,242,173 | 41 | Panama City |
| Total | 523,780 | 40,545,745 | 77 |
Many modern definitions of Central America include Belize and Panama, neither of which existed upon the formation of the Federal Republic of Central America, a short-lived union created after most of the region gained independence from Spain in the 19th century. The Federal Republic of Central America, also known as the United Central Provinces of America, was a short-lived American State in Central America Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The territory now occupied by Belize was originally contested by the United Kingdom and the Spanish Empire and, later, Guatemala (which has considered it, wholly or partially, an eastern department); it became a British colony (British Honduras) in 1871 and gained independence in 1981. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Spanish Empire (Imperio Español was one of the largest Empires in history and one of the first Global empires In the 15th and 16th centuries Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest |||} Guatemala is divided into 22 departments ( departamentos) Alta Verapaz Baja Verapaz Chimaltenango The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom British Honduras was the former name of what is now the independent nation of Belize and was a British colony on the east coast of Central
Panama, situated on the Isthmus of Panama, is sometimes regarded as a transcontinental territory. The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent, sometimes referred to as transcontinental states. Today, it is often considered a part of North America alone; however, for much of its post-Columbian history, Panama has been connected to South America. Panama was a possession of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, and then, following independence, became a part of la Gran Colombia (Greater Colombia). The Viceroyalty of New Granada (Virreinato de la Nueva Granada was the name given on May 27, 1717 to a Spanish colonial jurisdiction in northern South America Gran Colombia ( Spanish for Great Colombia) is a name used today for the Republic of Colombia of the period 1819-1831 Only after independence from Colombia in 1903 did some begin to regard Panama as a North or Central American entity.
History
In pre-Columbian times, the north-western areas of modern Central America were part of the Mesoamerican civilization. This is the History of Central America is the study of the past, particularly the written record, oral histories, and traditions, passed The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences Mesoamerica or Meso-America (Mesoamérica is a Region extending approximately from central Mexico to Honduras and Nicaragua, defined The Native American societies of Mesoamerica occupied the land ranging from central Mexico in the north to Costa Rica in the south. For indigenous peoples in the United States other than Hawaii and Alaska see also Native Americans in the United States. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Most notable among these were the Maya, who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the Aztecs, who created a vast empire. The Maya peoples constitute a diverse range of the Native American peoples of southern Mexico and northern Central America. Aztec is a term used to refer to certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who achieved political The pre-Columbian cultures of Panama traded with both Mesoamerica and South America, and can be considered transitional between those two cultural areas. Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a
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. Christopher Columbus (1451 &ndash May 20 1506 was an Italian Navigator, colonizer The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Maya civilization is a Mesoamerican Civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the Pre-Columbian Americas 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). The Captaincy General of Guatemala (Capitanía General de Guatemala also known as the Kingdom of Guatemala (Spanish Reino de Guatemala) was an administrative division The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in British Honduras was the former name of what is now the independent nation of Belize and was a British colony on the east coast of Central Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. This lasted nearly three centuries, until a rebellion (which followed closely on the heels of the Mexican War of Independence) in 1821. The Mexican War of Independence (1810 - 1821 was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and Spanish colonial authorities which started on September 16 1810
After the dissolution of Spanish authority, the former Captaincy General remained intact as part of the short-lived First Mexican Empire, then turned into the Federal Republic of Central America, which was a representative democracy with its capital at Guatemala City. A captaincy is a historical Administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese Colonial empires Each was governed by a Captain The Mexican Empire was the official name of independent Mexico under a monarchical regime from 1822 to 1823 The Federal Republic of Central America, also known as the United Central Provinces of America, was a short-lived American State in Central America Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Guatemala City (in full La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the Capital and largest city of the This union consisted of the present day nations of Guatemala (which included the former state of Los Altos), Honduras, El Salvador, 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. Los Altos ("The Highlands" in the Spanish language) was an area of Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the Federal Republic of Guanacaste is a province of Costa Rica. Geography Guanacaste is located in the northwestern part of the country along the coast of the Pacific Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Soconusco is a region of the Mexican state of Chiapas, located in the extreme south of the state and bounded by the Republic of Guatemala on the southeast The Republic lasted from 1823 to 1838, when it began to disintegrate due to civil wars. A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state
Central American integration
Sistema de Integración Centroamericana
Central American Integration System
Motto: «God, Union and Liberty»
Anthem: La Granadera
| Area | 560,988 km² |
|---|---|
| Population | 41,753,000 hab. Central American Integration System (Spanish Sistema de la Integración Centroamericana; SICA) constituted 1991-12-13, is an intergovernmental organization |
| Countries | Belize Costa Rica Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama El Salvador Dominican Republic |
- See also: Puebla-Panama Plan and Mesoamerican region
Central America is going through a process of political, economic and cultural transformation that started in 1907 with the creation of the Central American Court of Justice. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica,) is a Country in Guatemala (República de Guatemala) is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west the Pacific Ocean to the southwest Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. El Salvador ( República de El Salvador,) is a country in Central America. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with The Puebla-Panama Plan (Plan Puebla Panamá acronym PPP) is a multi-billion dollar development plan formally initiated in 2001 which is intended to "promote the regional The Mesoamerican region (often abbreviated MAR) is a trans-national economic region recognized by the OECD among other economic and developmental organizations The Central American Court of Justice or Court of Cartago (1907&ndash1918 1962 to date is an international court established by five Central American In 1951 the integration process continued with the signature of the San Salvador Treaty that created the ODECA, the Organization of Central American States. Unfortunately, the ODECA was not completely successful due to internal conflicts between several states of the region.
It was until 1991 that the integration agenda was completed with the creation of the SICA, Sistema para la Integración Centroamericana or System for the Central American Integration. The SICA provided a clear legal base to avoid discrepancies between the member states. The SICA membership includes the 7 nations of Central America plus the Dominican Republic, a state that is part of the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting
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. The Central American Parliament, also known by the abbreviation Parlacen (from the Spanish Parlamento Centroamericano) is a political Institution The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (Spanish Banco Centroamericano de Integración Económica, BCIE) is a Development bank established in The Central American Common Market ( CACM; Spanish: Mercado Común Centroamericano, MCCA was an economic trade organisation between five nations of
Foreign relations
Until recently all Central American countries (excluding Costa Rica) have maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of the People's Republic of China. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES [6]. President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica, however, established diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 2007, severing formal diplomatic ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Usage
"Central America" may mean different things to different people in the world according to the context:
- In English, Central America is considered a region of the North American continent. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions [7] Geopolitically, it usually comprises seven countries – Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. [8] Mexico, in whole or in part, is occasionally included. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. [9] Some geographers include the five states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán,[8] together representing 12. Campeche is the name of both a state in Mexico and its capital city Chiapas is the southernmost state of Mexico, located towards the southeast of the country Tabasco is a state in Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Veracruz to the west Chiapas to the south and Campeche to the Quintana Roo (kinˈtana ˈro is a state of Mexico, on the eastern part of the Yucatán Peninsula. Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. 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, and Central America is considered a region of this continent. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe, and includes modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra 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. Ibero-America is a term which started to be used in the second half of the 19th century to refer collectively to the countries in the Americas which were formerly colonies [10] Geopolitically, Mexico is not considered part of the region.
- The UN geoscheme defines the region as all states of North America south of the United States; conversely, the European Union excludes Belize and Mexico from its definition of the region. United Nations geoscheme, created by the United Nations Statistics Division, divides the world into 'macro-geographical Regions ( Continents and sub-regions The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in [11][12]
See also
- Central American Parliament
- Ethnic groups in Central America
- North America
- South America
- Americas (terminology)
- Middle America
- Rail transport in Central America
References
- ^ a b c d Areas and population estimates taken from the 2008 CIA World Factbook, whose population estimates are as of July 2007. The Central American Parliament, also known by the abbreviation Parlacen (from the Spanish Parlamento Centroamericano) is a political Institution Central America is a region formed by 6 Latin American countries and one Anglo American nation ( Belize) South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Americas, also known as America, are the lands of the Western hemisphere, composed of numerous entities and regions variably defined Rail transport in Central America consists of several isolated railroad lines with freight or passenger service The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the
- ^ Largest Cities in Central America, Rhett Butler. Accessed on line January 10, 2008. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
- ^ Central America, MSN Encarta. Accessed on line January 10, 2008. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
- ^ "Central America", vol. 3, Micropædia, The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. , 1990, 15th ed. ISBN 0-85229-511-1.
- ^ Mesoamerica, Biodiversity Hotspots, Conservation International. Conservation International (CI is a nonprofit organization headquartered in the Washington D Accessed on line January 10, 2008. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common
- ^ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China
- ^ "Central America. " Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, which was originally the G & C Merriam Company of Springfield Massachusetts, is an American company that publishes reference books
- ^ a b "Central America". Encyclopædia Britannica. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc 2006. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
- ^ Burchfield, R. W. 2004. "America". Fowler's Modern English Usage (ISBN 0-19-861021-1) New York: Oxford University Press, p. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage, often referred to as Fowler's Modern English Usage or simply as Fowler's or Fowler 48.
- ^ Centroamérica (Mexican version)"/Centroamérica (Spaniard version). Encarta Online Encyclopedia.
- ^ Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49). United Nations Statistics Division.
- ^ The EU's relations with Central America, European Commission. Accessed on line October 17, 2007. Events 539 BC - King Cyrus The Great of Persia marches into the city of Babylon, releasing the Jews from almost Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
- "Central America". The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2001-6. New York: Columbia University Press.
- "Central America". MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006. Encarta is a Digital Multimedia Encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation.
- American Heritage Dictionaries, Central America.
- WordNet Princeton University: Central America.
- "Central America". The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online. 2006. New York: Columbia University Press.
External Links
Dictionary
Central America
-proper noun
- The part of the Americas between North America and South America, consisting of the following countries:
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