Central America

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Central America (Spanish: Centroamérica or América Central) is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is variably defined either as being a region of the Americas in its own right or as the southern portion of North America.

Contents 1 Physical geography 2 Human geography 3 History 4 Foreign relations 5 Usage 6 See also 7 References 8 Notes

Physical geography

Physiographically, Central America is a 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. Alternatively, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt delimits the region on the north. Central America has an area of some 592,000 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 from time to time. Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in 1931 and 1972, and in 2001 two earthquakes devastated El Salvador. 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)	Population (1 July 2005 est.)	Population density (per km²)	Capital
Image:Flag of Belize.svg Belize	&&&&&&&&&&&22966.022,966	&&&&&&&&&&270000.0270,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&12.012	Belmopan
Image:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica	&&&&&&&&&&&51100.051,100	&&&&&&&&&4327000.04,327,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&85.085	San José
Image:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador	&&&&&&&&&&&21040.021,040	&&&&&&&&&6881000.06,881,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&327.0327	San Salvador
Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala	&&&&&&&&&&108890.0108,890	&&&&&&&&12599000.012,599,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&116.0116	Guatemala City
Image:Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras	&&&&&&&&&&112492.0112,492	&&&&&&&&&7205000.07,205,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&64.064	Tegucigalpa
Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua	&&&&&&&&&&129494.0129,494	&&&&&&&&&5487000.05,487,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&42.042	Managua
Image:Flag of Panama (bordered).svg Panama	&&&&&&&&&&&75517.075,517	&&&&&&&&&3232000.03,232,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&43.043	Panama City
Total	&&&&&&&&&&521499.0521,499	&&&&&&&&40001000.040,001,000	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&77.077

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 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.

Panama, situated on the Isthmus of Panama, is a transcontinental territory: the Panama Canal (a bypass connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans) transects the isthmus, which connects North and South America. Regardless, all of the country—including the segment east of the Panama Canal—is often considered a part of North America alone. Historically, however, Panama was a possession of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, a Spanish jurisdiction largely situated in northwestern South America from 1717 to 1819. When Panama declared independence from Spain on 28 November 1821, it immediately declared a union with la Gran Colombia (Greater Colombia) and later became a department/state of Colombia until its independence on 3 November 1903.

History

Main article: History of Central America

In pre-Columbian times, most of modern Central America was 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 the Federal Republic of Central America, which was 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), Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (which included a region which is nowadays part of Panama, and the Guanacaste Province which belonged to Nicaragua), and 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.

Foreign relations

All Central American countries (including Panama) maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of the People's Republic of China [1]. The countries receive funding for various projects, such as the Puente de la Amistad de Taiwan in Costa Rica.

Usage

"Central America" may mean different things to different people in the world according to the context:

• 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. In parts of 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.^[1] Geopolitically, Mexico is not considered part of the region. In Central America itself Belize and Panama are often not considered to be in Central America.

• In English, Central America is considered a region of the North American continent.^[2] Geopolitically, it usually comprises seven countries – Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.^[3] Mexico, in whole or in part, is occasionally included.^[4] Some geographers include the five states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán,^[5] together representing 12.1% of the country's total area.
• 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.^[6]

See also

• Central American Parliament
• Ethnic groups in Central America
• North America
• South America
• Americas (terminology)
• Middle America
• Rail transport in Central America

References

• "Central America". The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2001-6. New York: Columbia University Press.
• "Central America". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
• "Central America". MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006.
• 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.