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'Central America'
Map of Central America
| Area | 522,000 km² |
|---|
| Population | 40,000,000 |
|---|
| Density | 77 per km² |
|---|
| Countries | 7 |
|---|
| GDP | $98,000 billion (exchange rate)
$ 214 billion (purchasing power parity) |
|---|
| GDP per capita | $2,250 (exchange rate)
$5,351(purchasing power parity) |
|---|
| Languages | Spanish, English, Garifuna, Kriol, Mayan languages, European languages, and many others |
|---|
| Time Zones | UTC - 6:00 |
|---|
| Largest Cities | Guatemala City
San Salvador
San José
Managua
Tegucigalpa
Panama City |
|---|
'Central America' (
Spanish: ''Centroamérica'' or ''América Central'') is a central
geographic region of the
Americas. It is variably defined either as the southern portion of
North America, which connects with
South America on the southeast, or a region of the Americas in its own right.
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:
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 sometimes regarded as a
transcontinental territory. 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). Only after independence from Colombia in 1903 did some begin to regard Panama as a strictly North American entity.
History
Main articles: 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.
Map of the Republic of Central America
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, then turns into 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
Until recently all Central American countries (excluding Costa Rica) maintain diplomatic relations with the
Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of the
People's Republic of China.
[1]. 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.
[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,
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, and Central America is considered a region of this continent. 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.
[5] 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.
★ 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
1. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China
2. "Central America." ''Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary''.
3. "Central America". ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
4. Burchfield, R. W. 2004. "America". ''Fowler's Modern English Usage'' (ISBN 0-19-861021-1) New York: Oxford University Press, p. 48.
5. Centroamérica (Mexican version)"/Centroamérica (Spaniard version). ''Encarta Online Encyclopedia.''
6. Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49). United Nations Statistics Division.
★ "
Central America". ''
The Columbia Encyclopedia'', 6th ed. 2001-6. New York: Columbia University Press.
★ "
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.
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