Central America

For the ship, see SS Central America.

Central America is the central region of the Americas. It is traditionally considered to consist of the following countries:

Honduras

* The Panama Canal, a 77-kilometre bypass across the Isthmus of Panama, connects the Caribbean Sea (a mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean) to the Pacific. Though physiographically a transcontinental nation, all of Panama—including the segment east of the Panama Canal—is often considered a part of North America alone.

**The UN geoscheme includes Mexico in Central America (subregion) (defined as all mainland states of North America south of the United States) while the European Union excludes Belize and Mexico from its definition of the region.

History

There was a nation of Central America in the early 19th century, consisting of the present day nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica (and a portion of the modern Mexican state of Chiapas). This was sometimes known as the United Provinces of Central America or the United States of Central America.

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. Having an area of some 523,000 square kilometres, it includes the portion of Mexico east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec—namely the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Yucatán. The North Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, the Caribbean Sea lies to the northeast, and the Gulf of Mexico lies to the north. The countries of Central America had a combined total population 39,267,000 in 2006.

Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate. The region is geologically active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring from time to time. In 1931 and 1972 earthquakes devastated Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lavas have made it possible to sustain dense populations in the agriculturally productive highland areas.

Sources

"Central America". The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online. 2006. New York: Columbia University Press.

External links

Foundation for Self-Sufficiency in Central America

Americas | North America | Central America

Gourt Home::Gourt :: Central America

History

Physical geography

Sources

See also

External links