Central America

Map of 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) $ 226.3 billion (purchasing power parity) (2006).
GDP per capita	$2,541 (exchange rate) (2006) $5,339(purchasing power parity) (2006).
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. 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.^[3][4] Most of Central America is considered to be part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot.^[5]

Physical geography

Central America and the Caribbean Plate.

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 three earthquakes devastated El Salvador, one in 1986 and two in 2001. 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 North or Central American entity.

History

Political Evolution of Central America and the Caribbean from 1700 to present

Map of the Republic of Central America

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. 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. The Republic lasted from 1823 to 1838, when it began to disintegrate due to civil wars.

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.
Countries

Countries part of the SICA

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.

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.

Foreign relations

Until recently all Central American countries have maintained diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of the People's Republic of China.^[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.^[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.^[9] Some geographers include the five states of Campeche, Chiapas, Tabasco, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán,^[8] 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.^[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.^[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

• "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.

External links

• Photos of Central America

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