Portal:Central America

The Central America Portal

Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Within Central America is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage.

Most of Central America falls under the Isthmo-Colombian cultural area. Before the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas, hundreds of indigenous peoples made their homes in the area. From the year 1502 onwards, Spain began their colonization. From 1609 to 1821, the majority of Central American territories (except for what would become Belize and Panama and including the modern Mexican state of Chiapas) were governed by the viceroyalty of New Spain from Mexico City as the Captaincy General of Guatemala. On 24 August 1821, Spanish Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba, which established New Spain's independence and autonomy from mainland Spain. On 15 September, the Act of Independence of Central America was enacted to announce Central America's separation from the Spanish Empire. Some of New Spain's provinces in the Central American region were invaded and annexed to the First Mexican Empire; however in 1823 they seceded from Mexico to form the Federal Republic of Central America until 1838. (Full article...)

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Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, sharing a maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around five million0 in a land area of nearly 51,180 km² (19,760 sq mi); the capital and largest city is San José, home to around 350,000 residents and two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.

Humans have been present in Costa Rica since between 7,000 and 10,000 BC. Various indigenous peoples lived in the territory before it was colonized by Spain in the 16th century. Costa Rica was a peripheral colony of the Spanish Empire until independence in 1821 as part of the First Mexican Empire, followed by membership in the Federal Republic of Central America in 1823, from which it formally declared independence in 1847. The country underwent gradual modernization under relatively stable authoritarian rule until the late 19th century, when it promulgated a liberal constitution and held the first free and fair national election in Central America. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

... that Panamanian earth scientist Erika Podest uses remote sensing to see how climate change has affected global soil moisture?
... that Belize's Toledo Progressive Party was accused of being funded by the government of Guatemala?
... that El Salvador was the first country to recognize Manchukuo, apart from Japan?
... that the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador has a capacity of 40,000 inmates?
... that composer Gonzalo Brenes was a politician in the National Assembly of Panama and served for seven years as Panama's secretary of culture?
... that the Electriquette was an electric wicker vehicle that could be rented at the 1915 Panama–California Exposition?
... that Marcos G. McGrath, the Catholic archbishop of Panama, was allowed to enter Manuel Noriega's "witch house" and other residences, and found evidence of torture, devil worship, and voodoo?
... that several 19th-century presidential elections in El Salvador had candidates that ran virtually unopposed?

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General images

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Image 1The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
Image 2Mesoamerica is primarily situated in western and southern Mexico and Guatemala, above it is Aridoamerica and below is the Isthmo-Colombian Area (from Mesoamerica)
Image 3Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 4Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 520th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 6Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 7The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
Image 8Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites, urban centers, and tourist attractions of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 9José Matías Delgado y de León listed as the intellectual leader of the independence movement; Delgado was defined as influential, skillful, and intelligent, he started the revolutionary movements against the Spanish crown. (from History of Central America)
Image 10El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 11One of the earliest examples of the Mesoamerican writing systems, the Epi-Olmec script on the La Mojarra Stela 1 dated to around 150 CE. Mesoamerica is one of the five places in the world where writing has developed independently. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 12The xoloitzcuintle is one of the naguales of the god Quetzalcoatl. In this form, it helps the dead cross the Chicnahuapan, a river that separates the world of the living from the dead. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 13Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 14Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
Image 15Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
Image 16A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 17Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 18Illustration that recreates the structures of the archaeological site of Yarumela or El Chircal in Honduras, this place reflects the Olmec influence that existed in Central America in the pre-classic period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 19Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
Image 20Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 21Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
Image 22Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 23Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival (from Mesoamerica)
Image 24Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
Image 25Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 26José Matías Delgado At the time of signing the Central American act of independence, in a representation of the meeting of September 15, 1821 of the Chilean painter Luis Vergara Ahumada. (from History of Central America)
Image 27Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 28Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
Image 29Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 30Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 31Cultural areas of Mesoamerica (from Mesoamerica)
Image 32Indigenous Salvadoran women dancing in the traditional "Procession of Palms" a custom celebrated in the town of Panchimalco in El Salvador. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 33Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
Image 34Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
Image 35Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 36Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 37The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)
Image 38Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 39"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
Image 40Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 41Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 42Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)

In the news

13 February 2026 – 2027 Salvadoran legislative election: Milagro Navas, the mayor of La Libertad Este and El Salvador's only opposition-aligned mayor, announces that she will run for re-election in 2027. (El Mundo)
11 February 2026 – Economy of El Salvador: The Inter-American Development Bank announces that it will provide US$1.3 billion in financing to El Salvador in 2026, targeting housing and tourism. (Reuters)
8 February 2026 – Cuba–Nicaragua relations: Nicaragua terminates visa-free entry for Cubans, revoking a policy that previously allowed thousands to transit through the country on their way to the United States. (Reuters)
1 February 2026 – 2026 Costa Rican general election: Costa Ricans vote to elect the president and all 57 members of the Legislative Assembly. From a field of 20 candidates, Laura Fernández of the Sovereign People's Party (PPSO) wins the presidency with 48% of the vote. (BBC News)
29 January 2026 –: Panama's supreme court nullifies the concession held by CK Hutchison to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal ports at the Panama Canal as unconstitutional and orders the facilities to be retendered, following a lawsuit by the comptroller after an audit alleged irregularities. (Financial Times)
27 January 2026 – 2025 Honduran general election: Nasry Asfura is sworn in as President of Honduras, succeeding Xiomara Castro. (AFP via France 24)

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Central American volcanoes
Guatemala	Acatenango Agua Almolonga Atitlán Chicabal Cuilapa-Barbarena Fuego Jumay Moyuta Pacaya Santa María/Santiaguito San Pedro Santo Tomás Siete Orejas Tacaná Tajumulco Tecuamburro Tolimán
El Salvador	Chinameca Chingo Conchagua Izalco Santa Ana San Miguel San Salvador San Vicente Usulután
Nicaragua	Apoyeque Cerro Negro Concepción Cosigüina Maderas Masaya Mombacho Momotombo San Cristóbal Telica
Costa Rica	Arenal Irazú Miravalles Platanar Poás Rincón de la Vieja Tenorio Turrialba
Panama	Barú La Yeguada El Valle
Note: volcanoes are ordered from north-west to south-east.

Central American and Caribbean Games
Central American and Caribbean Games	1926 Mexico City 1930 Havana 1935 San Salvador 1938 Panama City 1946 Barranquilla 1950 Guatemala City 1954 Mexico City 1959 Caracas 1962 Kingston 1966 San Juan 1970 Panama City 1974 Santo Domingo 1978 Medellín 1982 Havana 1986 Santiago 1990 Mexico City 1993 Ponce 1998 Maracaibo 2002 San Salvador 2006 Cartagena 2010 Mayagüez 2014 Veracruz 2018 Baranquilla 2023 San Salvador 2026 Santo Domingo 2030 TBD
Central American and Caribbean Beach Games	2022 Santa Marta 2025 Puntarenas
Central American and Caribbean Junior Games	2024

Cuisine of Latin America and the Caribbean
Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Cuba Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica Puerto Rico Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sint Maarten Trinidad and Tobago
Central America	Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama
North America	Mexico
South America	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies not included. Semi-autonomous territories are in italics.

Culture of Latin America and the Caribbean
Caribbean	Antigua and Barbuda Aruba Bahamas Barbados Cuba Curaçao Dominica Dominican Republic Grenada Haiti Jamaica Puerto Rico Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Sint Maarten Trinidad and Tobago
Central America	Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama
North America	Mexico
South America	Argentina Bolivia Brazil Chile Colombia Ecuador French Guiana Guyana Paraguay Peru Suriname Uruguay Venezuela
Dependencies not included. Semi-autonomous territories are in italics.