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' 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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Mayan city-states that have existed in Mesoamerica

The Maya civilization (/ˈmaɪə/) was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writing system in the pre-Columbian Americas. The civilization is also noted for its art, architecture, mathematics, calendar, and astronomical system.

The Maya civilization developed in the Maya Region, an area that today comprises southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador. It includes the northern lowlands of the Yucatán Peninsula and the Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre, the Mexican state of Chiapas, southern Guatemala, El Salvador, and the southern lowlands of the Pacific littoral plain. Today, their descendants, known collectively as the Maya, number well over 6 million individuals, speak more than twenty-eight surviving Mayan languages, and reside in nearly the same area as their ancestors. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

... that El Salvador was the first country to recognize Manchukuo, apart from Japan?
... that Miles Rock served as chief of the commission that determined the disputed Guatemala–Mexico border?
... that several 19th-century presidential elections in El Salvador had candidates that ran virtually unopposed?
... that one of the blue stripes on the flag of El Salvador represents the Atlantic Ocean, despite the country not having a coastline on it?
... that the Nicaraguan nun Dorotea Wilson joined a guerrilla group, renounced her vows, and became a women's rights activist and politician?
... that the German Empire dispatched six warships to Nicaragua after a marriage dispute led to a shooting and Germany's consul being arrested?
... 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 Panamanian earth scientist Erika Podest uses remote sensing to see how climate change has affected global soil moisture?

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General images

The following are images from various Central America-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands (from Mesoamerica)
Image 2Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 3The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
Image 4Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
Image 5Cultural areas of Mesoamerica (from Mesoamerica)
Image 6The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
Image 7Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 8Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
Image 9Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 10Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 11Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 12El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 13Illustration 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 14Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival (from Mesoamerica)
Image 15Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
Image 16Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 17Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 18Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 19Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 20Mesoamerica is primarily situated in western and southern Mexico and Guatemala, above it is Aridoamerica and below is the Isthmo-Colombian Area (from Mesoamerica)
Image 21Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
Image 22Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 23José 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 24Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 25Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
Image 26"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
Image 27Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
Image 28Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
Image 29One 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 30Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 31José 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 32A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 33Indigenous 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 34Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
Image 35Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 36Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 37The 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 38Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 39The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)
Image 40Tikal 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 4120th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 42Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)

In the news

16 December 2025 – 2025 Honduran general election: Honduran president Xiomara Castro announces that she will denounce an alleged "electoral coup" to the European Union, the Organization of American States, and the United Nations, accusing U.S. president Donald Trump of "interference". (The Guardian) (Reuters)
14 December 2025 – Crime in Guatemala: Guatemalan president Bernardo Arévalo declares a state of emergency in two municipalities in western Guatemala a day after gunmen attacked a military post and a police station, cut off roads, and hijacked buses, killing at least five people. (CityNews Halifax)
10 December 2025 – 2025 Honduran general election: Supporters of the ruling Liberty and Refoundation party hold protests across Honduras, demanding the results of the presidential election to be annulled after prolonged delays in the vote count and allegations of fraud, and calling for a rerun of the election. (AAP via The Canberra Times)
9 December 2025 – 2025 Honduran general election: Honduran president Xiomara Castro denounces the manipulation of the election results, which are still being counted, and accuses U.S. president Donald Trump of interference. (AFP via France 24)
8 December 2025 –: The Honduran attorney general issues an international arrest warrant for former president Juan Orlando Hernández, whom U.S. president Donald Trump recently pardoned after serving part of a 45-year sentence for drug trafficking. (Reuters)
8 December 2025 – 2025 Honduran general election: The Honduran electoral council resumes releasing updated presidential election results following an extended pause to conduct technical reviews and address inconsistencies in tally sheets, with the latest count showing National Party candidate Nasry Asfura narrowly ahead. (Reuters)

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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.