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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.

In the pre-Columbian era, Central America was inhabited by the Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica to the north and west and the Isthmo-Colombian peoples to the south and east. Following the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus' voyages to the Americas, Spain began to colonize the Americas. 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 from Spain. On 15 September 1821, the Act of Independence of Central America was enacted to announce Central America's separation from the Spanish Empire and provide for the establishment of a new Central American state. Some of New Spain's provinces in the Central American region (i.e. what would become Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) were 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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The mantled howler (Alouatta palliata) is a species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, from Central and South America. It is one of the monkey species most often seen and heard in the wild in Central America. It takes its "mantled" name from the long guard hairs on its sides.

The mantled howler is one of the largest Central American monkeys, and males can weigh up to 9.8 kg (22 lb). It is the only Central American monkey that eats large quantities of leaves; it has several adaptations to this folivorous diet. Since leaves are difficult to digest and provide less energy than most foods, the mantled howler spends the majority of each day resting and sleeping. The male mantled howler has an enlarged hyoid bone, a hollow bone near the vocal cords, which amplifies the calls made by the male, and is the reason for the name "howler". Howling allows the monkeys to locate each other without expending energy on moving or risking physical confrontation. (Full article...)

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Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama Mesoamerica Potbelly sculpture El Salvador national football team Mayan languages Maya stelae Hurricane Gert Maya civilization Maya peoples Central American squirrel monkey Final Offensive of 1981 (El Salvador) Convict cichlid Spanish American wars of independence Honduran white bat

Did you know...

... that Alfredo Frohlich formed an award-winning collection of Panamanian postal history that included items from as early as 1777?
... that Swedish naval officer Axel Lagerbielke was imprisoned in Lima for over a year, held in Callao and eventually escaped from Panama on an English packet boat to Jamaica?
... that footballer Alexandra Pinell scored the Costa Rica U20 team's only goal at the FIFA tournament hosted by their country?
... that the 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company of the Panama Defense Forces was named after a tapir?
... that Panama cross-banded tree frog males synchronize their mating calls to confuse predators that locate them by sound?
... 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 the Corozal was the most powerful dredger ever built when she was launched in 1911 to work on the Panama Canal?

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General images

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

Image 1Tazumal (from Mesoamerica)
Image 2Tikal 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 3Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 4Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 5Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
Image 6The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
Image 7Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 8Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 9A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 10"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
Image 11Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 12Cihuatán (from Mesoamerica)
Image 13Casa Blanca (from Mesoamerica)
Image 14Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 15San Andres (from Mesoamerica)
Image 16Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 17Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 18El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 19The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
Image 20Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
Image 21Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 22Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
Image 23Illustration 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 24José 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 25Joya de Cerén (from Mesoamerica)
Image 26Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 27José 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 28Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
Image 29Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 30Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 31Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
Image 32Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (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 34Holy Spirit Grotto (from Mesoamerica)
Image 35Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 36Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival ^{[according to whom?]} (from Mesoamerica)
Image 37Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 38Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
Image 39Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands (from Mesoamerica)
Image 40Mesoamerica and its cultural areas (from Mesoamerica)
Image 41The 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 42Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 43Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
Image 44Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 4520th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 46One 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 47The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)

In the news

26 November 2024 –: Five people are killed and another is in critical condition when a Cessna 206 Stationair aircraft crashes into the Pico Blanco mountain near San José, Costa Rica. (DW) (The Tico Times)
22 November 2024 –: Nicaraguan lawmakers vote unanimously to approve a constitutional amendment that strengthens the political power of President Daniel Ortega and makes his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo "co-president". (Confidencial) (Al Jazeera)
17 November 2024 – 2024 Atlantic hurricane season: Tropical Storm Sara makes landfall in Belize after causing flooding in Honduras. (AP)

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v t e 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.

v t e 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