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 woman in Guatemala wearing traditional dress

Maya (/ˈmaɪə/) are an ethnolinguistic group of Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical region. Today they inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and westernmost El Salvador, Honduras, and the northernmost Nicaragua.

"Maya" is a modern collective term for the peoples of the region; however, the term was not historically used by the Indigenous populations themselves. There was no common sense of identity or political unity among the distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups because they each had their own particular traditions, cultures and historical identity. (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 Central American squirrel monkey Final Offensive of 1981 (El Salvador) Mantled howler Convict cichlid Spanish American wars of independence Honduran white bat

Did you know...

... 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 Miles Rock served as chief of the commission that determined the disputed Guatemala–Mexico border?
... that the Central American government voted for annexation to the First Mexican Empire after a request from Regent Agustín de Iturbide?
... that footballer Alexandra Pinell scored the Costa Rica U20 team's only goal at the FIFA tournament hosted by their country?
... that El Salvador's only goal at a FIFA World Cup occurred during a 10–1 loss to Hungary?
... that in August 2021 Sheika Scott became the youngest player to score in the Costa Rican Women's Premier Division, at just 14 years old?
... that El Salvador was the first country to recognize Manchukuo, apart from Japan?
... that composer Gonzalo Brenes was a politician in the National Assembly of Panama and served for seven years as Panama's secretary of culture?

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General images

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

Image 1Illustration 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 2Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
Image 3Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 4Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 5Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 6Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
Image 7Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 8Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 9Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 10"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
Image 11The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)
Image 12Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
Image 13José 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 14Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 15Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
Image 16Cultural areas of Mesoamerica (from Mesoamerica)
Image 17One 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 18El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 19The 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 20Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
Image 21Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 22Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands (from Mesoamerica)
Image 23Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
Image 24The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
Image 2520th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 26Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
Image 27Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 28The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
Image 29Indigenous 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 30Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
Image 31Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 32Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 33Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 34Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 35Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 36Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 37Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival ^{[according to whom?]} (from Mesoamerica)
Image 38Tikal 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 39José 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 40A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 41Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)

In the news

12 July 2025 –: Five men are lynched after being accused of robbing damaged homes in the M_w 5.7 earthquake in Santa María de Jesús, Guatemala, earlier this week. (Al Jazeera)
9 July 2025 – 2025 Guatemala earthquakes: At least six people die when a M_w 5.7 earthquake strikes Guatemala and causes widespread damage. (ABC News)
28 June 2025 –: The United Kingdom Border Force seizes 2.4 metric tons of cocaine worth £96 million (US$132 million) from a ship from Panama, reportedly one of the country's largest drug busts. (AP)
21 June 2025 –: Panama declares a state of emergency in Bocas del Toro Province and temporarily suspends some constitutional rights amid a series of anti-government protests opposing a pension law that has left one person dead and injured at least 30 others, including several police officers. (Al Jazeera) (EFE) (Reuters)
6 June 2025 – Deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia: Kilmar Abrego Garcia returns to the United States, two months after being mistakenly deported to El Salvador and spending time at the CECOT prison. He now faces criminal charges in Tennessee for allegedly transporting undocumented migrants. (ABC News)

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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