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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The Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii), also known as the red-backed squirrel monkey, is a squirrel monkey species from the Pacific coast of Costa Rica and Panama. It is restricted to the northwestern tip of Panama near the border with Costa Rica, and the central and southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, primarily in Manuel Antonio and Corcovado National Parks.

It is a small monkey with an orange back and a distinctive white and black facial mask. It has an omnivorous diet, eating fruits, other plant materials, invertebrates and some small vertebrates. In turn, it has a number of predators, including raptors, cats and snakes. It lives in large groups that typically contain between 20 and 75 monkeys. It has one of the most egalitarian social structures of all monkeys. Females do not form dominance hierarchies, and males do so only at breeding season. Females become sexually mature at 2+1⁄2 years, and males at 4 to 5 years. Sexually mature females leave the natal group, but males can remain with their natal group their entire life. The Central American squirrel monkey can live for more than 15 years. (Full article...)

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Did you know...

... that footballer Alexandra Pinell scored the Costa Rica U20 team's only goal at the FIFA tournament hosted by their country?
... 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 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 German Empire dispatched six warships to Nicaragua after a marriage dispute led to a shooting and Germany's consul being arrested?
... that the Nicaraguan nun Dorotea Wilson joined a guerrilla group, renounced her vows, and became a women's rights activist and politician?
... that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador in March 2025 due to an "administrative error" by the U.S. government?
... that both El Salvador and Honduras claim to be the country of origin of the pupusa?

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General images

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

Image 1A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 2Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
Image 3Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival ^{[according to whom?]} (from Mesoamerica)
Image 4Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands (from Mesoamerica)
Image 5Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
Image 6El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 7Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
Image 8Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
Image 9José 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 1020th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 11Cultural areas of Mesoamerica (from Mesoamerica)
Image 12Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 13The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
Image 14Tikal 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 15Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 16Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 17Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 18Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 19"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
Image 20Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 21The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)
Image 22Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 23Mesoamerica is primarily situated in western and southern Mexico and Guatemala, above it is Aridoamerica and below is the Isthmo-Colombian Area (from Mesoamerica)
Image 24Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
Image 25Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 26Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 27Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
Image 28Illustration 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 29Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 30Indigenous 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 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 32One 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 33The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
Image 34The 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 35Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 36Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 37Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
Image 38Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
Image 39Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 40Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 41Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 42Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)

In the news

7 October 2025 –: The Supreme Electoral Court of Costa Rica requests the National Assembly to strip president Rodrigo Chaves Robles of immunity so that he can be prosecuted for corruption charges. (AP)
2 October 2025 – Foreign relations of Nicaragua, Foreign relations of Ukraine, International recognition of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic: Ukraine breaks off diplomatic relations with Nicaragua over the latter's recognition of Russian-occupied territories in the country. (Priamyi)
24 September 2025 –: Costa Rica closes its airspace for at least five hours after a power outage disables radar systems and disrupts hundreds of flights, before reopening after systems were restored. (Reuters)
22 September 2025 –: Costa Rican president Rodrigo Chaves Robles survives a congressional vote to lift his immunity, falling short of the required majority, after prosecutors accused him of abuse of power in a corruption case. (AFP/BSS)
12 September 2025 –: Costa Rican police arrest four suspects in the killing of exiled Nicaraguan former military officer Roberto Samcam near San José in June. (Reuters)
31 August 2025 – Deportation in the second Trump administration: United States judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan of the District of Columbia issues an injunction halting the deportation of Guatemalan unaccompanied minors after advocacy groups filed an emergency appeal against the Trump administration's plan to repatriate them. (Reuters)

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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

v t e 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.

v t e 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.