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 south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. 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 northern Guatemala to central 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 thisList of selected articles
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Did you know...
- ... that goalkeeper Daniela Solera had the most touches of any Costa Rican player in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup?
- ... that Victor Hugo Tinoco was a deputy in the National Assembly of Nicaragua, first for the Sandinista National Liberation Front, then for the opposition Sandinista Renovation Movement?
- ... that Alfredo Frohlich formed an award-winning collection of Panamanian postal history that included items from as early as 1777?
- ... that the February 28 Popular Leagues would seize foreign embassies in protest against the military junta in El Salvador?
- ... that the 7th Macho de Monte Infantry Company of the Panama Defense Forces was named after a tapir?
- ... that the Adelaide L. T. Douglas House, built for a New York City socialite, housed the United States Olympic Committee before being sold to Guatemala?
- ... 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 while Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Barrios was exiled from Nicaragua and living in Costa Rica in the 1980s, his sister Claudia was there as Nicaragua’s ambassador?
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General images
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El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
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José 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)
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Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in
- José 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
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Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)A small ceremonial ballcourt at
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Joya de Cerén (from Mesoamerica)
- Flag of Central America (from
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Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of anRamirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
- Young Costa Ricans in
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capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)Countries and
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San Andres (from Mesoamerica)
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maize (from Mesoamerica)Examples of the diversity of
- Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from
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Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at
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according to whom?] (from Mesoamerica)Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival [
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Cihuatán (from Mesoamerica)
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K'inich Kan B'alam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
- Indigenous Salvadoran women dancing in the traditional "Procession of Palms" a custom celebrated in the town of
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Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
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Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-
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Casa Blanca (from Mesoamerica)
- "Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from
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Thexoloitzcuintle 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)
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Holy Spirit Grotto (from Mesoamerica)
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Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
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emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)The
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Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
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Salvadoran School Children fromMetapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
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Yarumela or El Chircal in Honduras, this place reflects the Olmec influence that existed in Central America in the pre-classic period. (from Mesoamerica)Illustration that recreates the structures of the archaeological site of
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K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
- The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from
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Tikal 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)
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according to whom?] (from Mesoamerica)Mesoamerica and its cultural areas[
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Tazumal (from Mesoamerica)
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Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)The
- Central America until 1860, showing the
- Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from
- Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands (from
- 20th century political map of Central America (from
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One of the earliest examples of theEpi-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)
In the news
- 6 April 2024 – 2024 raid on the Mexican embassy in Ecuador
- Nicaragua suspends diplomatic relations with Ecuador following the raid on the Mexican embassy in Quito, Ecuador. (Al Arabiya)
- 24 March 2024 – Salvadoran gang crackdown
- Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele announces the beginning of a blockade of four municipalities in northern El Salvador, mobilizing 5,000 soldiers and 1,000 police officers to arrest suspected gang members. (El Mundo)
- 23 March 2024 – Red Sea crisis
- A Houthi missile hits Panamanian-flagged, Chinese-owned and operated oil tanker Huang Pu. It suffers minimal damage and a fire on board is quickly extinguished. No casualties are reported, and the vessel resumes its course. (X) (Newsweek) (Marine Log)
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