Central America is the southern region of North America, beginning south of the Gulf of Mexico (the exact location is defined variously) and ending at the border between Panama and Colombia. In the most common definition, it consists of the nations between Mexico and Colombia:
It may also be defined geographically as a large isthmus and, in this sense, it includes the portion of Mexico east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec – namely the Mexican states of Campeche, Chiapas, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Yucatán. The UN subregion of Central America includes all mainland states of North America south of the United States, including Mexico, while the European Union sees the region as including Panama but excluding Belize and Mexico.
Geography
Central America thus has an area of about 540,000 km² (208,500 mi²), and a width between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea ranging from about 560 km to about 50 km (350 to 30 mi).
The geology of Central America is active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring from time to time. In 1931 and 1972 earthquakes devastated Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lavas have made it possible to sustain dense populations in the agriculturally productive highland areas. The Caribbean Plate is a tectonic plate upon which Central America rests.
The narrowest part of The Americas, Central America is the site of the Panama Canal as well as the proposed, but never-completed Nicaragua Canal.
History
- Main article: History of Central America
There was a nation of Central America in the early 19th century, consisting of the present day nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica (and a portion of the modern Mexican state of Chiapas). This was sometimes known as the United Provinces of Central America or the United States of Central America.
See also
External links
The content of this page is retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_America under GFDL
