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, and also sometimes includes Mexico. 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's 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/ MY-ə, Spanish: [ˈmaʝa]) 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, and Honduras.

"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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Did you know...

... that the 1854 San Salvador earthquake damaged San Salvador so severely that the government of El Salvador relocated to Cojutepeque for four years?
... 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?
... that the Federation of Central America, declared to be "perpetual and indissoluble", collapsed after less than one year?
... that Alfonso Quiñónez Molina suddenly becoming President of El Salvador before the 1919 election was described as a "mixed blessing"?
... that Panamanian earth scientist Erika Podest uses remote sensing to see how climate change has affected global soil moisture?
... that the German Empire dispatched six warships to Nicaragua after a marriage dispute led to a shooting and Germany's consul being arrested?
... 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?

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General images

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

Image 1Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
Image 2The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
Image 3The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)
Image 4Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
Image 5Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 6Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 7Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 8Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 9The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
Image 10Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 11The 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 12Mesoamerica is primarily situated in western and southern Mexico and Guatemala, above it is Aridoamerica and below is the Isthmo-Colombian Area (from Mesoamerica)
Image 13Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
Image 14Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
Image 15One 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 16A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 17Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 18Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival ^{[according to whom?]} (from Mesoamerica)
Image 19Historical map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 20Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 21Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 22José 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 23Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
Image 24Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
Image 25Cultural areas of Mesoamerica (from Mesoamerica)
Image 26"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
Image 27Tikal 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 28Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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 30Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 31Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
Image 32Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 33Illustration 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 34Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 3520th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
Image 36Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 37El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 38Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
Image 39Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
Image 40José 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 41Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
Image 42Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
Image 43Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)