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Central America,
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Central America is the central
geographic region of the
Americas. It is variably defined either as being a region of the
Americas in its own right or as the southern portion of
North America.
Physical geography
Physiographically, Central America is a narrow
isthmus of southern North America extending from the
Isthmus of Tehuantepec in
Mexico southeastward to the
Isthmus of Panama where it connects to the
Colombian
Pacific Lowlands in northwestern
South America. Central America has an area of some 523,000
square kilometres. The
Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, the
Caribbean Sea lies to the northeast, and the
Gulf of Mexico lies to the north.
thumb|right|Central America and the [Caribbean Plate.] Most of Central America rests atop the
Caribbean Plate. The region is geologically 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.
Human geography
Geopolitically, Central America has traditionally consisted of the following countries:
*
Belize*
Costa Rica*
El Salvador*
Guatemala*
Honduras*
Nicaragua*
Panama *
According to the above definition, Central America had a combined total population 39,267,000 in 2006, though definitions in Central America itself exclude Panama and Belize from Central America .
Mexico is sometimes included in Central America under certain definitions
[Burchfield, R. W. 2004. "America". Fowler's Modern English Usage. (ISBN 0198610211) New York: Oxford University Press, p. 48.], e.g. the
UN geoscheme includes it in Central America (defined as all mainland states of North America south of the
United States) while most other definitions do not. In contrast the
European Union excludes Belize and Mexico from its definition of the region.
* The Panama Canal, a 77-kilometre bypass across the Isthmus of Panama, connects the Caribbean Sea (a mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean) to the Pacific. Though physiographically a transcontinental nation, all of Panama—including the segment east of the Panama Canal—is often considered a part of North America alone. History
main|History of Central
There was a nation of
Central America in the early
19th century, consisting of the present day nations of Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica (which included a region which is nowadays part of Panama), and a portion of the modern Mexican state of Chiapas. This was sometimes known as the
United Provinces of Central America or the
Federal Republic of Central America.
See also
*
Central American Parliament*
North America*
South America*
Americas (terminology)*
Middle America*
Amputee Soccer Championship, Central AmericaReferences
* "
http://www.bartleby.com/65/ce/CentrAm.html Central America".
http://www.bartleby.com/65/ The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. 2001-6. New York: Columbia University Press.
* "
http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360160 Central America".
Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
* "
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761574502/Central_America.html Central America".
MSN Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2006.*
http://www.bartleby.com/61/8/C0200800.html American Heritage Dictionaries, Central America.
*
http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=central+america WordNet Princeton University: Central America* "Central America".
http://www.columbiagazetteer.org/ The Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online. 2006. New York: Columbia University Press.
Regions of the
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