Portal:Central America

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The Central America Portal

Map of Central America

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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Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, sharing a maritime border with Ecuador to the south of Cocos Island. It has a population of around five million0 in a land area of nearly 51,180 km² (19,760 sq mi); the capital and largest city is San José, home to around 350,000 residents and two million people in the surrounding metropolitan area.

Humans have been present in Costa Rica since between 7,000 and 10,000 BC. Various indigenous peoples lived in the territory before it was colonized by Spain in the 16th century. Costa Rica was a peripheral colony of the Spanish Empire until independence in 1821 as part of the First Mexican Empire, followed by membership in the Federal Republic of Central America in 1823, from which it formally declared independence in 1847. The country underwent gradual modernization under relatively stable authoritarian rule until the late 19th century, when it promulgated a liberal constitution and held the first free and fair national election in Central America. (Full article...)

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Belize El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama Mesoamerica Potbelly sculpture El Salvador national football team Mayan languages Maya stelae Hurricane Gert Maya civilization Maya peoples Central American squirrel monkey Final Offensive of 1981 (El Salvador) Mantled howler Convict cichlid Spanish American wars of independence Honduran white bat

Did you know...

• ... that the Meléndez–Quiñónez dynasty held elections in El Salvador that "the entire country" knew were fraudulent?
• ... that the Electriquette was an electric wicker vehicle that could be rented at the 1915 Panama–California Exposition?
• ... that in August 2021 Sheika Scott became the youngest player to score in the Costa Rican Women's Premier Division, at just 14 years old?
• ... that goalkeeper Daniela Solera had the most touches of any Costa Rican player in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup?
• ... that a drawing of a dog was promoted by the president of El Salvador, caused an unaffiliated song to peak on the TikTok Billboard Top 50, and got its original creator doxxed?
• ... that Costa Rica's most famous bull killed two men and loved mangos?
• ... that Panamanian earth scientist Erika Podest uses remote sensing to see how climate change has affected global soil moisture?
• ... that the Nicaraguan nun Dorotea Wilson joined a guerrilla group, renounced her vows, and became a women's rights activist and politician?

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For editor resources and to collaborate with other editors on improving Wikipedia's Central America-related articles, see WikiProject Central America.

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General images

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

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  Image 1Xochicalco, Temple of the Feathered Serpent, 650–900 CE (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 2Countries and capitals of Central America (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 3Cultural areas of Mesoamerica (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 4Rigoberta Menchú, Human rights activist. K'iche'-Guatemalan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 5Nicarao community in Rivas, Nicaragua. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 6Illustration 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)
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  Image 7Anthropomorphic figure from the Proto-Lencan culture found at Los Naranjos, Honduras. An example of Mesomerican art during the preclassic Period. (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 8Nery Brenes Costa Rican Athlete (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 9Central America until 1860, showing the Kingdom of Mosquitia. (from History of Central America)
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  Image 10The Avenue of the Dead in Teotihuacan, an example of a Mesoamerican settlement planned according to concepts of directionality (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 11Pyramid of the Moon viewed from atop of the Pyramid of the Sun. (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 12Ritual human sacrifice portrayed in Codex Laud (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 13One 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)
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  Image 14The Aztec Empire in 1512 (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 15José 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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  Image 16Detail of the Nunnery Quadrangle at Uxmal, 10th century (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 17José 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)
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  Image 18Olmec Colossal Head No. 3 1200–900 BCE (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 19Art with ideological and political meaning: depiction of an Aztec tzompantli (skull-rack) from the Ramirez Codex (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 20Landscape of the Mesoamerican highlands (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 21"Head Variant" or "Patron Gods" glyphs for Maya days (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 22Young Costa Ricans in San José. (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 23Ballgame marker from the classic Lowland Maya site of Chinkultic, Mexico depicting a ballplayer in full gear (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 24Zapotec mask of the Bat God. (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 2520th century political map of Central America (from History of Central America)
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  Image 26Examples of the diversity of maize (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 27Mesoamerica is primarily situated in western and southern Mexico and Guatemala, above it is Aridoamerica and below is the Isthmo-Colombian Area (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 28Harry Shum, Jr Asian-Costa Rican – Glee Actor/Dancer (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 29Yojoa Lake in Honduras. (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 30A small ceremonial ballcourt at Tikal. (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 31Kʼinich Kan Bahlam II, the Classic period ruler of Palenque, as depicted on a stele (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 32Indigenous 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)
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  Image 33Berta Caceres, Lencan environmental activist. -Honduran (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 34The emblem glyph of Tikal (Mutal) (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 35Celebration of the Chinese year in Costa Rica (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 36El Mirador flourished from 600 BCE to 100 CE, and may have had a population of over 100,000. (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 37Mesoamerica and Central America in the 16th century before Spanish arrival ^{[according to whom?]} (from Mesoamerica)
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  Image 38Heroes of Central American Independence (from History of Central America)
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  Image 39Salvadoran School Children from Metapan (from Ethnic groups in Central America)
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  Image 40Flag of Central America (from History of Central America)
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  Image 41The 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)
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  Image 42Tikal 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)

In the news

15 October 2025 – Abortion in Costa Rica, Women's rights in Costa Rica

President Rodrigo Chaves Robles restricts abortion in Costa Rica only to cases where the life of the mother is at risk. (AP)

15 October 2025 –

Guatemalan president Bernardo Arévalo accepts the resignation of three top security officials following a jailbreak where 20 members of the Barrio 18 gang escaped from prison. (AP)

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)

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