Central America
"Central America" is the collective name for the Central American mainland
bridge between North and South America and the Caribbean or West Indies.
Geography
The Central American continental mass includes the states of Belize, Costa
Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama and is to the north
by the Gulf of Mexico, to the southwest by the Pacific, to the northwest by the
isthmus of Tehuantepec and in the southeast by the Panamanian Colombian border
is limited. Furthermore, the West Indian island world can be counted as Central
America. The West Indies lie between the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea and
the Atlantic Ocean; consisting of the Greater and Lesser Antilles,
the Bahamas and Trinidad and Tobago.
Geologically and geographically, Central America can be counted as North
America; Since Spanish is spoken on the Central American mainland bridge (with
the exception of Belize), Central America is often
culturally seen as belonging to South America. Mexico is often culturally
classified as Central America.
Most of the Central American land bridge and the Caribbean islands are
mountainous (some are volcanic). There are three climatic levels: Tierra
caliente (hot country, up to about 600 m), Tierra templada (moderately warm
country, up to 1800 m) and Tierra fria (cold country).
Population
The original population of mainland Central America has been preserved, while
the original population of the islands has been almost completely eradicated. On
the mainland of Central America there are mostly mixed breeds, besides blacks
and Europeans, on the islands the descendants of African slaves dominate. The
composition of the population varies greatly in some cases. The main crops and
exports are coffee, coconuts and bananas.
Due to the varied colonial history, English, French, Dutch and Spanish are
spoken on the West Indies. There are also various Creole languages.
COUNTRIES OF AMERICA
The countries of America are located between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.
Quite different from each other, these nations have enormous cultural wealth and
economic influence.
American countries are nations whose territories are located
on the American continent. Together, these countries constitute an enormous
cultural wealth, each with its own particularities.
In America we can find very populous countries, as well as countries with low
population density, countries that have severe winters and others that live with
high temperatures almost all year round, countries that have highly developed
economies and those that are still developing.
According to
Countryaah,
the countries of America are divided into three subcontinents:
- North America
- South America
- Central America
How many countries are in America?
The American continent has 36 countries and some
dependent or autonomous territories, belonging to other countries that
are not located in America, such as Greenland (region of the Kingdom of Denmark)
and the Malvinas Islands (British overseas territory). These 36 countries are
distributed in the American subcontinents as follows:
- North America: 3 countries
- Central America: 20 countries
- South America: 13 countries
List of Central American countries and their capitals
| Countries |
Capital |
Continent |
| Antigua and Barbuda |
Saint John's |
Central America |
| Bahamas |
Nassau |
Central America |
| Barbados |
Bridgetown |
Central America |
| Belize |
Belmopan |
Central America |
| Costa Rica |
San Jose |
Central America |
| Cuba |
Havana |
Central America |
| Dominica |
Roseau |
Central America |
| El Salvador |
Salvador |
Central America |
| Grenade |
Saint George's |
Central America |
| Guatemala |
Guatemala City |
Central America |
| Haiti |
Port Prince |
Central America |
| Honduras |
Tegucigalpa |
Central America |
| Jamaica |
Kingston |
Central America |
| Nicaragua |
Managua |
Central America |
| Panama |
Panama City |
Central America |
| Dominican Republic |
Santo Domingo |
Central America |
| Saint Lucia |
Castries |
Central America |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis |
Basseterre |
Central America |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
Kingstown |
Central America |
| Trinidad and Tobago |
Porto Spain |
Central America |
→ Most developed and least developed countries in Central America
The largest economy in Central America and the Caribbean (a
subcontinent region formed by islands surrounded by the Caribbean Sea)
corresponds to the Dominican Republic, according to the World
Bank. With a total GDP of approximately US $ 98.7 billion, the country is
considered the most visited destination in the Caribbean, with tourism
being one of the major drivers of its economy. This is based on
agriculture (whose products are exported) and the second and third sectors (
mining , services and trade).
Although Central America has the Dominican Republic with a rapidly rising
economy, it is in this subcontinent that one of the poorest countries in
America is found, still considered underdeveloped: Haiti.
The country deals with political instabilities, marked by
successions of dictatorships and democratic regimes, and also with several
natural disasters, which devastated its territory.
Haiti's harsh reality shows that more than half of the country lives below
the poverty line. Health and safety issues have deficits, as the government is
unable to serve the population efficiently. |
