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).
| Country | Highest mountain |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Boggy Peak (Antigua, 402 m asl) |
| Bahamas | Mount Alvernia (63 m above sea level) 2 |
| Barbados | Hillaby Mountain (340 m asl) |
| Belize | Doyle’s Delight (1,124 m asl) |
| Costa Rica | Cerro Chirripó (3,820 m asl) |
| Dominica | Morne Diablotin (1447 masl) |
| Dominican Republic | Pico Duarte (3,175 m asl) |
| El Salvador | El Pital (2,730 masl) |
| Grenada | St Catherine (841 masl) |
| Guatemala | Tajumulco (4,220 m asl) |
| Haiti | Pic de la Selle (2,680 m asl) |
| Honduras | Las Minas (2,865 masl) |
| Jamaica | Blue Mountain Peak (2,256 masl) |
| Canada | Mount Logan (6,050 m above sea level) |
| Cuba | Pico Real del Turquino (1974 masl) |
| Mexico | Pico de Orizaba (5,636 masl) |
| Nicaragua | Mogotón (2107 m asl) |
| Panama | Volcán Barú (3,475 m asl) |
| Saint Kitts & Nevis | Mount Liamuiga (on Saint Kitts, 1,156 m above sea level), Nevis Peak (on Nevis, 985 m above sea level) |
| Saint Lucia | Mount Gimie (950 masl) |
| St. Vincent & the Grenadines | La Soufrière (1234 m asl) |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Cerro del Aripo (940 m asl) |
| USA | Mount McKinley (Alaska, 6,198 masl) |
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.