central america

Central America

Area 523,780 km²[1] Population 40,545,745 (2007 est.)[1] Density 77 per km² Countries 7 GDP $107.7 billion (exchange rate) (2006)

$ 226.3 billion (purchasing power parity) (2006). GDP per capita $2,541 (exchange rate) (2006)

$5,339 (purchasing power parity) (2006). Languages Spanish, English, Garifuna, Kriol, Mayan languages, European languages, and many others Time Zones UTC - 6:00, UTC - 5:00 Largest cities (2002) Tegucigalpa

Managua

Guatemala City

San Salvador

San Pedro Sula

Panama City

San José, Costa Rica

Santa Ana, El Salvador

León

San Miguel[2]

Central America (Spanish: Centroamérica or América Central) is a central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast.[3][4] Most of Central America is considered to be part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot.[5] Contents [hide] 1 Physical geography 2 Human geography 3 History 4 Central American integration 5 Foreign relations 6 Usage 7 See also 8 References 9 External links //

Physical geography Central America and the Caribbean Plate.

Physiographically, Central America is a very narrow isthmus of southern North America extending from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico southeastward to the Isthmus of Panama where it connects to the Colombian Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Alternatively, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt delimits the region on the north. Central America has an area of some 592,000 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.

Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate. The region is geologically active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring from time to time. Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in 1931 and 1972, and three earthquakes devastated El Salvador, one in 1986 and two in 2001. 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: Name of territory,

with flag Area

(km²)[1] Population

(July 2007 est.)[1] Population density

(per km²) Capital Official

language Belize &0000000000022966.00000022,966 &0000000000294385.000000294,385 &0000000000000013.00000013 Belmopan English Costa Rica &0000000000051100.00000051,100 &0000000004133884.0000004,133,884 &0000000000000081.00000081 San José Spanish El Salvador &0000000000021040.00000021,040 &0000000006948073.0000006,948,073 &0000000000000330.000000330 San Salvador Spanish Guatemala &0000000000108890.000000108,890 &0000000012728111.00000012,728,111 &0000000000000117.000000117 Guatemala City Spanish Honduras &0000000000112090.000000112,090