América Central

"América Central, también llamada Centroamérica y América del Centro, es la región geográfica dentro del continente americano comprendida entre América del Norte y América del Sur. Está rodeada por el océano Pacífico y el océano Atlántico. Políticamente se divide en siete países independientes: Guatemala, Belice, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panamá. Desde el punto de vista histórico-cultural, algunos historiadores delimitan la región comprendida por los antiguos territorios de la Capitanía General de Guatemala, es decir, las actuales repúblicas de Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica. Su extensión territorial es de 522 760 km² y su población es de 44 671 601 aproximadamente. Mucho más densamente poblada que Australia. El canal de Panamá facilita la comunicación marítima entre el océano Atlántico y el océano Pacífico."

"Central America (Spanish: "América Central" or "Centroamérica") is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. Central America is bordered by Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Central America consists of seven countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The combined population of Central America is between 41,739,000 (2009 estimate) and 42,688,190 (2012 estimate). Central America is a part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot, which extends from northern Guatemala through central Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc, there is a great deal of seismic activity in the region. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur frequently; these natural disasters have resulted in the loss of many lives and much property. In the Pre-Columbian era, Central America was inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica to the north and west and the Isthmo-Colombian peoples to the south and east. Soon after Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas, the Spanish began to colonize the Americas. From 1609 until 1821, most of the territory within Central Americaexcept for the lands that would become Belize and Panamawas governed by the Viceroyalty of New Spain from Mexico City as the Captaincy General of Guatemala. After New Spain achieved independence from Spain in 1821 becoming the First Mexican Empire, the former Captaincy General remained annexed to it, but soon seceded from Mexico to form the Federal Republic of Central America, which lasted from 1823 to 1838. The seven states finally became independent autonomous nations, beginning with Nicaragua, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Guatemala (1838), followed by El Salvador (1841), then Panama (1903), and finally Belize (1981)."