Physical Features:



Physical Features:

Belize (formerly British Honduras until the name of the country was changed in 1973) lies on the eastern or Caribbean coast of Central America, bounded on the north and part of the west by Mexico, and on the south and the remainder of the west by Guatemala. The inner coastal waters are shallow and are sheltered by a line of coral reefs, dotted with islets called 'cayes', extending almost the entire length of the country.

There is a low coastal plain, much of it covered with mangrove swamp, but the land rises gradually towards the interior. The Maya Mountains and the Cockscomb Range form the backbone of the southern half of the country, the highest point being Doyle's Delight (1124 meters above sea level) in the Cockscomb Range. The Cayo District in the west includes the Mountain Pine Ridge, ranging from 305 to around 914 metres above sea level. The northern districts contain considerable areas of tableland. There are many rivers, some of them navigable for short distances by shallow-draught vessels. A large part of the mainland is forest. | |

|Today Belize's population is estimated to be at approximately 273,700. The country is a melting pot of many races and over the years the muliti-racial make-up has risen |

|through the influx of many people of Central America, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. Males outnumber the female population only by 1%. |

|The population census shows that the main ethnic groups: Mestizo, Creole, Ketchi, Yucatec and Mopan Mayas, Garifuna and East Indian maintains a large percent of Belize's |

|population. Other ethnic groups: German and Dutch Mennonites, Chinese, Arabs and Africans accounts for a small percentage of the population. The ethnic groups, however, are|

|heavily intermixed. |

|Languages: |

|English is the official language of Belize. However, English Creole is widely spoken and remains a distinctive part of everyday conversations for most Belizeans. Spanish is|

|also common and is taught in primary and secondary schools in order to further develop bi-lingualism. |

|Spanish is spoken as a mother tongue by the majority of the people in the Orange Walk and Corozal Districts, north of Belize and the Cayo District in the west, In the |

|southern Districts: Stann Creek and Toledo, there are people whose first language is Garifuna or Maya. |

|Capital: |

|Belmopan is the capital of the country. Built in 1970, it is the seat of Government and has been classified as the Garden City of the country. It was created following |

|extensive damage to the former capital Belize City, caused by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Belmopan is geographically located at the centre of the country, some 80 kilometers |

|to the south-west of Belize City on higher ground. It serves as a hurricane refuge for Belizeans and has the largest number of hurricane shelters in the country. Its |

|population today is estimated at 11,100 and is increasing as more people relocate to the Capital. However, Belize City still remains the hub of commercial activity and one |

|of the most urbanized centers of Belize with a population of 58,000 people. |

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• Facts about Guatemala:

• Geography

Guatemala is a country of volcanoes, mountains, and beaches on the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. From the Cuchamatán Mountains in the western highlands, to the coastlines on the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, this small country is marked by contrasts. Three of Guatemala's 30 volcanoes are still active.

• Pacaya volcano located near Guatemala City is the most active volcano. Lake Atitlan formed when a volcano exploded over 84,000 years ago and collapsed to form a caldera. The lake is the deepest lake in Central America and is believed to be 900 feet (300 meters) deep and covers 48 square miles (125 square kilometers).

• Only slightly larger than the U.S. state of Tennessee, Guatemala is a mountainous country with one-third of the population living in cool highland villages. The coastal lowlands are warm and humid. The country is bordered by Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize.

• Nature

High in the mountains in the misty cloud forests lives the colorful quetzal bird. In the bright sunshine, both the male and female quetzal bird have vibrant green, white, and red feathers, but only the male has the fabulous long tail that can measure 3 feet (1 meter) long.

• The ancient Maya people believed that the quetzal bird was the living form of the god Quetzalcoatl. Today the rare bird is listed as endangered due to destruction of tropical rain forests.

• The cloud forest mist provides a water source to air plants known as bromelids which cling to tree trunks. The forest floor is also home to orchids, ferns, and mosses.

• The lowland Petén region in the northeastern part of the country is home to many plants and animals including, jaguars, tapirs, monkeys, mule deer, and the ocelot.

• History

Archaeologists believe that the earliest settlers to Guatemala crossed the Bering Strait from Asia 14,000 years ago and evidence of human settlements date to around 9000 B.C. People began to farm and form villages around 1000 B.C. and some of them became the Maya who dominated Guatemala history from A.D. 250 to 900.

• The Maya temple at Tikal was built over 1,300 years ago as a tomb to honor the Maya ruler, Ah Cacaw. Tikal, once an expansive city and home to 100,000 people, began to decline in A.D. 850, and was abandoned about 50 years later. The ruins were not discovered until 1695.

• In the 16th century, the Spanish invaded and fought the largest remaining group called the Quiché. The Quiché were overpowered and forced to work on vast estates in the newly established colony of New Spain. In 1821, Guatemala claimed independence from Spain.

• People and Culture

The Maya civilization was very advanced in math and astronomy. The Maya probably developed the concept of zero and left written records using hieroglyphics and whole words.

• While historians are not sure why the Maya Empire collapsed, the Maya society began to shrink in the 10th century and split into separate groups. They may have suffered from overpopulation and the effects of drought.

• Maya women continue to weave brightly colored cloth and fashion the same traje, or suit, that their ancestors wore. More than half of the population is indigenous. The largest of the 20 Maya groups, the Quiché, live near the city of Quetzaltenango, called Xela (SHEH-la) by the locals.

• Many believe that the name Guatemala comes from the Maya word Guhatezmalh, that described the volcano near the old capital in Antiqua, the "Mountain That Vomits Water." Today the volcano is simply called the Volcan de Agua, "Volcano of Water."

• Government

Guatemala's economy boomed in the 1870s thanks to coffee exports. Wealthy landowners pushed Maya communities off their land to make way for more coffee plantations.

• Decades of civil war and repression of the indigenous people killed hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans in the 20th century. In 1996, a new president, Alvaro Arzu, signed a peace agreement with rebels and ended the 36-year civil war.

• A new constitution in 1986 established three branches of government. The president serves for only one term and is assisted by a vice president and the Council of Ministers. New laws are passed by Congress. President Alvaro Colom Caballeros was sworn in January 2008.

• Fast Facts

Official Name: Republic of Guatemala

Form of Government: Democratic Republic

Capital: Guatemala City

Population: 13,677,000

• Official Language: Spanish

Monetary unit: Quetzal

Guatemala is the world's leading producer of jade from the mineral jadeite. The Maya often buried rulers with jade items and jade masks.

• Today there are 23 ethnic groups. While Spanish is the official language many different Mayan languages are spoken in Guatemala.

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• Facts about Costa Rica:

• Geography

Costa Rica is small country in Central America. It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. The Caribbean Sea is to the east and the Pacific Ocean is to the west. Costa Rica is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia.

• There are two major mountain ranges in the country: the Cordillera Volcanica and the Cordillera de Talamanca. As in many other Central American countries, Costa Rica suffers from occasional volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

• Nature

Costa Rica is committed to preserving the beauty and diversity of the country through the development of national parks. One fifth of the country is covered in forests.

• The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is the largest cloud forest in Central America. Costa Rica is home to over 2,000 species of trees and 9,000 different kinds of flowering plants.

• Tropical dry forests remain dry until the rainy season begins in April or May. These forests burst into bloom when the rains arrive. The tropical rain forests are humid and hot year-round. The heavy rains encourage thick plant growth from the treetop canopy to the forest floor, including fungi, molds, ferns, and vines. Palm trees and mangroves are prevalent along the coastal areas.

• There are over 200 species of reptiles, the majority of which are snakes. There are many brightly colored toads and frogs, including the poison arrow frog. The country is also home to hundreds of mammals including bats, and insects, such as vibrant butterflies and leaf-cutter ants.

• Birdwatchers may get a glimpse of the endangered colorful quetzal bird, blue-footed boobies, scarlet macaw, and toucans. The national flower is the orchid. There are over 1,200 species of orchids in Costa Rica.

• History

The Spanish came to Costa Rica and colonized the area in 1561. It was a Spanish colony for about 250 years. In 1821, Costa Rica declared independence from Spain, jointly with several other Central American countries. Women and people of African descent gained the right to vote in 1949.

• People and Culture

Family is very important in Costa Rica. Children often live with their families until they are married. Leisure is treasured above work in Costa Rica. While work is necessary to earn a living, Ticos, as Costa Ricans call themselves, believe people should enjoy their lives.

• Indigenous languages are spoken in communities such as the Bribri, the language of the people of the Talamanca region. And English is often spoken as a second language.

There are many festivals and holidays around religious events, including Holy Week and Christmas.

• Futbol, or soccer, is by far the most popular sport in Costa Rica. Even small towns have a soccer team.

• Government

Every four years, Costa Ricans elect a president, vice president and members of the Legislative Assembly. There are three branches of government: Executive, legislative, and judicial. A woman, President Laura Chinchilla Miranda, was elected president in May 2010.

• Fast Facts

Official Name: Republic of Costa Rica

Form of Government: Democratic Republic

Capital: San José

• Population: 4,516,220

Official Language: Spanish, English

Monetary unit: Costa Rican colon

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• Facts about Panama:

• Geography

This Central American country is bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia, and is situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean. Panama is a narrow land bridge, or isthmus, connecting North and South America. Panama is slightly smaller than South Carolina.

• Nature

The country is very diverse with mountains, rain forests, beautiful white-sand beaches, and 1,500 islands. Darién Gap, from Panama City to Colombia, has about 12 million acres of rain forest, yet few Panamanians or tourists ever visit the area, which is only accessible by boat.

• This remote nature preserve is threatened by development and the proposed extension of the Pan-American Highway through this region.

• The national flower is a white orchid called the Flor del Espiritu Santo, or Flower of the Holy Spirit. There are over 1,400 tree species, including the square tree, which has a square shaped trunk and is found in the mountains west of Panama City.

• Panama is home to many unique animals that are found only in Panama. The mysterious golden frogs have gleaming, shimmering skin and are thought to bring people good luck. The numbers of golden frogs is declining and so are the numbers of sea turtles.

• For thousands of years, migrating sea turtles have nested in Panama, but pollution, loss of habitat, and hunting of turtles and their eggs have reduced their populations.

• History

Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined with Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela to form the Republic of Gran Colombia. When this republic dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia.

• With U.S. backing, Panama split from Colombia in 1903 and signed a treaty, which allowed the U.S. to control a strip of land on either side of a new canal.

• The Panama Canal, built by the United States after Panama's independence from Colombia in 1903, joins the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The canal was built by 75,000 workers between 1904 and 1914 and allows boats to sail between the two oceans without having to go all the way around the South American continent.

• In 1999, Panama assumed full control of the Panama Canal.

In 1989 U.S. troops overthrew the country’s leader Gen. Manuel Noriega after he was found to be involved in drug trafficking. Panama's first woman president, Mireya Moscoso, was elected at that time.

• People and Culture

Most Panamanians are descended from indigenous, or native, people, Europeans, Afro-Caribbeans, and immigrants from all over the world.

The three largest indigenous groups in Panama are the Kunas, Emberás, and Ngöbe-Buglés and they still live in the remote areas of the country.

• They have their own dialects and customs and most of them also speak Spanish.

The national traditional dress for women is a long, full white cotton dress decorated with colorful embroidery called a pollera. Men wear a traditional montuno, which is a white cotton shirt with embroidery and short pants.

• Family is very important in Panama. Children attend school from ages 7 to 15. Most of Panama’s national holidays are religious occasions.

Panama’s agricultural products are bananas, rice, corn, beans, and coffee. Panamanians eat rice with most of their meals. They also eat corn tortillas with meat and vegetables.

• Government

Under the constitution, there are three branches of government, including the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Panamanians elect a president and a vice president every five years. The president picks a cabinet of ministers.

• After years of government corruption, Panama instituted many laws to focus on human rights, and to make the government more transparent to its citizens.

• Fast Facts

Official Name: Republic of Panama

Form of Government: Constitutional democracy

Capital: Panama City

• Population: 3,410,676 (estimate)

Official Language: Spanish, English

Monetary unit: Balboa, U.S. dollar

El Salvador

El Salvador (el sälvä&thstrok;ōr') [key], officially Republic of El Salvador, republic (2005 est. pop. 6,705,000), 8,260 sq mi (21,393 sq km), Central America. The country is bounded on the south by the Pacific Ocean, on the west by Guatemala, and on the north and east by Honduras. The capital and largest city is San Salvador.

Two volcanic ranges, running roughly west to east, segment the country, but in between are broad, fertile valleys, such as that of the Lempa, the principal river. There are several fairly large lakes. El Salvador is the smallest Latin American republic and the most densely populated; overpopulation is a critical problem. The vast majority of the population is of mixed indigenous and European descent. Spanish is the official language. Roman Catholicism the dominant religion, but there is a growing minority who belong to evangelical Protestant churches.

El Salvador's economy has traditionally been agricultural, but services and industry now employ a greater percentage of the workforce and account for a much higher percentage of the gross domestic product. El Salvador's economy was adversely affected by its 12-year civil war. Beginning in the early 1990s, however, attempts were made to revive the country's economic life, and the economy had recovered by the beginning of 2001, when El Salvador adopted the U.S. dollar as its official currency.

About half of the land is used for either crops or pasturage. Corn is the chief subsistence crop, and rice, beans, oilseeds, and sorghum are also grown; coffee and sugar are the major cash crops. Food and beverage processing is important and petroleum, chemicals, fertilizer, textiles, furniture, and light metals are among El Salvador's leading manufactures. The Inter-American Highway crosses El Salvador and forms the heart of an excellent transportation system that links San Salvador with the ports of La Unión, Acajutla, and La Libertad and the inland cities of San Miguel and Santa Ana.

Offshore assembly products, coffee, sugar, shrimp, textiles, and chemicals are El Salvador's main exports. The leading imports are raw materials, consumer and capital goods, fuel, food, petroleum, and electricity. The United States is by far the largest trading partner.

El Salvador is governed under the constitution of 1983. The president, who is both head of state and head of government, is popularly elected for a five-year term and may not succeed himself. The members of the 84-seat unicameral Legislative Assembly are elected for three-year terms. The principal parties are the National Republican Alliance (ARENA), the Christian Democratic party (PDC), and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). The country is divided administratively into 14 departments

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, El Salvador was inhabited by the Pipils, descendants of the Aztecs and the Toltecs of Mexico, who had arrived in the 12th cent. In 1524 Pedro de Alvarado landed and began a series of campaigns that resulted in Spanish control. With independence from Spain in 1821, it became briefly a part of the Mexican Empire of Augustín de Iturbide, and after the empire collapsed (1823) El Salvador joined the Central American Federation. El Salvador protested the dominance of Guatemala and under Francisco Morazán succeeded in having the federal capital transferred (1831) to San Salvador. After the dissolution of the federation (1839), the republic was plagued by frequent interference from the dictators of neighboring countries, notably Rafael Carrera and Justo Rufino Barrios of Guatemala and José Santos Zelaya of Nicaragua.

The primacy of coffee cultivation in the economy began in the second half of the 19th cent. Intense cultivation led to the predominance of landed proprietors, and the economy became vulnerable to fluctuations in the world market price for coffee. In 1931, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, capitalizing on discontent caused by the collapse of coffee prices, led a coup. His dictatorship lasted until 1944, after which there was chronic political unrest.

Honduras

Honduras is a small country located in Central America. Its capital is Tegucigalpa. It is bordered by Nicaragua, Belize, Guatemala, and El Salvador. To the north of Honduras is the Caribbean Sea, and to the northwest is the Gulf of Honduras. To the south, it is bordered by the North Pacific Ocean.

History

A millennium ago, Honduras was populated by the Mayan people when in 1509 Christopher Columbus explored the country. In 1851, Honduras and four other countries declared their independence from Spain, and formed a federation of Central American states. In 1838, Honduras became independent and there was much civil unrest. This resulted in the occupation of the U.S. Marines. The dictator General Andino established a stronger government in 1932. In 1969, some Honduran landowners shipped several thousand Salvadorians back to El Salvador. This resulted in El Salvador invading Honduras. This war was sometimes called the 'football war' because it started at a soccer match between the two countries. Eventually the Organization of American States forced El Salvador to withdraw. In 1998 Hurricane Mitch killed about 5,600 Hondurans, and cost almost $1billion in damages. It left about 2 million people homeless. Currently, the president of Honduras is Ricardo Maduro, who was elected by promising to reduce crime. So far, his efforts have not succeeded.

Population

Honduran society is mostly rural and poor. The most densely populated area is the Rio Ulua Valley. Honduras has about 46 people living per square kilometer. At the latest estimate in 2005, the population was 6,975,204. 90% of this population is mestizo, while 7% is Amerindian. There is a 2% population of black people, and only 1% is Caucasian. About 73% of the Honduran people live in urban areas.

Language and Religion

The official language of Honduras is Spanish, but there are some Amerindian dialects spoken, and English is mostly used during business. 97% of the country is Roman Catholic. There is an increasing number of Protestants, mostly after the mass destruction of Hurricane Mitch. There are several famous Protestant congregations in Honduras, both in the east and on the Bay Islands.

Education

The literacy rate in Honduras is estimated to be 83.7%. The government has pledged to raise this rate. Before 1957, only the wealthy could afford the private schools. Before then, the private schools were the only schools in the country, because the Honduras did not have a national education system. President Ramon Morales introduced reformation, and began a school construction program. Education in Honduras is free between ages 7 and 12.The National Autonomous University of Honduras is a major higher education school. It is located in Tegucigalpa.

Climate

The climate is subtropical in the lowlands and temperate in the mountains. There are two seasons in Honduras. They are the rainy season and the dry season.

Nicaragua

Never rich in the first place, Nicaragua is striving to overcome the after effects of dictatorship, civil war and natural calamities, which have made it one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

Nicaragua has traditionally relied on agricultural exports to sustain its economy. But these benefited mainly a few elite families of Spanish descent, primarily the Somoza family, which ruled the country with US backing between 1937 and the Sandinista revolution in 1979.

Overview

The Sandinistas began redistributing property and made huge progress in the spheres of health and education. They won a decisive victory in 1984 elections, but their leftist orientation also attracted US hostility and drove them to turn to the USSR and Cuba.

AT-A-GLANCE

Politics: Former Marxist guerrilla leader Daniel Ortega made a comeback in the November 2006 presidential race

Economy: Nicaragua is the second poorest nation in the Americas, after Haiti; former President Bolaños pursued market-friendly policies

International: The US has been vocal in its opposition to Ortega, who is seen as one of the main players in an increasingly assertive anti-US bloc in Latin America

Timeline

This set the scene for a US-sponsored counter-revolution, which saw Washington arm and finance thousands of rebels, or Contras, in order to carry out attacks on Nicaragua from bases in Honduras. The US also imposed trade sanctions and mined Nicaraguan harbours.

By 1990, when the Sandinistas were defeated in elections held as part of a peace agreement, Nicaragua's per capita income had plummeted and its infrastructure was in tatters.

Peace brought some economic growth, lower inflation and lower unemployment. But this was more than counter-balanced by the devastations of Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which killed thousands, rendered 20% of the population homeless and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

Nicaragua's modest tourist industry - which had all but collapsed by the early 1990s - has enjoyed a revival. The country's attractions include wildlife-rich rainforests, volcanos, beaches and colonial-era architecture.

Facts

Overview Facts Leaders Media

Full name: Republic of Nicaragua

Population: 5.7 million (UN, 2009)

Capital: Managua

Area: 120,254 sq km (46,430 sq miles)

Major languages: Spanish, English, indigenous languages

Major religion: Christianity

Life expectancy: 70 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)

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