Middle America Regions:
Central America
REGIONAL CRITERIA
Introduction
- seven states
- sometimes Belize and Panama not included
- the term "Central America" sometimes used for the whole
realm
Physical Geography [map]
[mmclimat]
[mmphys]
- small area and populations
- highland spine. fertile volcanic areas
[ringfire]
- two gaps in mountain spine
[mmeleves]
- coastal lowlands wider in the east - hot, wet, leached
soils
- population more dense in west, tierra templada
[mmecumen]
Cultural Geography [mmethnic]
Economic Geography [wbgnpmap]
- measures [mmmeasur]
- rapid population growth: [mmpopges]
- 1950: 9.3 million
- 1994: 32.4 million
- 2020: 65 million
- unequal land tenure - hacienda / peone system
Historical Geography [mmlacol]
- all Spanish colonies except Belize
- Panama part of colonial Colombia