Central America: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Nov. 10, 2026

News •

Dominican president says he backs Bukele and Salvadoran troops in Haiti • Nov. 10, 2026, 5:53 PM ET (AP)

Haitian leader to visit El Salvador to discuss future of Salvadoran troops' offensive in Haiti • Nov. 9, 2026, 8:07 PM ET (AP)

El Salvador deploys special forces to Haiti to help find 4 missing soldiers who came under attack • Oct. 22, 2026, 8:51 PM ET (AP)

In Honduras, hard hit by drought, authorities hope to make it rain using contentious tactic • Oct. 21, 2026, 11:30 AM ET (AP)

Photos and Videos

Map of Central America showing country borders, capital cities, major lakes, and the Panama Canal, with shaded relief indicating elevation changes across the region.

Volcanic landscape in Central America: Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica

Coastal ecosystems in Central America: Mangroves, Roatán, Honduras

Plant and animal life in Central America

Iglesia La Merced (The Merced Church) in Granada, Nicaragua

Indigenous populations in Central America

Ancient Maya city of Tikal in Guatemala

Temple II, also known as the Temple of the Masks, rises in stepped stone tiers with a central staircase at the Great Plaza in Tikal, Guatemala, surrounded by trees and grass.

Mayan pyramid, Chichén Itzá, Mexico

Vasco Núñez de Balboa

Learn how deforestation in Central American countries like Belize gives way to erosion and poverty

Examine Central America's reliance on plantation cultivation of warm-weather crops like coffee and sugarcane

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Quick Quiz: Central American Geography