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Environment
Central America, region of the western hemisphere, made up of a long, tapering isthmus that forms a bridge between North and South America. Central America, which is defined by geographers as part of North America, has an area of about 521,500 sq km (about 201,300 sq mi) and includes the countries of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. The region has a population of approximately 36.4 million (2000 estimate).
The natural environment
In strictly geological terms, Central America begins at the narrow Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in southern Mexico. That narrow section divides the volcanic rocks to the northwest from the folded and faulted structures of Central America. The southernmost geological limit of Central America is the Atrato River valley, in Colombia, South America, just east of the Panama border.
A Geologic History
Central America, a particularly unstable region of the earth's crust, is on the western edge of the Caribbean plate (see Plate Tectonics). Subduction of oceanic crust beneath this edge, beginning in the Miocene Epoch, about 25 million years ago, has lifted the land from the sea. In the earliest stage, a peninsula and archipelago formed. Later, about three million years ago, the scattered islands coalesced to form a true land bridge, or isthmus, linking North and South America.
Keeping pace with subduction and uplift have been volcanic eruptions—Central America has at least 14 active volcanoes—and frequent earthquakes. In this century alone, Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, has twice been destroyed by earthquakes. The most recent, in 1972, took 10,000 lives. In 1976 some 25,000 people were killed in an earthquake registering 7.5 on the Richter scale and centered in the Motagua depression in Guatemala. This quake left 25 percent of the country's population homeless. Volcanic activity has produced a landscape dotted with majestic cones built from eruptions of ash and lava, and beautiful lakes formed in collapsed volcanic craters called calderas.
Natural Regions
Santa Ana Volcano, El Salvador The Santa Ana Volcano in El Salvador has been the source of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The 2385-m (7825-ft) mountain is the highest point in El Salvador.Photo Researchers, Inc./John Bangma/National Audubon Society
For the most part Central America is a rugged, mountainous area, with 109 large volcanoes, some more than 4,000 m (13,000 ft) high; Tajumulco Volcano, in Guatemala, is the highest at 4,220 m (13,845 ft). Central America is one of the most active volcanic zones in the western hemisphere. The land surface slopes up rather abruptly from a narrow coastal plain along the Pacific Ocean to the mountain crests, and then descends more gradually to a broader plain along the Caribbean Sea. Two major interoceanic passes cut through the highlands of Central America, one in Nicaragua (from the mouth of the San Juan River to Lake Nicaragua) and the other in Panama (along the route of the Panama Canal). The Pacific coastline is about 2,830 km (about 1,760 mi) long, and the Caribbean coastline is approximately 2,740 km (approximately 1,700 mi) long. Several groups of small islands lie off the Caribbean coast, and some of them, such as the Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahía) in the Gulf of Honduras, are inhabited.
Rivers and Lakes
Coastal Lagoons, Belize The Caribbean Sea, perhaps the most dominant physical feature in Belize, forms the country's entire eastern border. The coast is lined by bays, sandy beaches, islets, lagoons, and the western hemisphere's longest barrier reef—features which provide the subtropical country with a developing tourist industry. Here the swampy lowlands of northern Belize extend to a coastal lagoon.
The longest rivers of Central America flow to the Caribbean, and many small streams drain into the Pacific. Longer rivers include the Motagua of Guatemala; the Ulúa, Aguán, and Patuca of Honduras; the Coco, which forms part of the Honduras-Nicaragua boundary; the Río Grande and Escondido of Nicaragua; and the San Juan, which forms a section of the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border. Some of the rivers flowing to the Caribbean are navigable by small craft, but the streams flowing to the Pacific are too steep or too shallow for navigation.
Central America has three large lakes—Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua in Nicaragua and Gatún Lake in Panama. Part of the Panama Canal, a great commercial waterway between the Atlantic and the Pacific, is in Gatún Lake.
Technical Info
Area: 520 000Km2.
Population : 28,4 millions inhabitants
Major settlements of people :Amerindiens and Métis.
Languages: Spanish and English in Bélize.
Religions: Catolic.
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Government:
Democraties of Costa Rica, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panamá. However structural problems remain causing violence, poverty.
Major Industries:Forestry and fishery.Agriculture : Coffee, bananas, cane sugar.
Mining: limited quantities or silver and gold, lead, antomony and crud oil in Guatemala.
Major trading partners : United states, West of Europe Canada, Mexico.
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History in short
The region between Mexico and Colombia supported a large pre-Columbian population, the most important of whom were the Maya. The Maya civilization originated in the highlands of Guatemala before the 1st millennium bc and reached its greatest flowering between ad 300 and 900 in autonomous city-states in what are now northern Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, and Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. Maya unity was cultural rather than political, but the civilization's influence was widespread. Maya artistic and scientific achievements surpassed those of contemporary Europeans. After 900, however, the Maya civilization declined, and its people came under the influence of Toltec people from Mexico.
Numerous peoples inhabited the remainder of the isthmus and traded with both South and North American tribes, making ancient Central America an archaeological bridge between the Americas. The population of the isthmus on the eve of the Spanish conquest may have been as large as six million, a figure not again achieved until the 20th century.
The Colonial Period
Christopher Columbus established Spain's claim to Central America in 1502, when he sailed along its coast from the Gulf of Honduras to Panama. His reports of great wealth beyond the mountains that ran the length of the heavily populated isthmus stimulated Spanish conquest, which was launched from Hispaniola under Columbus's son, Diego. The charismatic Vasco Núñez de Balboa founded Spain's first truly productive colony in America at Darién in 1510, and went on to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1513. His successor, Pedrarias Dávila, who ordered Balboa's death in 1517, extended the colony considerably, founding Panama City in 1519, from which he initiated the subjugation of Nicaragua and Honduras. The subsequent conquest of Central America became a bloody struggle among Spaniards representing interests in Panama, Hispaniola, and Mexico.
Federation
José Rafael Carrera Guatemalan revolutionary and dictator Rafael Carrera helped Guatemala gain independence from the United Provinces of Central America in 1840. With the support of conservative landowners and clergy, he ruled as dictator for 25 years..
The Creole elite in the captaincy general of Guatemala followed Mexico's lead and severed its allegiance to Spain in 1821. The area then became part of the Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide, but when Iturbide's conservative government fell in 1823, liberals seized control, declared independence from Mexico, and formed the United Provinces of Central America. Chiapas, however, remained with Mexico, and Panama joined the Republic of Colombia (also known as Gran Colombia), headed by Simón Bolívar.
The Central American Republics
Revolutionary politics and religious faith are common themes throughout the poetry of Ernesto Cardenal, one of Nicaragua's most important contemporary poets. In 1979 Cardenal, a Roman Catholic priest, took on the role of minister of culture in the Sandinista government. The poem The Arrival was published in the magazine The Nation in 1975, three years before the overthrow of the Somoza family dictatorship in Nicaragua.
England, by this time, had replaced Spain as the dominant external force in the region. The British settlement at Belize had grown from a buccaneering and logging camp in the 17th century to become the principal port of Central America's foreign trade. British influence extended along the Caribbean coast as far as Panama, and in 1862, Belize officially became a British colony (British Honduras). United States interest, however, rivaled British interest after 1849, for the isthmus offered the quickest routes to the gold mines of California. The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850 resolved some areas of this Anglo-American conflict, but in 1855 William Walker, a U.S. soldier of fortune, invaded Nicaragua with an army of followers. A united Central American conservative army drove him out with British assistance in 1857. Meanwhile, the completion of the Panama Railroad in 1855 caused Central American commerce to shift away from Belize to the more accessible Pacific coast ports, and British influence receded thereafter.
The second half of the 20th century has seen persistent poverty, political instability and social injustice in many of the Central American republics still undergoing modernization. In Nicaragua, the Sandinista guerrilla movement overthrew the Somoza dynasty in 1978 and 1979. The United States then became involved in a major effort to support the counter-revolutionary (contra) forces against the leftist Sandinista government, leading to many deaths and great suffering on both sides. El Salvador's people and economy were ravaged by civil war through the 1980s. Guatemala witnessed 36 years of fighting between alleged left-wing groups and a repressive military. Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands migrated to escape this conflict, which ended with the signing of a peace agreement in December 1996. Political repression and corruption in Panama prompted the United States to intervene in 1989 to remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, who was allegedly connected to Colombian drug cartel.
Climate
Temperatures in Central America, which is situated between the tropic of Cancer and the equator, vary principally according to altitude rather than latitude. Three main temperature zones are discernible. The tierra caliente (“hot country), which extends from sea level to an altitude of about 915 m (about 3,000 ft), has average yearly temperatures of 24° C (75° F) or more; the tierra templada (temperate country), from about 915 to 1,830 m (about 3,000 to 6,000 ft), has a mean annual temperature of 18° to 24° C (65° to 75° F); and the tierra fría (cold country), from about 1,830 to 3,050 m (about 6,000 to 10,000 ft), has average yearly temperatures of 13° to 18° C (55° to 65° F).
The Caribbean coast and eastern mountain slopes generally receive twice as much annual precipitation as the Pacific coast and western mountain slopes. The relative dryness of the Pacific slope is due to the presence of cold stable air caused by the cold California Current. This current, much like the Peru, or Humboldt, Current along the Peruvian coast, chills the air, thus preventing it from absorbing much water vapor and reducing the possibilities for precipitation. In contrast, the effects of the warm water of the Caribbean Sea allow the air to absorb abundant moisture, which is then carried by the prevailing easterly winds. Much condensation and rainfall occur as the winds flow up and over the high slopes of Central America. Rainfall is greatest along the Mosquito Coast of easternmost Nicaragua—San Juan del Norte receives about 6,350 mm (about 250 in) of rain per year.
In October 1998 Hurricane Mitch savaged Central America, killing at least 11,000 people, leaving thousands more missing, and displacing more than two million others. Nicaragua and Honduras absorbed the brunt of the damage, but El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and other countries in the region also felt the effects of the storm. Some observers called Mitch the worst natural disaster ever to strike Central America.
Fauna and flora
Central America is essentially a land bridge uniting two previously isolated ecosystems. As a result, a mixture of both North and South American plant and animal species is found here. The lowland rain forest of the Caribbean and Pacific coasts resembles the selva, or tropical rain forest, of South America. This is especially true below an elevation of about 1,000 m (about 3,280 ft), with large numbers of palms, tree ferns, lianas, and epiphytes (air plants) reflecting the high rainfall and humidity of the region. Vegetation at altitudes of about 1,000 to 1,600 m (about 3,280 to 5,250 ft) shows ties with North America. The pine and oak forests of these highlands are like those of the Mexican highlands. High-altitude regions of Guatemala contain grasses like those of Mexico and the United States, and at about 3,100 m (about 10,170 ft) in Costa Rica are tall grasses similar to those growing above the tree line in the Andes Mountains of South America.
Most of the animal life of Central America is similar to that of South America, but some animals have ties with North America. The marley and opossum have links with South America, as do the jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi, and margay, which are members of the cat family. In contrast, the puma, gray fox, and coyote are of North American origin. The armadillo, anteater, and sloth have ties to the south, deer to the north. The large manatee, an aquatic plant eater, survives in the isolated lagoons of eastern Central America. Other food sources are the large green turtle and the iguana. Central America provides a habitat for numerous snakes such as the boa constrictor and the bushmaster. Parrots, the quetzal, toucans, and fish are common; notable are the landlocked sharks of Lake Nicaragua.
Booking conditions
Please take the time to consult the regular booking conditions prior to book/reserve on one of our tours. Please note that special booking conditions may apply to some circuits and/or departures. In such case, information will be given to you on booking/reservation.
Meals and gastronomy
Meals that won't be served in restaurants will be offered in the different inns or cooked together, as a group, with the best possible fresh and typical food of the region. We promote a healthy and nourishing food, as we think that it very important and enjoyable to eat well. In our opinion, a good diet, for meat-lovers as well as for vegetarians is essential for each of us to make sure that the day goes by smoothly. Our guides have a great knowledge of local products and on top of that they know how to prepare these products. One thing is certain; your stomach won't be bothered with your diet.
Luggages and personnal belongings
Please bring only the necessary. Small bags make it a lot easier for everyone to manage luggage. Hard and rigid suitcases are not recommended. The ideal is to have two bags one of which, an approximately 25 litre backpack, is used as a day bag for small excursions and the other, approximately 45 litres, contains the majority of clothing and personal belongings. We recommend that each participant brings with him/her:
- All necessary documents ( Traveller's File), passport, visa, address book, credit cards, cheques, copies of important documents etc)
- A pair of comfortable shoes to hike in
- A pair of sandals or light shoes
- A light rain coat or plastic poncho
- 1 light sweatshirt and 1 warm cardigan
- Warm socks
- 1 pair of long trousers
- 1 pair of shorts
- T-shirts
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- Camera, fils, batteries
- Water bottle
- Flash light, frontal lamp
- A light cap or hat
- Swim suite
- Bath towel
- Personal toilet articles and medication
- Insect repellent
- Sun glasses
- Sun block (min. SPF15 - no oils please)
- *Binoculars
- *Pocket knife
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Do not bring too much! You have the chance to wash your cloth during the tour.
* Optional but very handy !
Tips on what to wear
Fancy clothes are unnecessary . Basic tourist outfit remains shorts and T-shirts. You may prefer, like I do, long trousers to avoid sunburns. Evenings and early mornings are cooler and a woollen jacket is recommended. Also recommended are sun block protection, a cap or explorer hat. Do not wear a new pair of shoes as they will be damaged with the dust and salted water. Also very handy a comfortable pair of waterproof sandals.
Lodgings
Lodging in charming Inns, on double occupancy basis (2 to 3 *). These places have been chosen with the following standards in mind : welcoming, charming, comfortable and very friendly more than being luxirious.
Children and the journey
Taking in account the nature and the pressure of this type of journey, it is highly recommende not to have children under the age of 12.
What to read:
If you are interested in learning more about Central America before leaving we highly recommend the Lonely Planet Guide.
Electricity: 110V 60Hz.
Time zone: GMT -6 hrs.
Glossary:
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Steps preceding any departure:
- You select the tour and dates you wish to book (or reach an agreement with us on your Tailor Made Tour's program.
- Using our Booking Form you make your reservation / booking.
- As soon as your booking request is received we get in touch with you to confirm the booking and we send you an invoice including payment instructions and booking conditions.
- Upon reception of this invoice you must send your initial deposit (25%) to secure your booking. NB: If your package includes the international flight and/or an insurance plan, it will be integrally payable with your initial deposit. You will receive your flight tickets and/or insurance enrollment confirmation on the next business day following the reception of your payment.
- After reception of your initial deposit we will send you a detailed and complete TRAVELER'S FILE.
NB: Unless your booking request is received within 30 days from the departure date, in which case you will receive your Traveler's File upon payment of your initial deposit, please allow between 15 and 30 working days for the preparation of these documents and 2 or 3 more days before receiving any printed material.
This complete file will contain the following detailed information:
- Voucher / proof of your booking.
- Detailed program with a map of the tour's route.
- Information on your tour guide(s) and other human resource(s) connected to the project.
- Information on the meeting point and a list of the inns and hotels with their description, address & contact information.
- Info on the cities, sites & regions visited on the tour.
- Technical & practical information.
- General recommendations for the traveler.
- Emergency plan and detailed maps of the country and /or region(s).
- Travel insurance complete documents and/or flight tickets (if included in your tour package).
- Your balance must be received 30 days before your departure or in the week following the reception of your Traveler's File if you are booking within 30 days preceding your departure.
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Comparing our tours and prices with others, consider...
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- The number of participants in the tour. The GROUP SIZE has a major incidence on the quality of the services provided by the tour leader and the driver. Small groups remain personal unlike large groups.
- What IS and what is NOT respectively included in the tours you compare.
- Our tours respect the principals of ecotourism. Our guides, staff members and providers are meticulously selected to meet our exacting requirements and standards and they are remunerated equitably and considered with great esteem as we much value their participation to our mission.
- The quality standard of the services and accommodations we provide in our tours is high and our customer service is exceptional. We are committed to offering the very best to our travellers before, during and after their tour.
- We provide our travellers with the contact information of their tour manager who is available 7 days a week, reachable at all time before and during the tour to promptly assist them with any situation or simply answer questions or doubts before the tour starts.
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