Central America

American  

noun

1. continental North America, S of Mexico, usually considered as comprising Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. 227,933 sq. mi. (590,346 sq. km).

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Central America British  

noun

1. an isthmus joining the continents of North and South America, extending from the S border of Mexico to the NW border of Colombia and consisting of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Area: about 518 000 sq km (200 000 sq miles)

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Central America Cultural  

1. Region in the southernmost portion of North America, linked to South America by the Isthmus of Panama; includes Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

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The United States government has often taken the position that Central American affairs directly affect American interests. Accordingly, it has often provided financial and military aid to Central American governments and occasionally intervened militarily.

Countries in Central America (except for Belize and Costa Rica) are characterized by unstable governments and very low per capita income.

Other Word Forms

• Central American
  noun

Example Sentences

Between 750 and 900 CE, the Maya lowlands in Central America went through a dramatic drop in population and political power.

From Science Daily • Apr. 27, 2026

The Champions Cup is organised by Concacaf and involves teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

The exultant young Venezuelan conductor’s message was: There is no North, South or Central America.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 19, 2026

The Panama Canal, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through Central America, handles about 40 percent of US container traffic.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

From there, Dobyns discovered, colonial accounts show smallpox hopscotching through Central America to Panama.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann