Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

CENTRAL AMERICA

109

N

S

WE

BELIZE

Area: 8,867 sq miles

(22,966 sq km)
Population: 347,000

Capital: Belmopan
Currency: Belizean dollar

COSTA RICA

Area: 19,730 sq miles

(51,100 sq km)
Population: 4,814,000

Capital: San José
Currency: Colón

EL SALVADOR

Area: 8,124 sq miles

(21,041 sq km)
Population: 6,141,000

Capital: San Salvador
Currency: US dollar

GUATEMALA

Area: 42,042 sq miles

(108,889 sq km)
Population: 14,919,000

Capital: Guatemala City
Currency: Quetzal

HONDURAS

Area: 43,278 sq miles

(112,090 sq km)

Population: 8,747,000

Capital: Tegucigalpa

Currency: Lempira

NICARAGUA

Area: 50,336 sq miles

(130,370 sq km)

Population: 5,908,000

Capital: Managua

Currency: Córdoba

PANAMA

Area: 29,120 sq miles

(75,420 sq km)

Population: 3,657,000

Capital: Panama City

Currency: Balboa

PACIFIC COASTAL STRIP

Half the population of Central

America lives on the western slopes,

which are higher and drier than the

lowlands that border the Caribbean

coast. Most people in the west work

as farmers, producing coffee,

bananas, sugarcane, and cotton.

COSTA RICA

More than half of Costa Rica’s people live on a broad, fertile plateau

surrounded by volcanic ranges (above). Small farms dot the area;

coffee, corn, rice, and sugar are grown on the hillsides. Unlike other

Central American countries, Costa Rica enjoys political stability.

PANAMA CANAL

The Panama Canal is a great

international waterway connecting

the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

It is more than 50 miles (80 km)

long and up to 500 ft (150 m) wide,

with a minimum depth of 39 ft

(12 m). Over 13,000 ships from

all over the world pass through

the canal’s locks each year. Most

of their cargo travels to and from

the United States.

STATISTICS

Area: 201,497 sq miles (521,876 sq km)

Population: 44,533,000

Number of independent countries: 7

Volcano Mountain Capital

city

Large

city/

town

Small

city/

town

Ancient

monument

0

0 100 200

100 200

SCALE BAR

km

miles

Corn Islands

Cayos Miskitos

Pearl

Islands

Bay^

Islands

Panama Canal

San J

uan

Bel

ize

Agu

án^

Coco^

Waw

a

Pa

tuc

a^

Lake

Gatún

Lake

Nicaragua

Lake

Managua

C

O

L

O

M

B

I

A

M

E

X

I

C O

BELIZE

HONDURAS

COSTA RICA

EL SALVADOR

PANAMA

NICARAGUA

GUATEMALA

Volcán Barú 3475m

Volcán Barva

2906m

Volcán Concepción

1610m

Volcán Tacaná

4093m

Ta

lam

anc

a

(^) Co
rdi
ller
a
Península
de Nicoya
Península
de
Azuero
M
os
qu
it
o^
C
oa
st
Península
de Osa
Sie
rra
(^) de l
os
Cu
ehu
mata
nes
Chitré
Santiago
Cartago
Alajuela
Liberia
Rivas
Bluefields
Juigalpa
Jinotega
Estelí
Choluteca
Comayagua
Juticalpa
Santa Rosa
de Copán
Huehuetenango Zacapa
Cobán
Flores
San Ignacio Belize City
Colón
Puntarenas Limón
Chinandega
Matagalpa
Escuintla
Quezaltenango
Puerto La Ceiba
Cortés
David
León
San
Miguel
Santa Ana
San Pedro Sula
Puerto Barrios
MANAGUA
TEGUCIGALPA
SAN SALVADOR
GUATEMALA CITY
PANAMA
CITY
BELMOPAN
SAN
JOSÉ
C
a r i b b e a n S e a
Hon
du
ra
s^
Gu
lf^ o
f^
Gulf of
Darien
Mosquito
Gulf
Gulf of
Panama
Chiriqui
Gulf
Golfo de
Papagayo
P A C I F I C O C E A N
Laguna de
Caratasca
Gul
f^ of^ F
onseca^