Regional Geography of Northern Central America

     Belize, Guatemala and Honduras

Outline

  1. Physical Characteristics
    • Relative location
    • Landscape and Physical Environment
    • Weather and climate
  2. Human Characteristics
    • Belize
      1. Population, Density and Age/Sex characteristics
      2. Language and religion
      3. Cultural/ethnic groups
    • Guatemala
      1. Population, Density and Age/Sex characteristics
      2. Language and religion
      3. Cultural/ethnic groups
    • Honduras
      1. Population, Density and Age/Sex characteristics
      2. Language and religion
      3. Cultural/ethnic groups
  3. Economic Characteristics
    • Belize
      1. Major economic activities
      2. Imports and Exports
      3. GNP and GNP per capita
    • Guatemala
      1. Major economic activities
      2. Imports and Exports
      3. GNP and GNP per capita
    • Honduras
      1. Major economic activities
      2. Imports and Exports
      3. GNP and GNP per capita
  4. References

Physical Characteristics

          Central America is a narrow isthmus of land connecting the continents of North and South America and separating the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It extends from the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico south to Columbia and the mainland of South America. It is comprised of seven countries that together have only a quarter of the area of Mexico and half that of Columbia at 210,000 square miles. It is only 37 miles wide at its narrowest point in Panama and 173 miles wide at its widest, near the Honduras-Nicaragua border. Belize is the second smallest country in Central America with an area of just 8,867 sq mi, roughly the same as New Jersey. Guatemala and Honduras are larger with 42,043 sq mi and 43,278 sq mi respectively. They have approximately the same area as Tennessee or Virginia.

 

          Central America has very narrow coastal plains along the Pacific and Atlantic/Caribbean coasts, with some being fairly fertile. There are several chains of mountains stretching through the region which are extensions of the mountains running down the west side of North America. These mountains are volcanic in nature with over 150 volcanoes, many of them active, including Guatemala’s Volcan Tajumulco which at 13,845 feet, is the region's highest peak. In fact this is the most volcanically active region in the Americas.

 

          In addition to the coastal plains, the interior has three major lowland regions, the northernmost being El Peten. This is a vast area covering all of northern Guatemala, Belize and much of the Yucatan of Mexico. It is a huge limestone shelf riddled with caves and covered with tropical forests. The second low area is the Mosquito Coast of Honduras and Nicaragua. This is a large region of very low population full of streams, swamps, savannahs and the largest area of forest cover in Central America. The third is the Nicaraguan Depression of western Nicaragua. In this area can be found the largest lakes in Central America: Lago de Nicaragua and Lago de Managua.

 

          Central America lies entirely within the tropics and its climate reflects this, although there is regional variation. The temperature varies with altitude from very hot plains to cool highlands with very little annual fluctuation. The lowlands are the hottest and most humid with temperature ranges from 84-90 degrees during the day to 70-75 degrees at night. The highland areas above 6000 feet or so are much cooler with daytime temperatures in the seventies and lows at night in the fifties.

 

Central America, like all of the tropics, is characterized by two main seasons. The wet season lasts from April to November throughout the region and the dry season, from November to April. The eastern sections receive heavy rainfall and the amounts generally tend to increase from north to south.

 

 

 

This map of Belize shows the annual precipitation amounts and is fairly typical of the region in general.

 

 

Human Characteristics

BELIZE

       The population of Belize is 272,945, the lowest in Central America. It is also the most sparsely populated country with a population density of only 31 people per sq mi. The population is approximately 48% urban. The majority of the people live in towns along the coast with only a scattering of small towns in the interior.

This chart shows the population demographics of Belize as of 2003.

          Many are surprised to learn that English is the official language of Belize. It is English spoken with a strong Caribbean accent similar to that of Jamaica. Spanish is also widely spoken throughout the country, becoming more common the further inland you go. Other languages spoken include Mayan, Garifuna and Creole. The people of Belize are 50% Roman Catholic and 27% Protestant. There are also a number of Mennonite communities in northern Belize. Rastafarians are also common along the Caribbean coast, especially in Belize City and Dangriga.

          About half of Belize’s population is Mestizo, or mixed Spanish and Indian heritage. A quarter is Creole, which are descendents of, in this case, African slaves and European pirates mainly. Maya, the original inhabitants of the entire region, make up only 10% of the people. The only other significant ethnic group, in terms of population, is the Garinagus which account for less then 10%. Garinagus are of African and Amerindian descent.

 

 GUATEMALA

 

          Guatemala has a population of 14,280,596, approximately 46% of which is urban. This population is concentrated in the highland areas of the southwest where the climate is milder.  It is in this area that most of Guatemala’s cities are found.

This map clearly illustrates the population pattern of Guatemala.

 

 

 

This chart shows the population of Guatemala in terms of age and sex.

 

          Spanish is the official language and is spoken by most people in most areas. There are over 20 different Amerindian languages spoken throughout Guatemala, particularly in the highland areas where Maya people live. In these villages, many people do not speak Spanish at all. Guatemala is primarily Roman Catholic with some Protestant as well. The Maya people in the highlands also cling tightly to their own traditional beliefs and customs.

 

          The population is officially divided between those of Spanish blood, Mestizos or Ladinos as they are called in Guatemala, which make up around 55% of the people, and Amerindian, mainly Maya making up most of the remaining 45%. This is an ethnic division but also a cultural, economic and political one and is much more severe than elsewhere in Central America or Mexico. This is a very sensitive issue in Guatemala that has many roots throughout the history of the country.

 

 

HONDURAS

 

          Honduras, the second largest of Central American countries in terms of area, has a population of about 6,823,568. The country is approximately 45% urban. It has a population density of 158 people per sq mi.

 

 

This population pyramid shows the sex and age demographics of Honduras.

 

          As one would expect, Spanish is the official language of Honduras and is widely spoken throughout the country. There are small percentages of the population that speak Garifuna, mainly along the coast and on the Bay Islands, and various Amerindian languages, mainly in the east. Honduras is over 90% Roman Catholic but has freedom of religion which allows other Christian faiths and a handful of other, mainly indigenous, beliefs.

          About 90% of the population is Mestizo.  Only around 7% of the Honduran population are Indians, living scattered throughout the rural areas. The most prominent of which are the Miskito Indians in the eastern region that gave the area its name: Mosquito Coast. Other indigenous peoples include the Toulpanes, the Pech and the Lenca who, along with the Miskito, inhabit the eastern half of the country.

 

 

 

Economic Characteristics

BELIZE

          Farming and food production are main industries in Belize despite the fact that the tiny country has only 2% arable land. The chief crops produced are bananas, cocoa, sugarcane and citrus fruits. Other industries include clothing manufacture and timber. Tourism and fishing are very important as well, especially in the cayes where they are the only industries. These two activities are sometimes in conflict with each other. About 27% of Belize's labor force is involved in agriculture, 55% in tourism and 18% in other industries.

          In 2003, Belize imported around $500 million worth of goods, 69% of which came from Mexico, 12% from the U.S. and 2.3% from Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean. In that same year Belize exported approximately $208 million. Its main export partners are Mexico at 68%, and the U.S at 12.6%.

          The Gross Domestic Product of Belize in 2002 was $1.3 billion. This breaks down to a per capita GDP of $4,900. These figures reflect a average growth of 3.7% annually. Tourism accounts for $156 million annually. The Belizean dollar measures almost exactly 2:1 versus the U.S. dollar.

 

GUATEMALA

          Guatemala's major economic endeavors are agriculture and food production , textiles and clothing and tourism. The main crops are coffee, corn, bananas, citrus, sugarcane, cotton, cocoa, beans and several other fruits and vegetables. Most of the agriculture takes place in the highlands along with some mining and light industry. Coffee and sugarcane are grown along the Pacific slopes and corn is the main crop grown in the highlands. A total of 12% of the land is arable.

          Guatemala's exports were $2.8 billion in 2003. 59% of this went to the United States, 9.4% to El Salvador and 3.2% to Nicaragua. In that same year Guatemala imported $5.7 billion. Of the imports, 34% came from the U.S., 8.6% from Mexico, 8.4% from South Korea, 5.9% from El Salvador and 4.1% from China. Coffee is the number on export crop in Guatemala.

          Guatemala's GDP in 2003 was $56.5 billion. This makes for a $4100 per capita GDP. The economy is growing at 2.2%. The labor force is divided between 50% agriculture, 15% industry and 35% services. Tourism generates nearly $600 million annually. Guatemala also has crude oil reserves in the amount of 526 million barrels. The quetzal, Guatemala's monetary unit, is exchanged at a rate of 8:1 against the U.S. dollar.

 

HONDURAS

       The main industries in Honduras are agriculture, textiles, timber and tourism. Its major crops are bananas, coffee and citrus. It has around 15% arable land. The Honduran labor force is 35% agriculture, 21% industry and 45% services. The monetary unit is the Lempira which has an exchange rate of 18:1 against the U.S. dollar.

          Imports into Honduras in 2003 totaled $3.1 billion. These came from the United States(53%), Mexico(4.3%), and El Salvador(4.2%). In 2003 Honduras exported $1.4 billion. Of this 69% went to the U.S., 3% to El Salvador and 2% to Guatemala. The United States has traditionally been the major economic "influence" in Honduras. Two huge companies, United Fruit and Standard Fruit own much of Honduras' farmland. In return for economic "support", the U.S. government made Honduras "adjust" its economy to concentrate on export of bananas to the U.S. creating the first "banana republic".

          The GDP of Honduras in 2003 was $17.5 billion. This makes for only a $2600 per capita, which is very low.  In 1998 Hurricane Mitch wiped out the banana crop. It is estimated that at least 55% of the population are below the poverty line. The unemployment rate is an extraordinary 28%.

 

 

References

 McGeveran, William A. ed. dir. 2005. The World Almanac and Book of Facts. World Almanac Education Group Inc. United States.

2004. The World Book Encyclopedia. World Book Inc. Chicago.

Keller, Nancy, et. al. 1997. Central America on a Shoestring. 3rd edition. Lonely Planet Publications.

http://www.belizenet.com/weather/climate.html#pattern. 1999. Natural Light Productions.

http://www.nationmaster.com/region/CAC. 2003-2005.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/americas/guatemala_pop_1983.jpg

http:/ http://www.factrover.com

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

Submitted by Mark Pankers on Friday June 17, 2005.