![]() ![]() In general, the Caribbean side receives about twice as much rain as the Pacific region. January through March are the driest months. Rainfall occurs primarily during the summer and is heaviest between May and November. Elevation mitigates the climatic effects of Central America’s tropical latitude so that average temperatures in the highlands are much lower than those in the coastal lowlands. The climates of Central America are essentially tropical, tempered by proximity to the sea, by elevation, by latitude, and by local topography in consequence, they may vary substantially over short distances. ![]() The weathered volcanic lavas produce a fertile soil, however, and the highlands of the volcanic zones have consequently become highly productive agricultural zones and areas of dense population. Some of Central America’s volcanoes erupt violently from time to time, and earthquakes frequently occur in the region. Elevation steadily increases west of the Caribbean lowlands, until, toward the Pacific Coast, plateau highlands culminate in mountain ridges and some 40 volcanic cones, some of which attain elevations of more than 12,000 feet (3,700 metres). The western band of Pacific coastal lowland is narrow and overshadowed by mountain ranges, and, except in Nicaragua and Honduras, the eastern plains along the Caribbean are also narrow. Humid swamps and lowlands extend along both the west and east coasts, but four-fifths of Central America is either hilly or mountainous. At its narrowest point the isthmus is only about 30 miles (50 km) wide, and there is no location in Central America that is more distant than 125 miles (200 km) from the sea. It extends in an arc roughly 1,140 miles (1,835 km) long from the northwest to the southeast. (Geologists and physical geographers sometimes extend the northern boundary to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico.)Ĭentral America makes up most of the tapering isthmus that separates the Pacific Ocean, to the west, from the Caribbean Sea. SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!Ĭentral America, southernmost region of North America, lying between Mexico and South America and comprising Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize.Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians.COVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.Student Portal Britannica is the ultimate student resource for key school subjects like history, government, literature, and more.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find. ![]()
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