Editing Central America (section)

== History ==
{{Main|History of Central America}}
<gallery style="line-height:130%" caption="Ancient sites of Central America">
File:Tikal Temple1 2006 08 11.JPG|[[Tikal]], Guatemala
File:HuellasdeAcahualinca.jpg|[[Ancient footprints of Acahualinca]], Nicaragua
File:Stone spheres of Costa Rica. Museo Nacional.jpg|[[Stone spheres of Costa Rica]]
File:Tazumal 10.jpg|[[Tazumal]], El Salvador
File:Copan HG-Treppe.jpg|[[Copan]], Honduras
File:Altun Ha Belize.jpg|[[Altun Ha]], Belize
</gallery>
[[File:Carta de los Estados de Centro-America. LOC 99466745.jpg|thumb|left|Central America, 1862]]
[[File:Proclama de libertad (indep. Centroamérica).jpg|thumb|Painting of the First Independence Movement celebration in [[San Salvador]] 1811]]
[[File:Firma del Acta de Independencia de Centroamérica.jpg|thumb|Painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of Central America, Guatemala, 1821]]
  [[File:Próceres de la independencia Centroamérica.png|thumb|Heroes of Central American Independence]] Central America was formed more than 3 million years ago, as part of the [[Isthmus of Panama]], when its portion of land connected each side of water.

In the [[Pre-Columbian era]], the northern areas of Central America were inhabited by the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] peoples of [[Mesoamerica]]. Most notable among these were the [[Maya peoples|Mayans]], who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the [[Aztec]]s, who had created a vast empire. The pre-Columbian cultures of eastern El Salvador, eastern Honduras, Caribbean Nicaragua, most of Costa Rica and Panama were predominantly speakers of the [[Chibchan languages]] at the time of European contact and are considered by some<ref name="Hoopes&Fonseca2003" /> culturally different and grouped in the [[Isthmo-Colombian Area]].

Following the Spanish expedition of [[Christopher Columbus]]'s voyages to the Americas, the Spanish sent many expeditions to the region, and they began their conquest of [[Maya civilization|Maya territory]] in 1523. Soon after the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire|conquest of the Aztec Empire]], Spanish [[conquistador]] [[Pedro de Alvarado]] commenced the [[Spanish conquest of Guatemala|conquest of northern Central America]] for the [[Spanish Empire]]. Beginning with his arrival in [[Soconusco]] in 1523, Alvarado's forces systematically conquered and subjugated most of the major Maya kingdoms, including the [[K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj|K'iche']], [[Tz'utujil people|Tz'utujil]], [[Pipil people|Pipil]], and the [[Kaqchikel people|Kaqchikel]]. By 1528, the conquest of Guatemala was nearly complete, with only the [[Petén Basin]] remaining outside the Spanish sphere of influence. The last independent Maya kingdoms – the [[Kowoj]] and the [[Itza people]] – were finally defeated in 1697, as part of the [[Spanish conquest of Petén]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Grant D. |title=The Conquest of the Last Maya Kingdom |date=1998 |publisher=Stanford University Press |location=Stanford, California |isbn=978-0804735223 |page=xix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PeOWl54Mt7UC&pg=PR19 |access-date=28 January 2021}}</ref>

In 1538, Spain established the [[Real Audiencia of Panama#First installation|Real Audiencia of Panama]], which had jurisdiction over all land from the [[Strait of Magellan]] to the [[Gulf of Fonseca]]. This entity was dissolved in 1543, and most of the territory within Central America then fell under the jurisdiction of the ''[[Real Audiencia of Guatemala|Audiencia Real de Guatemala]]''. This area included the current territories of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Mexican state of [[Chiapas]], but excluded the lands that would become Belize and Panama. The president of the Audiencia, which had its seat in [[Antigua Guatemala]], was the governor of the entire area. In 1609 the area became a [[Captaincies of the Spanish Empire|captaincy general]] and the governor was also granted the title of captain general. The [[Captaincy General of Guatemala]] encompassed most of Central America, with the exception of [[British Honduras|present-day Belize]] and Panama.

The Captaincy General of Guatemala lasted for more than two centuries, but began to fray after a [[1811 Independence Movement|rebellion in 1811]] which began in the [[Intendancy of San Salvador]]. The Captaincy General formally ended on 15 September 1821, with the signing of the [[Act of Independence of Central America]]. Mexican independence was achieved at virtually the same time with the signing of the [[Treaty of Córdoba]] and the [[Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire]], and the entire region was finally independent from Spanish authority by 28 September 1821.

[[File:Manuel José Arce de El Salvador.jpg|thumb|left|General [[Manuel José Arce]]; decorated [[Salvadoran]] General and president of the [[Federal Republic of Central America]] from 1825 to 1829]]
[[File:Salcoatitán, El Salvador - panoramio (9).jpg|thumb|The five rowed volcanos in the coat of arms of Central America was inspired by the [[Cordillera de Apaneca]] volcanic range of El Salvador, visible from the city of [[Sonsonate]], which became the capital of the [[Federal Republic of Central America]] in 1834.]]
[[File:Unidas Del Centro de America Provincias Plaque.jpg|thumb|Monument honoring the emblem of the United Provinces of Central America]]
[[File:Bandera Militar de las Provincias Unidas del Centro de América.png|thumb|left|The historic military flag of the United Provinces of Central America with the national motto (God. Union. Liberty.) and the National Battalion initials (B.N.) in golden amber color]]
From its independence from Spain in 1821 until 1823, the former Captaincy General [[Central America under Mexican rule|remained intact as part]] of the short-lived [[First Mexican Empire]]. When the [[Agustín de Iturbide|Emperor of Mexico]] abdicated on 19 March 1823, Central America again became independent. On 1 July 1823, the Congress of Central America peacefully seceded from Mexico and declared absolute independence from all foreign nations, and the region formed the [[Federal Republic of Central America]].{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

The Federal Republic of Central America, initially known as the United Provinces of Central America, was a sovereign state that existed from 1823 to 1840. It was composed of five states: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. The federation was established after these regions declared independence from Spain in 1821 and briefly joined the Mexican Empire before breaking away to form their own union. The republic adopted a constitution in 1824, which was inspired by the federal system of the United States. It provided for a federal capital, initially located in Guatemala City, and a president for each of the five constituent states. The constitution abolished slavery and maintained the privileges of the Roman Catholic Church, while restricting suffrage to the upper classes.<ref>{{cite web
| title = United Provinces of Central America
| website = Encyclopædia Britannica
| url = https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Provinces-of-Central-America
| access-date = 2025-02-03
| publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
}}</ref>

The territory that now makes up Belize was heavily contested in a dispute that continued for decades after Guatemala achieved independence. Spain, and later Guatemala, considered this land a [[Departments of Guatemala|Guatemalan department]]. In 1862, Britain formally declared it a British colony and named it [[British Honduras]]. It became independent as Belize in 1981.<ref name="auto"/>

Panama, situated in the southernmost part of Central America on the [[Isthmus of Panama]], has for most of its history been culturally and politically linked to South America. Panama was part of the [[Province of Tierra Firme]] from 1510 until 1538 when it came under the jurisdiction of the newly formed ''Audiencia Real de Panama''. Beginning in 1543, Panama was administered as part of the [[Viceroyalty of Peru]], along with all other Spanish possessions in South America. Panama remained as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru until 1739, when it was transferred to the [[Viceroyalty of New Granada]], the capital of which was located at [[Bogotá|Santa Fé de Bogotá]]. Panama remained as part of the Viceroyalty of New Granada until the disestablishment of that viceroyalty in 1819. A series of [[Bolívar's campaign to liberate New Granada|military and political struggles]] took place from that time until 1822, the result of which produced the republic of [[Gran Colombia]]. After the dissolution of Gran Colombia in 1830, Panama became part of a successor state, the [[Republic of New Granada]]. From 1855 until 1886, Panama existed as [[Panama State]], first within the Republic of New Granada, then within the [[Granadine Confederation]], and finally within the [[United States of Colombia]]. The United States of Colombia was replaced by the [[Colombia|Republic of Colombia]] in 1886. As part of the Republic of Colombia, Panama State was abolished and it became the [[Isthmus Department]]. Despite the many political reorganizations, Colombia was still deeply plagued by conflict, which eventually led to the [[Separation of Panama from Colombia|secession of Panama]] on 3 November 1903. Only after that time did some begin to regard Panama as a North or Central American entity.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

By the 1930s the [[United Fruit Company]] owned {{convert|3.5|e6acre|km2|order=flip|abbr=off}} of land in Central America and the Caribbean and was the single largest land owner in Guatemala. Such holdings gave it great power over the governments of small countries. That was one of the factors that led to the coining of the phrase [[banana republic]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Livingstone|first=Grace|title=America's Backyard: The United States and Latin America from the Monroe Doctrine to the War on Terror|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WH5jDgAAQBAJ&pg=PT31|year=2013|publisher=Zed Books Ltd.|isbn=978-1-84813-611-3|page=31}}</ref>

After more than two hundred years of social unrest, violent conflict, and revolution, Central America today remains in a period of political transformation. Poverty, social injustice, and violence are still widespread.<ref name=Argueta2011 /> Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, after Haiti.<ref name=ticotimes />

===Flags of modern Central America===
<gallery>
File:Flag of Guatemala.svg|[[Guatemala]]
File:Flag of El Salvador.svg|[[El Salvador]]
File:Flag of Honduras.svg|[[Honduras]]
File:Flag of Nicaragua.svg|[[Nicaragua]]
File:Flag of Costa Rica.svg|[[Costa Rica]]
File:Flag of Panama.svg|[[Panama]]
File:Flag of Belize.svg|[[Belize]]
</gallery>

===Coats of arms of modern Central America===
<gallery>
File:Coat of arms of Guatemala.svg|[[Guatemala]]
File:Coat of arms of El Salvador.svg|[[El Salvador]]
File:Coat of arms of Honduras.svg|[[Honduras]]
File:Coat of arms of Nicaragua.svg|[[Nicaragua]]
File:Coat of arms of Costa Rica.svg|[[Costa Rica]]
File:Coat of arms of Panama.svg|[[Panama]]
File:Coat of arms of Belize.svg|[[Belize]]
</gallery>