Central America is described invariably as either a southern portion of continental North America or as a region of the Americas in itself. It is the region that connects the North and South America. The Pacific Ocean lies to the southwest, the Caribbean Sea to the north-east and the Gulf of Mexico to the north. Geosystematically, the region is a narrow isthmus (a narrow strip of land that is bordered on two sides by water and connects two larger land masses) south of the North American continent which extends from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Mexico to the Isthmus of Panama to the southeast.
The region is composed of Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Other geopolitical definitions may also include Mexico. The region’s population is divided into three major ethnic groups: whites, mestizos, blacks and mulattos and the Amerindians. Central America is a diverse region with a rich cultural and natural history despite its small geographic area. Strong Mayan and Spanish influences continues to reflect among the cultures of some of its inhabitants. Some has rich cultural diversity yet none of them are dominant and are made of a mixture of influences from various cultures including those before and after being colonized by the Europeans. The region is also home to a rich variety of plants and animals. Costa Rica in general, although has only about one-tenth of a percent of the world’s landmass contains five percent of the world’s biodiversity.