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82-643: The Papagayo jet also induces mesoscale meteorology phenomena that influence the pacific waters hundreds of kilometers off the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican shores. When the jet wind surges, it creates cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies , Ekman transport , and upwelling that contribute to the creation of the Costa Rica Dome off the western coast of Central America in the Western Hemisphere Warm Pool (WHWP). The relatively cold, nutrient-rich waters of

164-547: A British colony and named it British Honduras . It became independent as Belize in 1981. 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

246-652: A common currency and common passport for the member nations. No timeline for implementation was discussed. Central America already has several supranational institutions such as the Central American Parliament , the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Central American Common Market . On 22 July 2011, President Mauricio Funes of El Salvador became the first president pro tempore to SICA. El Salvador also became

328-408: A comparatively low pressure . This establishes a dramatic pressure gradient , causing the cold, high-pressure air to flow quickly into the low-pressure area. This is analogous to air flowing rapidly out of a balloon when the neck of the balloon is left open. The air in the balloon has a higher pressure than the surrounding air so the air flows out of the balloon until the pressure inside and outside of

410-581: A decrease in trade winds. Central America is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot , boasting 7% of the world's biodiversity . The Pacific Flyway is a major north–south flyway for migratory birds in the Americas, extending from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego . Due to the funnel-like shape of its land mass, migratory birds can be seen in very high concentrations in Central America, especially in

492-432: A few kilometres across but smaller than could be resolved by the observation networks used in the earliest standardized weather maps . The mesoscale regime is often divided into these subclasses based on the size of associated weather systems: As a note, tropical and subtropical cyclones are classified by National Hurricane Center as synoptic scale rather than mesoscale. Mesoscale processes are characterized by having

574-486: A gain in the dry forest biome at 2,054 square kilometers (793 sq mi). Mangroves and deserts contributed only 1% to the loss in forest vegetation. The bulk of the deforestation was located at the Caribbean slopes of Nicaragua with a loss of 8,574 square kilometers (3,310 sq mi) of forest in the period from 2001 to 2010. The most significant regrowth of 3,050 square kilometers (1,180 sq mi) of forest

656-723: A new Central American state . Some of New Spain's provinces in the Central American region (i.e. what would become Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica) were annexed to the First Mexican Empire ; however in 1823 they seceded from Mexico to form the Federal Republic of Central America until 1838. In 1838, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua became the first of Central America's seven states to become independent countries, followed by El Salvador in 1841, Panama in 1903, and Belize in 1981. Despite

738-463: A period of political transformation. Poverty, social injustice, and violence are still widespread. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, after Haiti. Central America is a part of North America consisting of a tapering isthmus running from the southern extent of Mexico to the northwestern portion of South America . Central America has the Gulf of Mexico , a body of water within

820-469: A relatively large Rossby number compared to synoptic scale processes. Thus, over shorter distances as implicated in mesoscale phenomena, the importance of geostrophic balance and the Earth's rotation in shaping atmospheric processes is small relative to synoptic-scale phenomena. This is particularly true towards the smaller end of the mesoscale range. Because the curvature of Earth is small at mesoscales,

902-709: A result of seismic activity at the Middle America Trench. For example, subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate at the Middle America Trench is believed to have caused the 1985 Mexico City earthquake that killed as many as 40,000 people. Seismic activity at the Middle America Trench is also responsible for earthquakes in 1902 , 1942 , 1956 , 1982 , 1992 , January 2001 , February 2001 , 2007 , 2012 , 2014 , and many other earthquakes throughout Central America. The Middle America Trench

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984-655: A result of these natural disasters. Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate . This tectonic plate converges with the Cocos , Nazca , and North American plates to form the Middle America Trench , a major subduction zone. The Middle America Trench is situated some 60–160 kilometers (37–99 mi) off the Pacific coast of Central America and runs roughly parallel to it. Many large earthquakes have occurred as

1066-425: A rising thermal or acceleration through a narrow mountain pass. The earliest networks of weather observations in the late 1800s and early 1900s could detect the movement and evolution of larger, synoptic-scale systems like high and low-pressure areas. However, smaller and potentially hazardous meteorological phenomena were not well-captured by the sparse observation networks. The emergence of weather radar in

1148-501: A single continent, América , which is split into four subregions: North America ( Northern America and Mexico ), Central America, South America, and Insular America (the West Indies ). "Central America" may mean different things to various people, based upon different contexts: 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

1230-602: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Central America Central America is a subregion of North America . Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually defined as consisting of seven countries: Belize , Costa Rica , El Salvador , Guatemala , Honduras , Nicaragua , and Panama . Within Central America

1312-581: Is anticipated that radar will provide useful information concerning the structure and behavior of that portion of the atmosphere which is not covered by either micro- or synoptic-meteorological studies. We have already observed with radar that precipitation formulations which are undoubtedly of significance occur on a scale too gross to be observed from a single station, yet too small to appear even on sectional synoptic charts. Phenomena of this size might well be designated as mesometeorological. Mesoscale meteorology broadly concerns meteorological phenomena larger than

1394-656: Is currently undergoing a process of political, economic and cultural transformation that started in 1907 with the creation of the Central American Court of Justice . In 1951 the integration process continued with the signature of the San Salvador Treaty, which created the ODECA, the Organization of Central American States. However, the unity of the ODECA was limited by conflicts between several member states. In 1991,

1476-591: Is much warmer so the resultant air flow is less dramatic and the wind speeds are not as high. In sum, wind speeds in the Papagayo jet will be high through the months of November to March, peaking in February, then they will be reduced from April to August, and finally diminish completely in September. The Papagayo jet winds are strong enough to influence the ocean waters off the west coast of Central America , namely being one of

1558-543: Is not the only source of seismic activity in Central America. The Motagua Fault is an onshore continuation of the Cayman Trough which forms part of the tectonic boundary between the North American Plate and the Caribbean Plate. This transform fault cuts right across Guatemala and then continues offshore until it merges with the Middle America Trench along the Pacific coast of Mexico, near Acapulco . Seismic activity at

1640-500: Is part of this. The Belize Barrier Reef is home to a large diversity of plants and animals, and is one of the most diverse ecosystems of the world. It is home to 70 hard coral species, 36 soft coral species, 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrate species. So far only about 10% of the species in the Belize barrier reef have been discovered. From 2001 to 2010, 5,376 square kilometers (2,076 sq mi) of forest were lost in

1722-532: Is the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot , which extends from southern Mexico to southeastern Panama. Due to the presence of several active geologic faults and the Central America Volcanic Arc , there is a high amount of seismic activity in the region, such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, which has resulted in death, injury, and property damage. In the pre-Columbian era , Central America

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1804-489: Is the most common type of Central American temperate evergreen cloud forest , found in almost all Central American countries, normally more than 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) above sea level. Tree species include evergreen oaks , members of the laurel family , species of Weinmannia and Magnolia , and Drimys granadensis . The cloud forest of Sierra de las Minas , Guatemala, is the largest in Central America. In some areas of southeastern Honduras there are cloud forests,

1886-460: Is very rich in terms of ethnic groups. The majority of the population is mestizo , with sizable Mayan and African descendent populations present, along with numerous other indigenous groups such as the Miskito people . The immigration of Arabs, Jews, Chinese, Europeans and others brought additional groups to the area. The predominant religion in Central America is Christianity (95.6%). Beginning with

1968-487: Is warmed by the sun . This heated air is more buoyant than colder air so it rises and is then pushed poleward by more air rising from below. Once the air reaches northern latitudes it begins to cool and as a result it falls back towards to the Earth 's surface. As the air is falling it exerts more pressure downward on the surface, creating a high-pressure systems . This cold, high-pressure air mass then travels equatorward. Air masses repeatedly move in this loop, but due to

2050-714: The Atlantic Ocean , to the north; the Caribbean Sea, also part of the Atlantic Ocean, to the northeast; and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Some physiographists define the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as the northern geographic border of Central America, while others use the northwestern borders of Belize and Guatemala. From there, the Central American land mass extends southeastward to the Atrato River , where it connects to

2132-663: The Chibchan languages at the time of European contact and are considered by some 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 territory in 1523. Soon after the conquest of the Aztec Empire , Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado commenced

2214-678: The Cordillera de Talamanca . The Central American montane forests are an ecoregion of the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund . These forests are of the moist deciduous and the semi-evergreen seasonal subtype of tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and receive high overall rainfall with a warm summer wet season and a cooler winter dry season. Central American montane forests consist of forest patches located at altitudes ranging from 1,800–4,000 metres (5,900–13,100 ft), on

2296-610: The Coriolis force , this convection is not perfectly aligned south to north. In actuality, the air moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere , as it moves from the equator to higher latitudes and then back to the equator again. The air travelling clockwise off the North American continent is cold and dense, with a high pressure. As it moves southwest over the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico , it meets warm, moist air with

2378-742: The Kowoj and the Itza people – were finally defeated in 1697, as part of the Spanish conquest of Petén . In 1538, Spain established the 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 Audiencia Real de Guatemala . This area included

2460-516: The Pacific Lowlands in northwestern South America. Central America has over 70 active volcanoes, 41 which are located in El Salvador, and Guatemala. The volcano with the most activity in Central America is Santa María . Still experiencing frequent eruptions to this day, with the last one beginning in 2013, and still is going on to this day. Of the many mountain ranges within Central America,

2542-571: The Pre-Columbian era , the northern areas of Central America were inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica . Most notable among these were the Mayans , who had built numerous cities throughout the region, and the Aztecs , 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

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2624-710: The Sierra Madre de Chiapas in Mexico's Chiapas state through the highlands of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras to central Nicaragua. The pine-oak forests lie between 600–1,800 metres (2,000–5,900 ft) elevation, and are surrounded at lower elevations by tropical moist forests and tropical dry forests . Higher elevations above 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) are usually covered with Central American montane forests . The Central American pine-oak forests are composed of many species characteristic of temperate North America including oak , pine , fir , and cypress . Laurel forest

2706-661: The 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' , Tz'utujil , Pipil , and the 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 –

2788-422: The upwelling of cold water from greater ocean depths where the rising cold water then mixes with the warmer water near the surface and subsequently lowers sea surface temperatures . Therefore, the Papagayo jet indirectly cools the coastal waters off the shores of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, extending the Costa Rica Dome. During the winter months, the coastal eddies and by extension the Papagayo jet, are thought to be

2870-563: The 1816 earthquake of Guatemala. Managua , the capital of Nicaragua, was devastated by earthquakes in 1931 and 1972 . Volcanic eruptions are also common in Central America. In 1968 the Arenal Volcano , in Costa Rica, erupted killing 87 people as the 3 villages of Tabacon, Pueblo Nuevo and San Luis were buried under pyroclastic flows and debris. Fertile soils from weathered volcanic lava have made it possible to sustain dense populations in

2952-585: The 1930s the United Fruit Company owned 14,000 square kilometres (3.5 million acres) 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 . After more than two hundred years of social unrest, violent conflict, and revolution, Central America today remains in

3034-564: 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 . The Federal Republic of Central America was a representative democracy with its capital at Guatemala City . This union consisted of the provinces of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Los Altos , Mosquito Coast , and Nicaragua. The lowlands of southwest Chiapas, including Soconusco, initially belonged to

3116-471: The Costa Rica Dome east (from 300 to approximately 1000 kilometers in diameter) to the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican coastlines. The mechanism for this cooling is explained by the influence of the Papagayo winds on the ocean surface currents. As the winds blow southwest over the Pacific they create cyclonic and anticyclonic coastal eddies on the water surface due to Ekman pumping . These coastal eddies generate

3198-551: The Costa Rica Dome. The movement and growth of the dome is caused by the seasonal variability of the jet where the annual upwelling and mixing caused by the Papagayo jet during dome extension allows for the transport of nutrient -rich cold waters to the surface. If the jet was a permanent feature (and by extension, the dome was also permanent) there would be no seasonal transport of nutrients via cold water upwelling . Indirect evidence of this nutrient transport can be seen in satellite imagery showing increased chlorophyll production in

3280-594: The Costa Rica-Chiriqui highlands within the Talamancan montane forest region. Jaguars , cougars , spider monkeys , as well as tapirs , and anteaters live in the woods of Central America. The Central American red brocket is a brocket deer found in Central America's tropical forest. Central America is geologically very active, with volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occurring frequently, and tsunamis occurring occasionally. Many thousands of people have died as

3362-696: The Motagua Fault has been responsible for earthquakes in 1717 , 1773 , 1902 , 1976 , 1980 , and 2009 . Another onshore continuation of the Cayman Trough is the Chixoy-Polochic Fault , which runs parallel to, and roughly 80 kilometers (50 mi) to the north, of the Motagua Fault. Though less active than the Motagua Fault, seismic activity at the Chixoy-Polochic Fault is still thought to be capable of producing very large earthquakes, such as

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3444-542: The Northern Hemisphere winter. The jet is most prominent in the winter months because the pressure gradient is largest between the two air masses during this time of the year. The greater the difference in temperature between the two air masses, the faster the air will flow from an area of high pressure into an area of low pressure. In the spring, summer, and fall months the air mass from the North American continent

3526-681: The PRC. The Central American Parliament (aka PARLACEN) is a political and parliamentary body of SICA. The parliament started around 1980, and its primary goal was to resolve conflicts in Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador. Although the group was disbanded in 1986, ideas of unity of Central Americans still remained, so a treaty was signed in 1987 to create the Central American Parliament and other political bodies. Its original members were Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. The parliament

3608-660: The People's Republic of China. In August 2018, El Salvador also severed ties with Taiwan to formally start recognizing the People's Republic of China as sole China, a move many considered lacked transparency due to its abruptness and reports of the Chinese government's desires to invest in the department of La Union while also promising to fund the ruling party's reelection campaign. The President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele , broke diplomatic relations with Taiwan and established ties with China . On 9 December 2021, Nicaragua resumed relations with

3690-491: The Republic until 1824, when Mexico annexed most of Chiapas and began its claims to Soconusco. The Republic lasted from 1823 to 1838, when it disintegrated as a result of civil wars. 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 Guatemalan department . In 1862, Britain formally declared it

3772-453: The Spanish colonization of Central America in the 16th century, Catholicism became the most popular religion in the region until the first half of the 20th century. Since the 1960s, there has been an increase in other Christian groups, particularly Protestantism , as well as other religious organizations, and individuals identifying themselves as having no religion. Source: Jason Mandrik, Operation World Statistics (2020). Central America

3854-472: The agriculturally productive highland areas. List of countries by life expectancy at birth for 2022, according to the World Bank Group . The population of Central America is estimated at 50,956,791 as of 2021. With an area of 523,780 square kilometers (202,230 sq mi), it has a population density of 97.3 per square kilometre (252 per square mile). Human Development Index values are from

3936-443: The balloon example serves as an analogy of how the Papagayo jet forms; the air moving out of the balloon cannot escape all at once because there is only a small opening that allows for the release of air. The narrow opening of the balloon facilitates the creation of a wind because the air velocity increases through the balloon neck. Like the wind blowing through the balloon neck, the Papagayo winds reach high speeds as they travel through

4018-403: The balloon is equal. If Central America were topographically flat, the air would flow uninterrupted from the Caribbean to the Pacific Ocean ; however, the Cordillera mountains, which run along the west coast of Central America , block this flow. As a result, the air is funneled into a narrow mountain pass near Lake Nicaragua and the Gulf of Papagayo , creating the Papagayo jet. Again,

4100-461: The bird population of the Talamancan montane forests in Costa Rica and Panama are endemic to this region. Several birds are listed as threatened, most notably the resplendent quetzal (Pharomacrus mocinno), three-wattled bellbird (Procnias tricarunculata), bare-necked umbrellabird (Cephalopterus glabricollis), and black guan (Chamaepetes unicolor). Many of the amphibians are endemic and depend on

4182-476: The break in the Cordillera . For context, Papagayo jet winds have mean speeds of 20 meters per second (72 km/h; 45 mph) and can reach speeds of up to 30 meters per second (110 km/h; 67 mph), in comparison with average trade wind speeds of 25 km/h. Once the Papagayo jet winds reach the Pacific Ocean they slow considerably and merge with the trade winds. Papagayo wind jet surges can occur intermittently every few weeks and last several days during

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4264-641: 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 captaincy general and the governor was also granted the title of captain general. The Captaincy General of Guatemala encompassed most of Central America, with

4346-463: The dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America , countries like Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua continue to maintain a Central American identity. Belizeans are usually identified as culturally Caribbean rather than Central American, while Panamanians identify themselves more broadly with their South American neighbors. The Spanish-speaking countries officially include both North America and South America as

4428-498: The distribution of air pressure tends to be influenced by the behavior of winds at the mesoscale (as opposed to the converse at synoptic scales). For many mesoscale phenomena, the vertical acceleration of air is sufficiently large enough that calculations cannot assume hydrostatic balance . This is often true of phenomena with a vertical dimension roughly equal to their horizontal dimensions. As in synoptic frontal analysis , mesoscale analysis uses cold, warm, and occluded fronts on

4510-526: The dome, in comparison to the surrounding WHWP, create an ideal habitat for a number of species making the Papagayo Wind Jet important for biodiversity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific . In North and Central America , during the Northern Hemisphere winter, high-pressure systems are created between the equator and 35th parallels north via atmospheric circulation . Air near the equator

4592-410: The estimates for 2017. The official language majority in all Central American countries is Spanish , except in Belize, where the official language is English . Mayan languages constitute a language family consisting of about 26 related languages. Guatemala formally recognized 21 of these in 1996. Xinca , Miskito , and Garifuna are also present in Central America. This region of the continent

4674-505: The exception of present-day Belize and Panama. The Captaincy General of Guatemala lasted for more than two centuries, but began to fray after a 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

4756-434: The existence of forest. The golden toad that once inhabited a small region in the Monteverde Reserve, which is part of the Talamancan montane forests, has not been seen alive since 1989 and is listed as extinct by IUCN. The exact causes for its extinction are unknown. Global warming may have played a role, because the development of that frog is typical for this area may have been compromised. Seven small mammals are endemic to

4838-409: The factors responsible for the Costa Rica Dome. The Costa Rica Dome is a roughly circular area of anomalously cold water in the eastern tropical Pacific . It has a diameter of approximately 300-500 kilometers and is centered approximately 300 kilometers west of the Gulf of Papagayo . The waters surrounding the dome (known as the Western Hemisphere Warm Pool ) are considerably warmer due to heating from

4920-437: The headquarters of SICA with the inauguration of a new building. Until recently, all Central American countries maintained diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of China. President Óscar Arias of Costa Rica, however, established diplomatic relations with China in 2007, severing formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. After breaking off relations with the Republic of China in 2017, Panama established diplomatic relations with

5002-454: The integration agenda was further advanced by the creation of the Central American Integration System ( Sistema para la Integración Centroamericana , or SICA). SICA provides a clear legal basis to avoid disputes between the member states. SICA membership includes the 7 nations of Central America plus the Dominican Republic , a state that is traditionally considered part of the Caribbean. On 6 December 2008, SICA announced an agreement to pursue

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5084-455: The largest located near the border with Nicaragua. In Nicaragua, cloud forests are situated near the border with Honduras, but many were cleared to grow coffee. There are still some temperate evergreen hills in the north. The only cloud forest in the Pacific coastal zone of Central America is on the Mombacho volcano in Nicaragua. In Costa Rica, there are laurel forests in the Cordillera de Tilarán and Volcán Arenal , called Monteverde , also in

5166-442: The longest are the Sierra Madre de Chiapas , the Cordillera Isabelia and the Cordillera de Talamanca . At 4,220 meters (13,850 ft), Volcán Tajumulco is the highest peak in Central America. Other high points of Central America are as listed in the table below: Between the mountain ranges lie fertile valleys that are suitable for the raising of livestock and for the production of coffee, tobacco, beans and other crops. Most of

5248-432: The mesoscale to help describe phenomena. On weather maps mesoscale fronts are depicted as smaller and with twice as many bumps or spikes as the synoptic variety. In the United States , opposition to the use of the mesoscale versions of fronts on weather analyses, has led to the use of an overarching symbol (a trough symbol) with a label of outflow boundary as the frontal notation. This meteorology –related article

5330-399: The mid-1900s and an improved understanding of thunderstorm behavior led to a increased recognition of a need to study phenomena between the scales studied in the extant disciplines of microscale and synoptic-scale meteorology. The term "mesoscale" originated from M. G. H. Ligda at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology , who suggested a need to study phenomena at such scales in 1951: It

5412-416: The physical models used to diagnose mesoscale phenomena often assume a constant Coriolis frequency . Nonetheless, the Coriolis force is non-negligible and comparable to the influence of atmospheric buoyancy . Large-scale turbulence and eddies also play a large role in mesoscale meteorology. The vertical movement of air (often expressed as omega ) is larger at mesoscale than at synoptic scales, and

5494-426: The population of Honduras, Costa Rica and Guatemala lives in valleys. Trade winds have a significant effect upon the climate of Central America. Temperatures in Central America are highest just prior to the summer wet season , and are lowest during the winter dry season , when trade winds contribute to a cooler climate. The highest temperatures occur in April, due to higher levels of sunlight, lower cloud cover and

5576-406: The primary drivers of the dome. Model simulations indicate that without the Papagayo jet the Costa Rica Dome would not grow to such a large extent and may not even persist year-round. The Papagayo jet is an important meteorological phenomenon when considering ocean biodiversity in the eastern tropical Pacific . The jet plays a key role in lowering sea surface temperatures, through the influence on

5658-428: The region are made by creating ecoregions and nature reserves. 36% of Belize's land territory falls under some form of official protected status, giving Belize one of the most extensive systems of terrestrial protected areas in the Americas. In addition, 13% of Belize's marine territory are also protected. A large coral reef extends from Mexico to Honduras: the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System . The Belize Barrier Reef

5740-404: The region's flora and fauna are threatened, 107 of which are classified as critically endangered. The underlying problems are deforestation , which is estimated by FAO at 1.2% per year in Central America and Mexico combined, fragmentation of rainforests and the fact that 80% of the vegetation in Central America has already been converted to agriculture. Efforts to protect fauna and flora in

5822-407: The region. In 2010 Belize had 63% of remaining forest cover, Costa Rica 46%, Panama 45%, Honduras 41%, Guatemala 37%, Nicaragua 29%, and El Salvador 21%. Most of the loss occurred in the moist forest biome , with 12,201 square kilometers (4,711 sq mi). Woody vegetation loss was partially set off by a gain in the coniferous forest biome with 4,730 square kilometers (1,830 sq mi), and

5904-574: 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

5986-665: 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. From its independence from Spain in 1821 until 1823, the former Captaincy General remained intact as part of the short-lived First Mexican Empire . When the Emperor of Mexico abdicated on 19 March 1823, Central America again became independent. On 1 July 1823,

6068-568: The spring and autumn. As a bridge between North America and South America, Central America has many species from the Nearctic and the Neotropical realms . However the southern countries (Costa Rica and Panama) of the region have more biodiversity than the northern countries (Guatemala and Belize), meanwhile the central countries (Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador) have the least biodiversity. The table below shows recent statistics: Over 300 species of

6150-501: The summits and slopes of the highest mountains in Central America ranging from Southern Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, to northern Nicaragua. The entire ecoregion covers an area of 13,200 square kilometers (5,100 sq mi) and has a temperate climate with relatively high precipitation levels. Ecoregions are not only established to protect the forests themselves but also because they are habitats for an incomparably rich and often endemic fauna. Almost half of

6232-414: The sun, given the region's proximity to the equator. The existence of the Costa Rica Dome can be attributed to a multitude of mesoscale oceanic effects; however, the Papagayo jet plays a considerable role in the size, movement, and continued existence of the dome throughout the year. As the Papagayo winds blow during the winter months they cool the surface ocean water in their path causing the extension of

6314-844: The surface waters directly under the path of the jet. The dome has also shown to be an area with increased zooplankton biomass as well as an area inhabited by blue whales who seem to follow the dome as it migrates in the eastern tropical Pacific waters. Mesoscale meteorology Mesoscale meteorology is the study of weather systems and processes at scales smaller than synoptic-scale systems but larger than microscale and storm-scale. Horizontal dimensions generally range from around 5 kilometres (3 mi) to several hundred kilometres. Examples of mesoscale weather systems are sea breezes , squall lines , and mesoscale convective complexes . Vertical velocity often equals or exceeds horizontal velocities in mesoscale meteorological systems due to nonhydrostatic processes such as buoyant acceleration of

6396-474: The viceroyalty of New Spain from Mexico City as the Captaincy General of Guatemala . On 24 August 1821, Spanish Viceroy Juan de O'Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba , which established New Spain's independence from Spain. On 15 September 1821, the Act of Independence of Central America was enacted to announce Central America's separation from the Spanish Empire and provide for the establishment of

6478-657: 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 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 military and political struggles took place from that time until 1822,

6560-606: Was inhabited by the Indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica to the north and west and the Isthmo-Colombian peoples to the south and east. Following the Spanish expedition of Christopher Columbus ' voyages to the Americas , Spain began to colonize the Americas . From 1609 to 1821, the majority of Central American territories (except for what would become Belize and Panama, and including the modern Mexican state of Chiapas ) were governed by

6642-474: Was replaced by the 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 secession of Panama on 3 November 1903. Only after that time did some begin to regard Panama as a North or Central American entity. By

6724-401: Was seen in the coniferous woody vegetation of Honduras. The Central American pine-oak forests ecoregion, in the tropical and subtropical coniferous forests biome, is found in Central America and southern Mexico. The Central American pine-oak forests occupy an area of 111,400 square kilometers (43,000 sq mi), extending along the mountainous spine of Central America, extending from

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