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(Opposite) A large cargo ship passes through the Panama Canal, an important waterway through Central America built in the early 20th century. (Right) Central America is a tropical region that is home to thousands of unique species of plants, ani- mals, and birds, such as this Swainsons Toucan. However, the region is facing an environmental crisis due to the encroach- ment of humans on former habitat areas. 1

The Narrow Bridge of Land

CENTRAL AMERICA IS an isthmus joining North America to South America. In Panama, where the Panama Canal links the Caribbean Sea to the Pacific Ocean, the land at its narrowest point is only 30 miles (50 kilometers) wide. Central America borders Mexico on the north and Colombia on the south. With a total area of 202,000 square miles (523,000 square kilometers), Central America is about one- quarter the size of Mexico. Its wider western half is occupied by the nations of Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The republics of Costa Rica and Panama occupy the narrower eastern half. The terrain of Central America rivals many parts of the world for variety. Mountain peaks soar over 14,000 feet high in places. Dense, largely unexplored rainforests provide shelter not only for tens of thousands of species of plants, animals, and insects, but also for small tribes of Amerindians who have lived in them for centuries. There are also deserts, plains, vast pine barrens , and high-

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