9781422286524

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Central America: Facts and Figures

altitude hardwood forests that resemble those in northern Europe. Because of its narrowness, Central America is especially sensitive to move- ments of the Earth’s crust. Far beneath the ground, gigantic tectonic plates barge into one another, triggering earthquakes and occasionally volcanic eruptions. Practically the entire region is an active earthquake zone. In fact, a major earth- quake occurs somewhere in Central America almost every year. Mountains and Volcanoes The overwhelming geographic feature of Central America is its long, unbroken chain of mountains running north to south. The mountains of northern Central America are an extension of the mountain system of western North America. The ranges of southern Central America are outliers of the Andes Mountains of South America. Rugged mountains also crisscross the region, making transportation, communication, and economic development difficult. Nearly every country in Central America has a mountain range poking up against the sky. geothermal— heat energy produced from the Earth. isthmus— a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas. outlier— a geological feature far away from the main body. pine barren— dense pine forest with little vegetation on the forest floor. poacher— a person who hunts illegally. tectonic— having to do with the structure of the earth’s crust. trade wind— a wind blowing almost constantly in one direction, usually associated with the equator. Words to Understand in this Chapter