9781422286524

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Central America: Facts and Figures

Ridges, Valleys, and Plains Mountains and volcanoes dominate the Pacific side of Central America, but the eastern Caribbean side rolls with ridges and valleys. Here, geological forces have compressed the Earth’s crust, giving the rugged landscape a rumpled look. This area extends in an east-west arc across northwestern Central America. One edge follows the Caribbean shoreline of northern Honduras until it drops offshore to become the floor of the sea. Fewer people live in this part of Central America, but it contains greater mineral resources than the volcanic regions. Nicaragua mines gold, for example, and Honduras exports lead-zinc concentrates that are used in industry. Low-lying plains are uncommon. Except for the narrow coastal strips along the Caribbean and Pacific shorelines, they are found only in northern Guatemala and the great Nicaraguan land depression that creates lakes Managua and Nicaragua. The lowlands offer the right kind of resources for cattle ranches and sugar cane plantations in Central America. Climate: From Tropical to Cool Although all of Central America is thought of as being tropical, its climate varies with altitude from tropical to cool. High up, the climate is cool, but down near the coast, there are steamy, tropical jungles, and the marshes of the Caribbean coast, including the aptly named Mosquito Coast, are especially hot and sticky. Four of Central America’s seven capital cities are located in the cool uplands. Rainfall varies a great deal. Trade winds passing over the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea produce heavy showers throughout the year on the eastern side of the region. In the interior and on the Pacific side, there is less rainfall. Most of it occurs during a wet summer season between May and October. Rainfall on the Pacific coastal plain is ideal for growing sugar cane and cotton. Year-round rainfall