Belize is a former colony and a parliamentary democracy with a Governor General representing the British monarchy. A preamble to the constitution states: “The nation of Belize shall be founded upon principles which acknowledge the supremacy of God”. Constitution and government Despite its preamble, the Belize constitution, drawing on the […]

Roman Catholicism is the state religion of Costa Rica and its institutions permeate the national infrastructure. The percentage of the population that identifies as atheist, agnostic or without religion has slowly but steadily grown in recent years, from 8% in 2011 to 17% in 2018.1https://www.refworld.org/docid/502105cc69.html; https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/COSTA-RICA-2018-INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM-REPORT.pdf Constitution and government Article 75 […]

El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. Constitution and government The constitution and other laws and policies guarantee freedom of religion or belief, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and freedom of association. The […]

Guatemala, with Mexico on its Northern boundary, is in a pivotal position in Central America. It was the scene of a 36-year guerrilla war until 1996, a peace agreement was signed by the government that finally put an end to the internal conflict. The main religion in Guatemala is Christianity, […]

The Republic of Honduras, historical home to Mesoamerican cultures including the Maya, was conquered by Spain in the sixteenth century who imported Roman Catholicism which has been predominant culturally ever since. Honduras’ multi-party system has been turbulent and wracked with controversy. A long history of military rule, corruption and crime has […]

Mexico, with a population of 118 million inhabitants, is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. Its secular constitution guarantees religious freedom. However, societal discrimination against certain religious minorities occurs, and journalists who criticise officials are frequently harassed and even attacked. Constitution and government The Mexican constitution and other laws […]

Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America by area, but its population density is relatively low. Nicaragua was first settled by the Spanish in 1522; it gained independence in 1838. It is majority Catholic and other Christian denominations. Constitution and government Article 29 of the constitution of Nicaragua guarantees […]

Panama is situated on the isthmus connecting Central America and South America. The country obtained its independence from Spain in 1821 and from Colombia in 1903. Panama is a unitary state and a presidential representative democratic republic. It has an elected two-chamber Congress and an elected president acting as head […]