Located in the Caribbean, Belize is a former colony, which became independent from Britain in 1981. It is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy. It recognizes Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, who is represented in the country by the position of the Governor-General.1http://www.caribbeanelections.com/bz/education/government_structure.asp According to a national census conducted by the […]

The Republic of Costa Rica borders Nicaragua and Panama. A former Spanish colony, Roman Catholicism is the state religion of Costa Rica. Lauded as one of the most stable democracies in the region, rule of law is generally upheld.1“Costa Rica”, Britannica, accessed 10 December 2024, https://www.britannica.com/place/Costa-Rica; “Costa Rica” chapter in […]

El Salvador – officially the Republic of El Salvador – is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. Between 1980-1992, the military-led government and left-wing guerillas waged a civil war that resulted in the deaths or disappearances of at least 75,000 citizens.1Amelia Hoover Green and Patrick […]

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. Guatemala is a predominantly Christian – primarily […]

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, a federal republic with a population of 126 million inhabitants, is the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world. According to the 2020 census, approximately 78% of the population identify as Roman Catholic, a further 11% as Protestant or Evangelical Christian, and 0.2% as belonging to other religions, including Judaism, […]

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 (approximately 58.5%), however there is a growing evangelical Protestant population, representing 22.6% of the population […]

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 […]