Capital: Mexico City

Location: South of the United States

Mexico was claimed for Spain by Hernán Cortez in 1519; independence in 1821.  Early civilizations: Mayan, Toltec, Aztec.

Capital:  San Juan

Location:  In the Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic.

The name means "rich port".

Puerto Rico discovered by Columbus in 1493.  It became part of the U.S. in 1898, currently a U.S. commonwealth.

Capital:  Guatemala City

Location:  Southeast of Mexico

Original inhabitants:  The Mayas Claimed fof Spain in 1523 by Pedro de Alvardo.   Independence from Spain in 1821.

20 Mayan languages still spoken.

Capital:  San Jose`

Location:  Southern of Nicaragua

Name given by Christopher Columbus in 1502 .

Costa Rica has one of the highest levels of living conditions in Latin America and of people that can read. 

Capital:  Havana

Location:  South of Florida, east of Mexico.  Largest island in the West Indies.

Cuba was discovered by Columbus in 1492.  Given by Spain to the U.S. in 1898.   Became independent in 1902.

Capital:  San Salvador

Location:  South of Guatemala and Honduras

El Salvador is the smallest country of Central America.  It was claim for Spain in 1524, and gained independence in 1821.

Capital:  Tegucilgalpa

Location:  East of Guatemala and El Salvador

Honduras was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his 4th voyage in 1502.  It gained independence from Spain in 1821 and from Mexico in 1823.

Honduras  has a strong Mayan influence.

Capital:  Managua

Location:  Southeast of Honduras

Nicaragua claimed it's Independence from Spain in 1821.  It joined El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rico in the Central American Federation.

Capital: Santo Domingo

Location: Eastern part of the island Hispaniola and shares with Haiti.

Dominican Republic's first permanent colony of Europeans.  Its original inhabitants were Arawak, followed by Spanish colonists, and then African slaves.

French is spoken here.

Capital: Panama City

Location: East of Costa Rica and west of Colombia.

Panama's first European explorer was Rodrigo de Bastisda in 1501, followed by Columbus in 1502.

Panama canal had a treaty between the US and itself in 1903.  It officially opened in 1920, which was a major source of income for Panama.