Ethnic groups in Central America
Encyclopedia
Central America
is a region formed by 6 Latin America
n countries and one Anglo American nation (Belize
, even though it has more Spanish than English speakers). This isthmus unites North America
with South America
and it comprises the following countries, from north to south:
Guatemala
Belize
Honduras
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Central America has a population of approximately 40 million in 2007 in an area of 523,780 km², with a 77.3 density
of hab/km² although its population is not distributed equally. For example, Belize is larger than El Salvador in area by 1,924 km², but El Salvador has 30 times the population of Belize. As with Panama and Costa Rica, Costa Rica has more population than Panama, but Panama has more surface than Costa Rica. Guatemala has the largest population with 13,276,517; followed by Honduras at 7,792,854. The following table shows the population and surface of each country with its respective density:
s, have an approximate population of 5,380,885 inhabitants.
Costa Rica
Today most Costa Ricans are of primarily Spanish ancestry with minorities of German, Italian, French, Dutch, British, Swedish and Greek ancestry.
80% being White and 14% being Mestizo. European and western-oriented, plus American pop culture has a large impact in Costa Rica, also thrived in a fairly democratic prosperous economy.
European immigration used Costa Rica to get across the isthmus of Central America as well to emigrate on the USA West Coast (California
) in the late 19th century and to the 1910s before the Panama Canal
opened. Other European ethnic groups known to live in Costa Rica are Russians, Danes, Belgians, Portuguese, Croats, Hungarians, Turks, Armenians and Georgians. Without a doubt Costa Rica is the Central American country with the largest white population.
Besides Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador also have a significant white population.
population (mixed Native American and white
) is formed by 27,456,772 inhabitants, occupying the majority of the Central American population. All the republics have significant Mestizo populations. Note: Costa Rica includes White population.
, Afro-Caribbean, and Garifuna populations form the majority of the Afro-Latin American
s in Central America, of which the majority is concentrated on the Caribbean coasts of the region. It is important to note that all these groups are distinct, speaking English
, English creoles, Garifuna
, Miskito
, and Spanish. The highest percentage is 31% in Belize, where Kriol
s and Garifuna were once the majority of the nation that has seen heavy emigration and immigration in the last 30 years. The largest population, however, is in Nicaragua of Creole
, Afro-Caribbean, and to a lesser degree of Miskito and Garifuna descent, of which the majority is concentrated on the Caribbean coast in the area often referred to as the Mosquito Coast
. In Panama people of African descent were already present when the construction of an inter-oceanic channel
saw the large arrival of immigrant afro-Caribbeans. Honduras has a small population of creole
people, but the overwhelming majority of blacks are Garifuna. Although El Salvador is the only Central American country with no official black percentage, Salvadorans with some African heritage
are present.
The Raizal
ethnic group in the San Andrés y Providencia Department, an archipelago under Colombian sovereignty but geographically close to Nicaragua's shores, is another Afro-Caribbean group in Central America, speaking the San Andrés-Providencia Creole
. In 2005, they constituted 57% of the 60,000 inhabitants of the islands, according to official statistics.
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
is a region formed by 6 Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n countries and one Anglo American nation (Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, even though it has more Spanish than English speakers). This isthmus unites North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
with South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and it comprises the following countries, from north to south:
Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
Central America has a population of approximately 40 million in 2007 in an area of 523,780 km², with a 77.3 density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of hab/km² although its population is not distributed equally. For example, Belize is larger than El Salvador in area by 1,924 km², but El Salvador has 30 times the population of Belize. As with Panama and Costa Rica, Costa Rica has more population than Panama, but Panama has more surface than Costa Rica. Guatemala has the largest population with 13,276,517; followed by Honduras at 7,792,854. The following table shows the population and surface of each country with its respective density:
| COUNTRY | Surface | Population | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 108,890 | 13,276,517 | 116.8 |
| Belize | 22,966 | 307,899 | 13 |
| Honduras | 112,090 | 7,792,854 | 66.7 |
| El Salvador | 21,040 | 7,185,218 | 330.2 |
| Nicaragua | 129,494 | 5,891,199 | 43.8 |
| Costa Rica | 51,100 | 4,509,290 | 70.8 |
| Panama | 78,200 | 3,360,474 | 41.4 |
| Total | 523,780 | 42,071,038 | 77.3 |
The White Population
The white ethnic group, or White Latin AmericanWhite Latin American
White Latin Americans are the people of Latin America who are white in the racial classification systems used in individual Latin American countries. Persons who are classified as White in one Latin American country may be classified differently in another country...
s, have an approximate population of 5,380,885 inhabitants.
Costa Rica
Today most Costa Ricans are of primarily Spanish ancestry with minorities of German, Italian, French, Dutch, British, Swedish and Greek ancestry.
80% being White and 14% being Mestizo. European and western-oriented, plus American pop culture has a large impact in Costa Rica, also thrived in a fairly democratic prosperous economy.
European immigration used Costa Rica to get across the isthmus of Central America as well to emigrate on the USA West Coast (California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) in the late 19th century and to the 1910s before the Panama Canal
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
opened. Other European ethnic groups known to live in Costa Rica are Russians, Danes, Belgians, Portuguese, Croats, Hungarians, Turks, Armenians and Georgians. Without a doubt Costa Rica is the Central American country with the largest white population.
Besides Costa Rica, Nicaragua and El Salvador also have a significant white population.
| COUNTRY | %local | Population | % Regional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | N/A | N/A | |
| Belize | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Honduras | 1.0 | 77,928 | |
| El Salvador | 17.0 | 1,293,669 | |
| Nicaragua | 17.0 | 1.001,503 | |
| Costa Rica | 94.0 (includes mestizo) | 3,898,644 | |
| Panama | 10.0 | 336,047 |
The Mestizo Population
The mestizoMestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
population (mixed Native American and white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
) is formed by 27,456,772 inhabitants, occupying the majority of the Central American population. All the republics have significant Mestizo populations. Note: Costa Rica includes White population.
| COUNTRY | %local | Population | % Regional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 59.4 | 7,866,251 | |
| Belize | 48.7 | 149,946 | |
| Honduras | 90.0 | 7,013,568 | |
| El Salvador | 85.0 | 6,173,226 | |
| Nicaragua | 69.0 | 4,064,927 | |
| Costa Rica | 94 (Includes white population) | 3,898,644 | |
| Panama | 70.0 | 2,353,331 |
The Black population
The CreoleCreole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
, Afro-Caribbean, and Garifuna populations form the majority of the Afro-Latin American
Afro-Latin American
An Afro-Latin American is a Latin American person of at least partial Black African ancestry; the term may also refer to historical or cultural elements in Latin America thought to emanate from this community...
s in Central America, of which the majority is concentrated on the Caribbean coasts of the region. It is important to note that all these groups are distinct, speaking English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, English creoles, Garifuna
Garifuna language
Garifuna is an Arawakan language spoken in Honduras, Guatemala, and Belize by the Garifuna people. The language is also spoken to a lesser extent in Nicaragua's Mosquito Coast. Historically it was referred to as Carib or Black Carib and Igñeri by Europeans. Garifuna has a vocabulary split between...
, Miskito
Miskito language
Miskito is a Misumalpan language spoken by the Miskito people in northeastern Nicaragua, especially in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region, and in eastern Honduras....
, and Spanish. The highest percentage is 31% in Belize, where Kriol
Belizean Kriol people
The Belizean Creoles, locally known as Kriols, are Creole descendants of English and Scottish log cutters, as well as Black African slaves brought to Belize. Other small minorities include Creoles and the Miskito from Nicaragua, Jamaicans, and other West Indians who assisted in the logging...
s and Garifuna were once the majority of the nation that has seen heavy emigration and immigration in the last 30 years. The largest population, however, is in Nicaragua of Creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
, Afro-Caribbean, and to a lesser degree of Miskito and Garifuna descent, of which the majority is concentrated on the Caribbean coast in the area often referred to as the Mosquito Coast
Mosquito Coast
The Caribbean Mosquito Coast historically consisted of an area along the Atlantic coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras, and part of the Western Caribbean Zone. It was named after the local Miskito Indians and long dominated by British interests...
. In Panama people of African descent were already present when the construction of an inter-oceanic channel
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
saw the large arrival of immigrant afro-Caribbeans. Honduras has a small population of creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
people, but the overwhelming majority of blacks are Garifuna. Although El Salvador is the only Central American country with no official black percentage, Salvadorans with some African heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
are present.
The Raizal
Raizal
The Raizals are a Protestant Afro-Caribbean ethnic group, speaking the San Andrés-Providencia Creole, an English Creole, living in the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, presently the Colombian San Andrés y Providencia Department, off the Nicaraguan Miskito Coast...
ethnic group in the San Andrés y Providencia Department, an archipelago under Colombian sovereignty but geographically close to Nicaragua's shores, is another Afro-Caribbean group in Central America, speaking the San Andrés-Providencia Creole
San Andrés-Providencia Creole
San Andrés–Providencia Creole is a Creole language spoken in the San Andrés and Providencia Department of Colombia by the natives , very similar to the Miskito Coastal Creole spoken in Bluefields, the Corn Islands and the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua...
. In 2005, they constituted 57% of the 60,000 inhabitants of the islands, according to official statistics.
| COUNTRY | %local | Population | % Regional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Belize | 31.0 | 95,488 | |
| Honduras | 2.0 | 155,857 | |
| El Salvador | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Nicaragua | 9.0 | 530,207 | |
| Costa Rica | 3.0 | 127,616 | |
| Panama | 14.0 | 470,466 |
The Native American Population
The only plurality of Indigenous people located in Central America is in Guatemala. Native Americans are small minorities in the rest of Central America, especially in Costa Rica and El Salvador, where they are 1% of the total population.| COUNTRY | %local | Population | % Regional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala | 40.5 | 5,376,989 | |
| Belize | 10.6 | 32,637 | |
| Honduras | 7.0 | 545,499 | |
| El Salvador | 1.0 | 71,852 | |
| Nicaragua | 5.0 | 294,559 | |
| Costa Rica | 1.0 | 42,538 | |
| Panama | 6.0 | 201,628 |