Central America is a tiny region, broken into seven even smaller nations. More than 5 million North Americans visit these countries every year, exploring Mayan ruins in Guatemala and Belize, discovering the rain forests of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, snorkeling in Honduras, and cruising through the Panama Canal. A Brief History of Central America, Second Edition explores the history of the Central American isthmus from the pre-Columbian cultures to the contemporary nations that make up the region today: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. This second edition brings the history of the region up to date with new developments, including the continued struggle in the aftermath of the civil wars, the impact of the free trade agreement signed with the United States, and recent elections.