Central America

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Central America is a distinctive region comprising of five small countries, namely, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, and how the five countries have encountered more than their fair share of political chaos and turmoil, beginning from the times of colonial occupation. It looks at the development of the region from being one of the economically depressed and socially backwards sections of the world when the Spaniards entered the region, through their independence from the Spaniards in 1821, to the liberalism and dictatorships of the 20th century.

From the Paper:

"The enlightenment that came through Spaniards ironically marked the end of Spanish rule when in 1821 Central America declared its independence, surprisingly without a shred of violence. The people who had gained some cultural advancement and political awareness refused to remain under Spanish control after Mexico announced its independence. The very next year, Central America decided to join Mexican empire but this fusion was short lived as the five countries detached themselves from Mexico in mid-1823. From fifteen years after that till 1838, these five countries shared one political identity and the federation was known as Provinces of Central America. The union which had been enthusiastically created was however not as beneficial to all countries as had been originally perceived."

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