A brief history of Central America / Lynn V. Foster.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Foster, Lynn V.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Central America--History.

Central America.

History.

Physical Description:

xiii, 338 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Facts on File, [2007]

Summary:

Central America is a small region, broken into seven even smaller nations. Yet, more than 5 million North Americans visit these countries annually, 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 early pre-Columbian cultures to the contemporary nations that make up the region today: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Written for a general audience, the history focuses on seminal events and broad cultural patterns that have shaped the region. 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. Coverage also includes: The Land and Its First Peoples, The Spanish Conquest, Life in the Colony, The Federation of Central America, The Making of the Coffee Republics, Challenge to the Old Order, Civil Wars, The Challenge of Peace and Democracy. Basic facts, a chronology, a bibliography, and a list of suggested reading make up the appendixes.

Contents:

The land and its first peoples

The Mayans and their neighbors

The Spanish Conquest (1492-1541)

Founding of the Kingdom of Guatemala (1541-1570)

Life in the colony

The Bourbons and independence (1700-1823)

The federation of Central America (1823-1839)

Conservatives and foreign profiteers (1840-1870)

The making of the Coffee Republics (1870-1900)

Dollar "diplomacy" and the dictators (1898-1944)

Challenge to the old order (1944-1975)

Civil Wars (1975-1996)

The challenge of peace and democracy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 306-324) and index.

ISBN:

9780816066711

081606671X

OCLC:

72161924