Central American Countries and the Caribbean: Map and List
Central America has 7 countries: Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. The Caribbean has 13 independent island countries, from Cuba, the largest, to Saint Kitts and Nevis, the smallest. Learn Central America from north to south, then the Caribbean from the big islands to the small chain in the east.
The 7 countries of Central America
From north to south: Guatemala and Belize, then El Salvador and Honduras, then Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, which joins South America. Nicaragua is the largest, El Salvador the smallest.
- El Salvador is the only one with no Caribbean coast: it faces only the Pacific.
- Belize is the only one with English as its official language.
- Panama is where the canal joins the two oceans.
The big Caribbean islands
Cuba is the largest Caribbean country. South of it lies Jamaica, and to the east the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti (the western third) and the Dominican Republic (the east). The Bahamas stretch north of Cuba.
The small islands
The small island countries make a curve to the south-east: Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada. Barbados lies a little out to the east, and Trinidad and Tobago sits just off the coast of Venezuela.
These are the hardest to tap: zoom in and practise on the Central America and Caribbean map quiz.
Easy ways to remember them
- Say Central America in order a few times: Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama.
- Pair the island neighbours: Cuba and Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago with Venezuela.
- For the small chain, remember that the names go from "saints" in the north (Saint Kitts) to Grenada and Trinidad in the south, with Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent in the middle.
- Then test yourself on the map quiz until you can find all 20 without a miss.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in Central America?
7: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.
How many countries are in the Caribbean?
13 independent island countries, plus many territories of other countries.
What is the largest country in Central America?
Nicaragua. The smallest is El Salvador.
Is Mexico part of Central America?
No, Mexico is usually counted as North America, just north of Guatemala and Belize.
Which island do Haiti and the Dominican Republic share?
Hispaniola.