Description: Spanning three thousand years of civilization, A Brief History of Central America presents a short but comprehensive history of this often volatile region of the world. It begins with the early pre-Columbian cultures and concludes with the political and economic challenges currently facing the seven nations that share the isthmus: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.

Written for a general audience, the history focuses on key events and broad cultural patterns that have shaped the region. Special themes are developed throughout the book, revealing a great variety of human experience and exposing the contrasts that exist among the Central American nations, including:
-- The causes of unity and disunity on the isthmus
-- Economic pressures on the rainforests from farming and tourism
-- The fate of indigenous peoples and their cultures since the Spanish Conquest.

A Brief History of Central America is unique in its use of the latest data -- such as information on the end of the recent civil wars and the translation of Maya hieroglyphs -- and ethno-historic and literary materials to help readers gain insight into the region's diverse cultures.

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