Landforms of Central America

The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies in the southeast half of Costa Rica and the far west of Panama. The range rises from sea level on the Caribbean side to over 12,000 ft and then drops back down to the General Valley on the Pacific side.

Golfo Dulce lies between the Osa Peninsula and the southern Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Coronado Bay lies to the northwest. The peninsula contains a complex of national parks and protects one of Central America's most significant stands of the virgin rainforest.

The Gulf of Darién is the southernmost extension of the Caribbean Sea, situated off the northwestern coast of Colombia and the southeastern coast of Panama. The Darién Gap is a break across the North and South American continents within Central America.

The Gulf of Fonseca, a sheltered inlet of the Pacific Ocean, is a gulf in Central America that is bounded in the northwest by El Salvador, the northeast by Honduras and the southeast by Nicaragua. Notable among the islands in the gulf are Zacate Grande, El Tigre and Meanguera.

The Bay Islands are a group of eight islands and 53 small cays situated within the Gulf of Honduras, an inlet of the Caribbean Sea. The island of Roatán rests on an exposed ancient coral reef and has become an important cruise, diving and eco-tourism destination in Honduras.

The Irazú Volcano is an active stratovolcano situated in the Cordillera Central of east-central Costa Rica. A popular tourist destination, Irazú Volcano National Park is part of the Central Conservation Area of Costa Rica and encompasses the area around the volcano.

The Isthmus of Panama connects North and South America. It separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific Ocean. The Panama Canal is one of the most strategic artificial waterways in the world and one of the largest, most difficult, engineering projects ever undertaken.

Lake Atitlán lies in a spectacular setting in the Guatemalan Highlands of the Sierra Madre mountain range in southwestern Guatemala. It is the deepest lake in Central America. Renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, it is Guatemala's most important tourist attraction.

Lake Managua (or Lago Xolotlán) is a lake in Nicaragua. Managua, the nation's capital, lies on its southwestern shore, and the Momotombo Volcano is on its northwestern shore. The lake is economically significant: its waters yield fish and alligators and are plied by shallow-draft vessels.

Lake Nicaragua is the largest of several freshwater lakes in Nicaragua as well as the largest in Central America. Located in southwest Nicaragua, it is the dominant physical feature of the country. There are more than 400 islands in the lake.