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Countries in Central America and the Caribbean: flags, capitals and fun facts
GeoSilhueta has 20 countries in Central America and the Caribbean. The largest by area is Nicaragua (130,373 km²) and the smallest is Saint Kitts and Nevis (261 km²). See each flag and capital, a fun fact, and open the page with the silhouette.
Antigua and Barbuda — capital: Saint John's
Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua is an 18th-century naval port that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bahamas — capital: Nassau
The country has about 700 islands, plus thousands of cays and reefs, in the Atlantic east of Florida.
Barbados — capital: Bridgetown
Barbados is a coral limestone island rather than a volcanic one like many of its Caribbean neighbors.
Belize — capital: Belmopan
The Great Blue Hole, a marine sinkhole about 300 m wide, draws divers from around the world.
Costa Rica — capital: San José
Costa Rica abolished its army in 1948 and puts that budget toward areas such as education and health.
Cuba — capital: Havana
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean and home to the world's smallest bird, the bee hummingbird.
Dominica — capital: Roseau
The Boiling Lake is a huge flooded fumarole heated by volcanic activity in the middle of the rainforest.
Dominican Republic — capital: Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo has the first permanent European colonial city in the Americas, founded in 1496.
El Salvador — capital: San Salvador
It is the only Central American country with no Caribbean coast, touching only the Pacific, and has over 20 volcanoes.
Grenada — capital: St. George's
Nutmeg appears on the national flag, and the island is known as the Isle of Spice.
Guatemala — capital: Guatemala City
Tikal, an ancient Maya city in Petén, has pyramid temples rising above the forest canopy.
Haiti — capital: Port-au-Prince
In 1804, Haiti became the world's first Black republic after a successful uprising of enslaved people.
Honduras — capital: Tegucigalpa
The Maya ruins of Copán have a famous Hieroglyphic Stairway with about 2,200 glyphs.
Jamaica — capital: Kingston
In 2009, Jamaica's Usain Bolt ran the 100 m in 9.58 s, a world record that still stands.
Nicaragua — capital: Managua
Lake Nicaragua has bull sharks living in fresh water, which is rare in the world.
Panama — capital: Panama City
The Panama Canal, opened in 1914, links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Saint Kitts and Nevis — capital: Basseterre
It is the smallest country in the Americas in both area and population.
Saint Lucia — capital: Castries
The Pitons, twin volcanic peaks rising from the sea, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines — capital: Kingstown
La Soufrière volcano, on the island of Saint Vincent, had a major eruption in 2021.
Trinidad and Tobago — capital: Port of Spain
Pitch Lake, in Trinidad, is a huge natural asphalt deposit that has been exploited for centuries.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in Central America and the Caribbean?
GeoSilhueta lists 20 countries in Central America and the Caribbean.
What is the largest country in Central America and the Caribbean?
Nicaragua is the largest by area, at 130,373 km².