Q 01/05

How many countries is Central America usually said to contain?

A) Seven

B) Five

C) Six

D) Eight

Answer · why

A) Seven

Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama; Mexico is added only in specialised contexts.

Q 02/05

Belize is the only Central American country with which official language?

A) Spanish

B) English

C) Dutch

D) French

Answer · why

B) English

It was the colony of British Honduras until 1981; Belizean Creole, Spanish and Mayan languages are also widely spoken.

Q 03/05

Roughly how many active volcanoes does Central America have?

A) Over 20

B) Over 40

C) Over 70

D) Over 120

Answer · why

C) Over 70

Forty-one of them are in El Salvador and Guatemala alone; Santa María is the most active.

Q 04/05

Which volcano is the most active in Central America?

A) Arenal

B) Masaya

C) Pacaya

D) Santa María

Answer · why

D) Santa María

The Guatemalan peak's 1902 eruption was one of the largest of the twentieth century.

Q 05/05

Most of Central America declared independence from Spain in which year?

A) 1821

B) 1838

C) 1849

D) 1903

Answer · why

A) 1821

The region was briefly annexed by Mexico before breaking away in 1823 to form its own federation.