Country Links

• Argentina

  A country of wide-open pampas and ancient forests, Argentina is as wild as its capital city, Buenos Aires, is sophisticated.

• Belize

  Known until 1973 as British Honduras, Belize is the only official English-speaking country in Central America.

• Bolivia

  Bolivian culture has many Inca and other Indian influences in religion, music and clothing.

• Chile

  In the world's longest country -north to south, nature runs the gamut of its most dramatic forms - enormous glaciers, craggy granite spires, and towering volcanic cones dominate the landscape. Torres del Paine National Park is widely held to be the finest park in the Americas.

• Colombia

  Colombia has a diverse population that reflects its colourful history and the peoples that have populated her from ancient, to colonial and modern times.

• Costa Rica

  In recent years, Costa Rica has nearly become synonomous with the term "ecotourism." Its pristine rainforests are painstakingly protected, and an ever-increasing tide of people come to witness the astounding abundance of plant and animal species each year.

• Cuba

  The Treaty of Paris established Cuban independence, which was granted in 1902. Fidel Castro led a rebel army to victory in 1959; his iron rule has held the regime together since then.

• Dominican Republic

  The country has had a history of changing ownership, with occasional attempts at independence and self-rule.

• Ecuador

  Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic groups are the Mestizos (those of mixed Spanish and Amerindian ancestry) and constitute just over 65 per cent of the current population. The country's indigenous communities are largely integrated into that mainstream culture.

• El Salvador

  The Republic of El Salvador (Spanish for "The Savior"), which was known prehispanically as Cuscatlán, is a country in Central America with a population of approximately 6.7 million people. It is the most densely populated nation on the American mainland (especially its capital, San Salvador). It is also the most industrialized country in the region.

• Guatemala

  The Maya civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D.

• Guyana

  The Co-operative Republic of Guyana is a nation along the northern coastline of South America and part of Caribbean South America.

• Honduras

  Honduras has experienced strained relations with bordering El Salvador. In the 1980s, the U.S. established a military presence in the country to support the El Salvadoran military's battle against guerillas while the Honduran army quietly waged a campaign against leftists.

• Mexico

  With both the most populous city in the world, and some of the most beautiful beaches, Mexico is a lively destination. A variety of natural wonders from lush tropical rainforests to mountains and deserts make Mexico a gem for the adventurer, but its real treasure is in the spirit of its people.

• Nicaragua

  In the east, several indigenous groups have maintained a distinct identity. The Sumos and Ramas people still use their original languages.

• Panama

  With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land on either side of the structure (the Panama Canal Zone).

• Paraguay

  In the disastrous War of the Triple Alliance (1865-70), Paraguay lost two-thirds of all adult males and much of its territory. It stagnated economically for the next half century.

• Peru

  Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by the Spanish conquistadores in 1533.

• Puerto Rico

  Before Columbus arrived in 1493, bringing Spanish colonization, Puerto Rico was inhabited by approximately a quarter of a million Arawak Indians known as Tainos. After enslaving the local population and decimating its numbers with hard labor and disease, the Spaniards turned their attention to the mainland, leaving Puerto Rico impoverished.

• Uruguay

  Uruguay is distinguished by its high literacy rate, large urban middle class, and relatively even income distribution.

• Venezuela

  As much a Caribbean country as it is a South American anchor, Venezuela is unique. At night, the capital of Caracas comes to life with the rhythms of the Caribbean. The nation also has a few geographical superlatives, including the world's highest waterfall and South America's biggest lake.