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| | Roughly the same area as North Carolina, with a population of 3 million, Panama has plenty of wide open spaces. It's a country of intersections -- American engineering meets Central American jungle and lack of organization; laid back Caribbean culture meets the banks and commerce of Panama City; indigenous people meet and mingle with the decenedants of Europeans and Africans; the warm and shallow... |  |
| The Costa Rican motto is "Pura Vida" (pure life), and between the famous warm-water surfing, amazing wildlife, and more than a quarter of the country that is protected forests and reserves, life flourishes in Costa Rica like nowhere else. This tiny country holds 5% of the world's biodiversity in its lush rainforests and hospitable shores. Macaws, whales, howler monkeys and iguanas are common... |  |
| Belize, known up until 1981 as British Honduras, is the only country in Central or South America where English is spoken as frequently as Spanish is. Belizean residents (a mere three hundred thousand strong) are a fascinating hodgepodge of Mayan, African, Spanish, and British descent, and so although the official language is in fact English, Belize boasts as many as seven main languages. Kriol,... |  |
| Nicaragua, despite sounding like a water-based nicotine gum, is a beautiful and worthwhile Central American escape. Overshadowed by the cloud forests and entrenched eco-tourism of the rich coast, Nicaragua is emerging as an experience driven type of travel locale. The ambience pervades, from coastal parties to dance club madness, the people are willing and welcome to partake in the joviality. ... |  |
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