Central America

Region | Realm

The Central America realm is the upper section of the Neotropics with two major subrealms—Central America and the Caribbean—containing six bioregions in total as defined in the One Earth Bioregions Framework. In Central America, there are five main bioregions running the length of the tapering isthmus that separates the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The southernmost of these bioregions, associated with the Isthmus of Panama, extends into Colombia to include its adjoining coastal forests. A small group of subtropical islands below the Baja Peninsula form their own unique bioregion just to the west of Mexico. The Caribbean Islands subrealm consists of one large bioregion, which includes the flooded grasslands and mangroves of southern Florida.