Central American Cordillera

The Cordillera de Guanacaste is a volcanic mountain range in northwestern Costa Rica, near the border with Nicaragua. The mountain range forms part of the southern region of the Continental Divide and contains several volcanic peaks and protected areas.

The Cordillera de Talamanca is a mountain range that lies in the southeast half of Costa Rica and the far west of Panama. The range rises from sea level on the Caribbean side to over 12,000 ft and then drops back down to the General Valley on the Pacific side.

The Sierra de las Minas runs east to west through the Guatemalan Highlands in the country's southeast. The Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve contains a substantial part of the range and an estimated 60 percent of Guatemala’s remaining cloud forest.

​The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is a major mountain range of Central America that runs parallel to the Pacific coast, from southern Mexico northwest-southeast across the southern half of Guatemala and into El Salvador and Honduras.

The Continental Divide of the Americas is a geographic feature that divides watersheds draining into the Pacific Ocean from those flowing into the Atlantic. It stretches from North America's northernmost point to South America's southernmost tip. It is connected to the creation and evolution of the American Cordillera, a vast chain of mountain ranges forming the western backbone of the continent.

The Central America Volcanic Arc, also known as the Central Volcanic Range, is a mesmerizing chain of volcanic formations spanning from Guatemala to northern Panama. These volcanic formations range from major stratovolcanoes to lava domes and cinder cones. The volcanic arc unfolds parallel to the Pacific coastline of the Central American Isthmus, offering insight into the dynamic forces shaping the region.

Stretching majestically across Mexico, the Sierra Madre mountain system forms an awe-inspiring backbone that encloses the central Mexican Plateau. This vast and intricate network of ranges, part of the mighty American Cordillera, extends in a broad northwest-southeast arc, encompassing a kaleidoscope of landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural heritage that have shaped the essence of Mexico.

The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, alternatively known as the Cordillera Neo-Volcánica, stands as a geological masterpiece stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in south-central Mexico. Encompassing an active volcanic arc, this volcanic belt narrates a tale of the dynamic interplay between tectonic plates that has unfolded over millions of years.