Today Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua are celebrating their Independence Day! Formerly known as the Captaincy General of Guatemala or Kingdom of Guatemala, these five countries declared their independence from the Spanish Empire on Sept. 15, 1821, when they signed the Act of Independence of Central America. Shortly thereafter, they became part of what was known then as the First Mexican Empire, until they separated to form the Federal Republic of Central America. In 1838, the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America began, and each of the five provinces became the countries that we currently know.

Did you know…? There is no spot in Central America more than 125 miles from the ocean. Each Central American country has a variation of tamales, but they are always wrapped in either corn husks or plantain leaves and steamed or boiled.

This is the first in a series of articles spotlighting different countries in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. To see a complete list of entries, click here.