Nearly 750,000 Surf Net in Central America
Only 2 percent of the region's 38.2 million citizens are online.
Central America, the predominantly Spanish-speaking area that separates the Caribbean from the Pacific, is the southernmost region of North America, encompassing roughly 202,200 square miles. Consisting of fertile and rugged land that is dominated by a string of volcanic mountain ranges, the area is home to approximately 38.2 million citizens.
While the chief crops of Central America continue to be bananas, coffee, and cacao, gold and silver are mined there and the region is becoming economically more diversified. The 2 percent Internet penetration rate is expected to increase as more technical positions are created and the industrial and service sectors develop.
Costa Rica leads the online population, with a 10 percent Internet penetration rate. Belize’s 18,000 Internet users account for 7 percent of the total population, while Guatemala’s 200,000 surfers only represent 2 percent.
Honduras’ 8 ISPs serves a scant 1 percent of the population, accounting for approximately 26 percent of the total number of providers in Central America.
| Central America Internet Usage | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Internet Users | Penetration | ISPs | |
| Belize | 262,999 | 18,000 | 7% | 2 |
| Costa Rica | 3,834,934 | 384,000 | 10% | 3 |
| El Salvador | 6,353,681 | 40,000 | 1% | 4 |
| Guatemala | 13,314,079 | 200,000 | 2% | 5 |
| Honduras | 6,560,608 | 40,000 | 1% | 8 |
| Nicaragua | 5,023,818 | 20,000 | > 1% | 3 |
| Panama | 2,882,329 | 45,000 | 2% | 6 |
| TOTAL | 38,232,448 | 747,000 | 2% | 31 |
| Source: CIA’s World Factbook | ||||
