Central America is a narrow isthmus extending from Mexico to Panama where it connects to South America.  Most of Central America rests atop the Caribbean Plate. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur from time to time.

The Caribbean is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of North America, east of Central America, and to the north and west of South America.