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We all know how easy it is to generalize about "national character": the English are reserved, the Americans are outgoing, the French are cultured, etc. etc.  We also know that when we try to apply such characterizations to individuals of these countries, the individual doesn't fit the pattern. In spite of this caveat, here is a quick overview of how Central Americans have appeared to my wife and myself after working with people in each of the countries over the past forty years.

Panamanians.  Their joy of life sets them apart from their neighbors to the north. To hear them shouting from the windows of buses in Panama City to  their friends on the sidewalk is to realize that Panama is a Caribbean country.  They almost dance as they walk along. Another distinction is the prevalence of women in key roles.  Feminism has been in bloom in Panama for a long time.

Costa Ricans. Ticos-- As everyone calls the Costa Ricans--sing along as they speak.  Outsiders often have a hard time distinguishing the different accents in Central Americans, but not the Ticos.  Costa Rica is known for its  democratic traditions and its beautiful women.  For us, it is also the friendliest country on the isthmus.  We remember a long trip by car from Guatemala to Costa Rica.  At each border we had delays and difficulties.  But when we got to Costa Rica the officials genuinely welcomed us to their country.  It made us feel good and reminded us of the welcome which visitors to Hawaii received in days gone by as they got off the airplane--a lei and a kiss from a pretty girl.

Nicaragua:  Next to Costa Rica the Nicaraguans have the most distinctive speech patterns to our ears.  They tend to "swallow" the ending of their words. For us, the way they invited us into their homes is equally distinctive. The Ticos are welcoming, but we have the sense that the Nicaraguans are genuinely friendly.  We will never forget the parties which we celebrated in their homes.

Honduras:  For the traveler on the InterAmerican Highway, Honduras is a blip on the map.  We often joked that it took longer to get into the country than it did to cross it.  Let's hope that the border crossings have improved. Honduras long had the "tradition" of being the poorest country in Central America.  The Contra-Sandinista war  has caused Nicaragua to share this "distinction". We always felt that their poverty gave Hondurans a certain inferiority complex.  They certainly had little faith in their public institutions to improve their lot.

El Salvador:  The Salvadorans are clearly different. Is it the smallness of the country? Is it population pressure? Whatever the cause, they seem to be the hardest workers on the isthmus.  Until their civil war set things back, they were on their way to becoming the industrial powerhouse of the region.  We hope they are getting back on track.  Meanwhile they are abandoning their country for "el norte" at a faster rate than their neighbors.

Guatemala:  Guatemalans are also different.  First, of course, is the presence of a large, poorly integrated Indian population.  This racial divide is written as large on the Guatemalan scene as the black-white division in the United States.  It affects all aspects of the society and the economy.  We remember an Indian friend asking us "Who is the president?"  At first we thought he was asking about the U.S. No, he was asking us who was the president of Guatemala.
 The ladinos--non-Indian Guatemalans--are, in our view, the most reserved of the Central Americans. They are the most difficult for an outsider to get to know.  Their own families are so tightly woven that there i’sn't much time for others.  However, once you do become friends, it is a closer bond than one feels with other Central Americans. In  contrast, relationships of outsiders with individual Indians is more direct and friendly.  This is often a commercial relationship at first, but develops into a warm, human relationship relatively rapidly.

 As stated at the outset, these are "hasty generalizations" based on our limited experience.  The striking fact to us is that these differences do exist.  In spite of a common colonial past and continuing talk about "la patria grande" of Central America, the five countries each have their own flavor and distinctiveness for the visitor to observe and enjoy.