Federal Republic of Central America

The Federal Republic of Central America (Spanish: República Federal de Centro América), originally known as the United Provinces of Central America (Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), was a sovereign state in Central America which existed from 1823 to 1839. The federal republic was composed of five states: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The federal republic was bordered to the north by Mexico, to the south by Gran Colombia, and on its eastern coastline by the Mosquito Coast and British Honduras.

Shortly after Central America, then known as the Captaincy General of Guatemala, declared its independence from the Spanish Empire in September 1821, it was annexed by the First Mexican Empire in January 1822 before regaining its independence and forming a federal republic in 1823. The Federal Republic of Central America adopted its constitution, which was based on the federal system of the United States, in November 1824. It held its first presidential election in April 1825, during which, liberal politician Manuel José Arce was elected as the country's first president.

The federal republic was unstable and faced a series of civil wars and internal rebellions throughout its existence. In September 1823, a military mutiny led to government forces clashing outside of Guatemala City, the country's capital city, the following month. Infighting between liberals and conservatives in Nicaragua in 1824 was suppressed by federal forces under Arce without bloodshed. From 1826 to 1829 and again from 1838 to 1840, conservatives fought against liberals for control of the federal government. These factions were unable to overcome their ideological differences and the bloody conflicts ended in the federal republic's effective dissolution in 1839.

Since the dissolution of the federal republic, there have been several attempts to reunify Central America.