Landscapes of Central America: Past, Present, and Future

Central America has been at the crossroads of the Americas since closure of the isthmus of Panama around three million years ago. In this course we will study Central America through an interdisciplinary lens of natural history and human history (prehistoric through modern), including fiction and non-fiction by Central American authors, journal articles, popular science writing, and poetry. We will explore the geological origins of Central America as well as human-landscape interactions, notably volcanism, early agriculture, and trade routes. Our readings will also require us to think about current and future socio-political systems and their relationships to landscape. 3 hrs. sem.