In Mesoamerica, the Southern Periphery consists of western Honduras, all of El Salvador, the Pacific strip of Nicaragua, and Northwestern Costa Rica. It has been occupied by various language groups, from the Maya, Uto-Aztecan, Pipil, Lenca, Jicaque, and the Chorotega. The middle strip of the Southern Periphery is very mountainous, with many volcanoes that gradually slope towards the coastal lowlands. The mountainous or highland areas have become an agricultural core because of the fertile volcanic soil, cooler temperatures, few insects and excellent water and soil drainage. The Pacific lowlands end abruptly, jetting off sharply into the sea formed by hardened volcanic debris.
Natural disasters are common to much of the Southern Periphery area. Disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, parasitic diseases, hurricanes and landslides are not uncommon within the region. The rainy season runs from May to November and the rest of the year is relatively dry.
Besides crops of corn and coffee, many oaks and pines grow in the highlands. It is seasonally dry in this area so a variety of grasslands and savanna vegetation grow, which are used for grazing. Along side the savanna, deciduous and evergreen trees grow mixed with some cactus and desert shrubs.
The animal life varies depending on elevation and
temperature. There are hundreds of birds, ranging from eagles to hummingbirds,
and many varieties of insects. The mammals of this area include monkeys, deer,
jaguar and numerous small rodents.