Les Caraïbes centraméricaines : fragments à géométrie variable

In order to put into perspective the different papers of the issue, this text highlights the successive stages by which the Caribbean coastline of Central American has been constructed, under the several States-nations and as a part of the Central American region. As a margin or enclave due to geographical characters as to the logics of Spanish Empire, these territories have been made from fragments more or less connected between them or to other regional maritime spaces (Caribbean or Atlantic). When growing, the States-nations in the region first exclusively consider their Caribbean coastline as a transisthmic connection. Yet, during the twentieth century, various process of territorial integration aim to connect continental spaces and maritime coastline, associating demographical dynamics. Societies of interface result of these process, where their ladina, indian, afro components are reorganized. Finally, theses fragments as elements of the façade take a new color in the look of new actors (NGO) or from other scales and spaces (Atlantic region, Caribbean Sea)