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Central America
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Central America Article

When was Central America colonized?

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Several conquistadores traveled to Central America in the early 16th century, but they made no settlements. One such conquistador was Rodrigo de Bastidas, who established Spain’s claim to Central America in 1501. The first stable Spanish settlement in Central America was established in 1510, when Vasco Núñez de Balboa and his crew settled near what is now the Colombia-Panama border.

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