Northern Triangle Countries 2026

Guatemala

This Central American country which lies south of Mexico is home to more than 16 million people. The country itself is a scenic wonderland, complete with volcanoes, beaches, and mountains. The country is aslo bordered by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Despite its beauty and panoramic views, however, there is a much more unsettled picture as Guatemala is one of the three Northern Triangle countries. In addition to the devastation left by not one but two hurricanes only two years ago, this struggling country must also deal with the existing issues crippling the entire Northern Lights region.

Some of the current issues facing the three Northern Triangle countries are concerns over security, severe imbalances in areas of economic growth, and weak government infrastructures. The good news is these issues and problems are not unknown, the bad news is that they have also reached a crisis level.

Honduras

The country of Honduras is another of the Northern Triangle countries and sits adjacent southeast to Guatemala. Honduras is home to more than 9 million and shares the same climate, landscape, and beauty as the other two Northern Triangle countries.

Unfortunately, Honduras shares the same concerns as the other Northern Triangle countries too. In the real world, and in areas like Honduras, those issues with security, infrastructure, and economic growth look like poverty, homelessness, crime, and starvation.

Aid from around the world continually pours in to assist this region and to help the people of Honduras. Without fundamental changes to the structural and economic issues, however, the governments and countries of this area will continue contending with many of the same problems.

El Salvador

Along with Guatemala and Honduras, El Salvador is the third country to make up the Northern Triangle countries. The Republic of El Salvador (as it is officially known) is the smallest of the three Northern Triangle countries with a population of fewer than 7 million people.

Like its neighboring countries, El Salvador is also plagued with the issues facing the region. What is also interesting about this region is the high number of younger people who live here. Nearly 30 percent of El Salvador’s population is between the ages of 15 and 29.

These numbers are somewhat heartbreaking, but they also offer hope in the youth that fill these countries. That is also a hope that many people who live in the Republic of El Salvador must certainly share.