out in the intendancies of San Salvador and León in 1811, which were quickly suppressed. In 1812 the Cortes of Cádiz divided the region into two provinces: Guatemala (consisting of Guatemala, Belize, Chiapas, Honduras and El Salvador) and Nicaragua y Costa Rica. These provinces existed from 1812 to 1814 and once again from 1820 to 1821, the period during which the Spanish Constitution of 1812 was in effect. The two provinces elected seven deputies to the Cortes during the first period. The jefe político superior (governor) of Guatemala remained the Captain General of Central America and Chiapas. The Captaincy General ended in 1821 with the signing of the Act of Independence of Central America, after which the regional elite supported the Plan of Iguala and joined the First Mexican Empire by annexation. With the exception of Chiapas, the region peacefully seceded from Mexico in July 1823, establishing the United Provinces of Central America. While the region remained politically cohesive for a short time, centrifugal forces soon pulled the individual provinces apart by 1842. References Further reading External links Map of the Provinces of Nicaragua and Costa Rica—from 1764, created during the Captaincy 1609 establishments in North America 1609 establishments in the Spanish Empire 17th century in Central America 1821 disestablishments in North America 1821 disestablishments in the Spanish Empire 18th century in Central America 19th century in Central America Guatemala Colonial Central America Guatemala–Spain relations History of Belize by period History of Chiapas History of Costa Rica by period History of El Salvador by period History of Honduras by period History of Nicaragua by period Mexico–Spain relations Spanish-speaking countries and territories States and territories disestablished in 1821 States and territories established in 1609 Titles of nobility in the Americas