ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with how the migration of military retirees to Central America takes place and the consequent effects of the migration upon the host nations. The satisfied retirees make the physical move to the host nation, in many instances passing through intervening areas , to enter temporary living quarters in the host nation. The majority of newly-arrived migrants residing in a gateway residence completes all necessary government paperwork, obtains resident pensioner status, and moves into a permanent residence. The retirees that pass through the Migrant Circulation System are not generated randomly at the origin, but come mainly from selected areas in the southern and western United States, principally from the states of California, Florida, and Texas. Prospective migrants are dependent upon information to differentiate potential Central American retirement areas, unless, of course, they have previously resided in or visited the area.
