ABSTRACT
This chapter identifies the places in Central America where military retirees have settled and examines some of the factors which make that region attractive for retirement. Place utility is defined as the perceived usefulness of geographic sites as determined by an individual, depending on that person’s satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the place. Different places reflect differences in utility, and those places which provide or promise a higher level of utility are the most in demand. Geographic location and the physical characteristics of a place are the most important factors influencing the choice of a foreign leisure-type retirement site. The main environmental conditions which affect decisions on retirement sites pertain to climate and surface configuration. The physical character of Central America, in highly generalized terminology, is represented by rugged mountains, escarpments, and hills covering the major interiors, interlaced with low, undulating intermontane basins.
