Abstract:

The Mathematical Olympiad of Central America and the Caribbean (OMCC) is an annually international math competition for young students of the region. This competition has been celebrated for eighteen consecutive years and it has helped to promote and support math competitions in countries of the region. A description of this mathematics Olympiad is presented. Some examples of the problems of this Olympiad are also presented and a brief analysis of the mathematics content of all the papers through the years is included. The impact of this competition for the participating countries is also discussed.

During the last eighteen years the OMCC has proved to be an excellent way to initiate the high school students of the region in international mathematical competitions, preparing them for more demanding events such as the Iberoamerican, Asian-Pacific and International Mathematical Olympiads among others. In some cases this has been the only opportunity for a country to expose their students to an international mathematics Olympiad.

The OMCC has fostered friendly relationships among students and teachers of the participating countries, creating many opportunities for the exchange of information and experiences on the teaching of mathematics in a region with similar culture and common problems.

Keywords:

Mathematics, Olympiads, International.