Why is central America known as Latin America?

Why are people from central America known as Latino's? Can anyone give me a historical answer.

I know that these nations were settled by, mostly, Spanish settlers. The people are native and Spanish mixed and, for the most part, speak spanish. Yet they are known as Latinos, which would imply Italian influence. Could it possibly be the influence of the Cathlic church?

I have been pondering this question for weeks now. I have no bad feelings or bad intentions towards these people. I only want to know for historical and geographical reference.

Spanish, like Italian, comes from Latin. The Roman empire included a large part of Europe, North Africa and Asia minor, and Latin was the official language. Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian all derive directly from Latin.

Latin America is the part of America where Spanish or Portuguese is spoken, which is almost all of South-America (exception: Surinam, Guyana and French Guyane), Middle America (exception: Belize), and a large part of the Caribbean. Actually the parts where French is spoken should also be considered Latin-America, though I wouldn't consider Quebec Latin-America, Haiti and French Guyane I would.

Latinos are generally of Spanish descent. Spanish is one of the Romantic languages (not the emotion but Romantic as in Rome). Latin is the root of all the romantic languages it includes Spanish, Italian, Portuguese etc...

So sinnce central america is the spanish peaking america then it is also called latin america. english came from another line anglo-sxons and not the latin base

Central and South America are known as Latin America because they are influenced by the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese. Brazil was conquered by the Portuguese, while the rest of Latin America was attacked by the Spanish. The word ''Latin" can either mean Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. The cultures and language used by the people in Latin America are mostly Spanish and Portuguese, therefore it is known as Latin America.

Latin America consists of the Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries of the Americas which lay from the US Mexico Border South. This takes into consideration that there are cultural and linguistic connections between the countries which link them and a grant by the Pope that discoveries East of an arbitrary line be given to the Portuguese and West of that line given to the Spanish. This was, if I recall correctly to prevent war over the new lands being discovered such as in the "New World". The lands to the East became Brazil and I believe that Brazilian is based on Portuguese rather than Spanish.
This is only suspicion, but "Latino" I believe comes from peoples coming from "Latin America". Rather than people who come from lands who speak languages considered the Romance Languages or the languages which descended from Latin: Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and others.
Granted a large swath of the US was once Spanish territory, however the term "Latin America" I believe is relatively recent and even perhaps 20th century.
There are some definitions of “Latin America” which do include the parts of America in the US which were colonized by Romance Language speaking peoples including Florida and South Western States including French speaking ones and the Canadian Acadia and Quebec.
For further information I suggest checking out Wikapedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_America
Sorry for not being concise.
I am also recalling from High School over 30 years ago.