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GUATEMALA A Brief Description Fast Facts Flag Landforms Lat/Long Links Maps Time Traveler Info Weather

PRINT THIS MAP A Brief Description The fabled Maya people flourished throughout the Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala for centuries. This very advanced civilization constructed great cities, grand palaces, pyramids and observatories, as well as advanced works of art, astronomy, literature and mathematics. For somewhat mysterious reasons, the Maya society began its general decline across the entire area in the 10th century, yet remnants of this extraordinary people and a quite sizeable population of descendants still exist in Guatemala and all across the Yucatan today. In fact, even though they remain the largest population majority in the country and their languages and religions survived, they sadly live in poverty, and if you will, form an almost forgotten and repressed minority-majority. When the Spanish conquistadors and their leader, Perdro de Alvarado, arrived in 1523, they quickly defeated the weaker Maya forces and aggressively began the colonization of the land; large farms were established and the remaining Indians were forced to work them. For the almost 300 hundred years that followed, the Spanish colonial powers ruthlessly exploited and persecuted the remaining Maya, all but erasing their culture from the map of world history. After the overthrow of the Spanish King by Napoleon, Guatemala and others declared their independence from Spain in 1821. Then, Guatemala, as well as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua formed the United Provinces of Central America, but that federation quickly dissolved, and Guatemala became an independent republic in 1838. Unfortunately (like many new countries) this new country experienced a lengthy series of coups, dictatorships, insurgencies, human atrocities, and long stretches of brutal military rule. In the 1940s, two reformist presidents were elected, presidents that permitted free expression, legalized unions, encouraged social reform, and the formation of political parties. It's referred to as the "Ten Years of Spring," but it was short-lived. The repressive military regained control, and eventually Guatemala slipped into a 36-year civil war; over 200,000 civilians were murdered, and of course, the country's economy was ruined. Eventually the USA - the major supplier of military assistance to the country - tired of the civil war, and eliminated all of its financial aid; this action finally forced the election of a civilian, but controversies and coups would quickly return. Finally, in 1996, the government signed a peace agreement with the leftist rebels, formally ending the conflict which had left countless people dead and over one million homeless refugees. And then what happened? Well, currently the country has stabilized, but I would stay tuned, as Guatemala's government (be it civilian or military) frequently alters it course. Read more about Guatemala here! Colorful native costumes, Guatemala Travel the World through Poster Art! Facts and Figures Name Guatemala (long form) Republic of Guatemala Population 14,655,200 Population & Density (all countries) here Capital City Guatemala City (973,049) Currency Quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others accepted in major cities Currency Converter here Languages Spanish, Amerindian Flag here National Day September 15 Religions Catholic, Protestant, Mayan beliefs Geographic Coordinates Latitude/Longitude (Capital City) 14º 38' N, 90º 31' W Relative Location Guatemala is positioned in both the northern and western hemispheres. Located in North America on the northwestern edge of the Central America isthmus - a somewhat narrow strip of land that connects North and South America - the country is bordered by Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, the Gulf of Honduras, Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Land Statistics Coastline 249 miles (400 km) Land Areas (land) 41,865 sq miles (108,430 sq km) (water) 178 sq miles (460 sq km) (TOTAL) 42,043 sq miles (108,890 sq km) Land Area (all countries) here Landforms Guatemala, except for the coastal areas, is a mountainous country of rolling hills, plateaus, deep river valleys, and numerous volcanoes - some active. Major regions include the Central Highlands that seperate the Cuchumatanes Mountains of the northwest from the volcanic ranges of the Sierra Madre Mountains of the south and east; Peten, a limestone plateau covered by grasslands and tropical rainforest that blankets most of the northern third of the country; Atlantic Lowlands that front the swampy edges of the Gulf of Honduras, and the grassy farmland, volcanic sand beaches and rivers of the Pacific Lowlands. Guatemala is drained by numerous rivers; the Motagua, the country's longest river, rises in the Central Highlands and flows to the Caribbean Sea. Lake Izabal is the most significant lake. Highest Pt. Volcan Tajumulco - 13,816 ft. (4,211 m) Lowest Pt. Pacific Ocean - 0 ft. (0 m) Land Divisions 22 departments; including Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan and Zacapa. Contact Us | Privacy Statement Copyrighted by Graphic Maps All rights reserved! All maps, graphics, flags and original descriptions created by Graphic Maps, a d/b/a of the Woolwine-Moen Group, unless otherwise noted and/or directly linked to the source, and use of same for any application whatsoever (with the exception of outline maps) requires written permission. We make no copyright claim on any statistical data on this page, nor on any non-original graphics, and/or pictures not produced by us. Certain statistical data is gathered from the CIA World Factbook, as well as numerous public domain reference materials. Every effort is made to be as accurate as possible when disseminating information on any worldwide destination. We are not responsible for unintentional data entry errors or omissions. If you would like to submit an addition, change or correction, or suggest a new link, please forward it to our map department and we will give it our immediate attention. Maps Guatemala (large color) Map here Guatemala Outline Map here Guatemala CIA version here Guatemala Maps at UT here Lake Izabal here Ring of Fire map here! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Central America (Capital Cities) here! Central America (Maps at UT) here! Central America (Outline) here! Central America (Volcanoes) here! Panama Canal here! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - North America (Capital Cities) here! North America (Lakes) here! North America (Landforms) here! North America (Outline) here! North America (Rivers) here! North America (Country Test) here! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - World Outline Maps (printable) here World Time Zone Map here Recommended Links Guatemala (Complete) info on the (GDP) economy, imports and exports, natural resources, government, population, military, transportation, and more here Guatemala Embassy (Washington, DC) web site Guatemala Photos at TrekEarth.com here Guatemala Tourism here Tikal Mayan Ruins here Volcaoes of Guatemala here Volcan Tajumulco here Maya Temple I, Tikal, Guatemala Travel the World through Poster Art! Time and Weather Climate The tropical country of Guatemala is consistantly warm (often quite pleasant) with very pronounced wet and dry seasons. Typical of a mountainous country, high and low temperatures within vary quite substantually based on elevation. In general terms the interior plains and coastal lowlands in Guatemala reach average daily highs near 80 °F, with little seasonal change; the lower mountain valley temperatures are in the 65 °F range, while the upper elevations average nears 40 °F. As for precipatation, Guatemala's rainy season runs (May to early December), with the greatest amount of rain falling in the plains of the northern Paten region; there, 125 inches of yearly precipatation, or more, are quite common. The eastern highlands of the Sierra Madre Mountains recieve the least amount of rainfall. Colorful street performers, Guatemala Travel the World through Poster Art! Traveler Info Attractions: Guatemala is famed for its incomparable collection of ancient Maya ruins that literally cover the countryside. Also, a growing number of eco-tourism sites are now attracting visitors from around the world. Significant points-of-interest in Guatemala include the Maya temples and ruins at Piedras Negros, Quirigua, Mirador and Tikal; fabulous native-culture markets at Chichicastenango; the mountain city of Huehuetenango; sprawling Guatemala City and its cultural attractions; the beautiful Coban area; the many charms of Flores; Lake Izabal; any volcano tour (just pick one); Pacific coastline beaches and the wide variety of watersport activities, and of course, the many colorful Maya festivals throughout the year - to name but a few. Country Dialing Code 502 Electricity Guatemala uses 120 volts AC (60 HZ) Electrical adapters, products and tips here Travel Warnings here Visa Information here PLEASE NOTE: Before making travel plans for any worldwide destination, we strongly recommend you authenticate important details regarding visas, local health care, customs, etc. We always find it helpful to contact the nearest consulate of any country before beginning a journey into a foreign land. Central America Countries Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama NORTH AMERICA COUNTRIES Antigua and Tobago Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Rep. El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trindad and Tobago United States An active volcano, Guatemala Travel the World through Poster Art! Central America Countries Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama NORTH AMERICA COUNTRIES Antigua and Tobago Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Rep. El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trindad and Tobago United States Central America Countries Belize Costa Rica El Salvador Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama NORTH AMERICA COUNTRIES Antigua and Tobago Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Rep. El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama St. Kitts & Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Trindad and Tobago United States