Guatemala, Central America, has an amazing, diverse landscape, with two coasts, and a population of magnificent people. Following are some facts about the nation, and some information on Guatemala travel.
Geography of Guatemala, Central America
With just over 42,000 square miles, Guatemala is one of the larger countries in Central America. It borders Mexico, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, and both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
The nation has tropical rainforest in the lowlands, and mountainous cloud forest, home to the magnificent Resplendent Quetzal—a national symbol and the name of the country's currency, in the mountainous central highlands. The nation is very mountainous overall, and in many areas, forest has been cleared to make way for farmland, which hosts a major industry in the country.
Brief History of Guatemala
Originally inhabited by the Maya, Guatemala fell to the Spanish after the arrival of Columbus in the New World. It gained independence from Spain in 1821. In the later 1900s, guerrilla warfare ravaged the nation; the conflict officially ended in 1996, but it had claimed around 100,000 lives and displaced around a million people throughout its course.
People of Guatemala, Central America
With over 13.5 million residents, Guatemala is the largest country in Central America according to population. Approximately 59% of Guatemalans are mestizo (mixed American Indian and white) and white, and almost all of the rest are indigenous American, mainly of Mayan subgroups.
Guatemala's capital, Guatemala City (at the site of an ancient Maya settlement), is the nation's largest collection of people, with just under 3 million residents. Slightly less than half of the population lives in urban areas, and the rest reside in rural parts of the countryside. Although 50% of Guatemala's workforce is employed by the agriculture industry, the sector only accounts for 13.5% of the GDP (with other employments, such as services and manufacturing making up most of the rest of the national profit).
Travel in Guatemala
Though very poor overall, Guatemala hosts excellent culture. Many people still celebrate the Mayan traditions in its multitude of rural villages where descendants of the ancient empire's citizens now live. Spanish architectural style is dominant in parts of Guatemala City, and other larger settlements in the nation, in the form of churches and town squares. Mayan ruins, such as those at Tikal, are found in much of the country's northern parts, which used to be a main region of the Maya civilization's territory.
Natural attractions are also prevalent in Guatemala. Beautifully forested mountains, volcanoes, and beaches are some of these. Offshore fishing is a popular recreation on the Pacific coast, at areas such as Iztapa, and beaches are found on both sides of the nation.
Though dangerous and poor in certain areas, Guatemala is a cultural and natural treat. With many tourist attractions, travel in Guatemala is a remarkable experience.
Thomas Wyatt - Tom Wyatt grew up in Virginia. He has been interested in the outdoors (fishing, birding, camping, and other such activities) since he was ...
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