The Maya civilization was very advanced in math and astronomy. The Maya probably developed the concept of zero and left written records using hieroglyphics and whole words. While historians are not sure why the Maya Empire collapsed, the Maya society began to shrink in the 10th century and split into separate groups. They may have suffered from overpopulation and the effects of drought. Maya women continue to weave brightly colored cloth and fashion the same traje, or suit, that their ancestors wore.
More than half of the population is indigenous. Many believe that the name Guatemala comes from the Maya word Guhatezmalh, that described the volcano near the old capital in Antigua, the "Mountain That Vomits Water. High in the mountains in the misty cloud forests lives the colorful quetzal bird. In the bright sunshine, both the male and female quetzal bird have vibrant green, white, and red feathers, but only the male has the fabulous long tail that can measure 3 feet 1 meter long.
The ancient Maya people believed that the quetzal bird was the living form of the god Quetzalcoatl. Today the rare bird is listed as endangered due to destruction of tropical rain forests.
The cloud forest mist provides a water source to air plants known as bromeliads which cling to tree trunks. The forest floor is also home to orchids, ferns, and mosses. Guatemala's economy boomed in the s thanks to coffee exports. Wealthy landowners pushed Maya communities off their land to make way for more coffee plantations.
Decades of civil war and repression of the indigenous people killed hundreds of thousands of Guatemalans in the 20th century. In , a new president, Alvaro Arzu, signed a peace agreement with rebels and ended the year civil war. A new constitution in established three branches of government. The president serves for only one term and is assisted by a vice president and the Council of Ministers. New laws are passed by Congress. President Alvaro Colom Caballeros was sworn in January Archaeologists believe that the earliest settlers to Guatemala crossed the Bering Strait from Asia 14, years ago and evidence of human settlements date to around B.
People began to farm and form villages around B. Tikal, once an expansive city and home to , people, began to decline in A. The ruins were not discovered until In , Guatemala claimed independence from Spain.
All rights reserved. Peten , a limestone plateau covered by grasslands and tropical rainforest 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. Guatemala officially, the Republic of Guatemala is divided into 22 departments departamentos , sing. These departments are further subdivided into municipalities. Located in the south-central region of the country, in Valle de la Ermita of the Central Highlands is Guatemala City Nueva Guatemala de la Asuncion — the capital, the largest and the most populous city of Guatemala.
It is also the administrative, cultural and economic center of the country. Guatemala is a country located in Central America. It is positioned in the Northern and Western hemispheres of the Earth.
It is bordered by Mexico to the north and west; by Belize and the Gulf of Honduras Caribbean Sea to the northeast; by Honduras to the east; by El Salvador to the southeast and by the Pacific Ocean to the south. Regional Maps : Map of North America.
The above blank map represents the Republic of Guatemala, a Central American nation. The above map can be downloaded, printed and used for educational purposes. This page was last updated on February 25, Home North America Guatemala.
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