Guatemala is a Central American country with a diverse landscape ranging from coastlines to highlands to lowland jungles. It has a population of over 15 million people and was once home to the ancient Mayan civilization. Guatemala declared independence from Spain in 1821 and has experienced periods of dictatorship as well as civil war. The country faces issues of poverty, lack of social programs and education, and threats to its environment and biodiversity. Tourism is focused on experiencing Guatemala's natural beauty, Mayan ruins, culture and festivals.

1. La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known
as Guatemala or Guate), is the capital and largest city of
the Republic of Guatemala and Central America.

2. Once the site of the
impressive ancient Mayan
civilization, Guatemala was
conquered by Spanish
conquistador Pedro de
Alvarado in 1524 and
became a republic in 1821
after the United Provinces
of Central America
collapsed. From 1898 to
1920, dictator Manuel
Estrada Cabrera ran the
country, and from 1931 to
1944, Gen. Jorge Ubico
Castañeda served as
strongman.

3. BLUEANDWHITEBLUEANDWHITE
The national flag of Guatemala with two separate blue
strips and a national coat of arms in the middle the strips
represent two bodies of water. The national coat of arms
is in respect to the first official leaders of Guatemala.
El blanco es por paz y pureza, el azul cielo es por los
dos mares, el Océano Pacífico y el mar Caribe (Parte
del Océano Atlántico) entre las dos masa de agua que
está el país, y por el cielo sobre el país. Sin embargo,
puede deducirse del himno Nacional Guatemalteco
que estos colores representan una nube blanca en el
cielo azul de Guatemala.

4.  The Resplendent Quetzal, the brilliant
bird found in the cloud forests of
Central America, was sacred to the
Mayans and figures prominently in their
artwork and legends. Today the
Quetzal is the national bird of
Guatemala, and name to the
Guatemalan currency. Despite its
legendary history, the Quetzal; is in
danger of extinction, partly due to
hunting of the bird for food and trade,
but mainly due to destruction of its
elevated habitat to clear land for
subsistence agriculture. Some
countries, such as Costa Rica, have
managed to preserve the Quetzal's (as
well as other species') habitat by
setting aside land for national parks to
promote eco-tourism. War-torn
Guatemala, however, has not been so
fortunate, nor as conservation-minded.
The result is that the Quetzal, the
national symbol of freedom in
Guatemala, is predicted to go extinct
in Guatemala by the year 2000, or
shortly thereafter, but It didn’t happen
yet.

5. This orchid is a rare flower in the Verapaz district of
Guatemala, symbolizing peace, beauty and art. A decree by General
Jorge 1, in 1934 made the white nun as the national flower. Since then
its commercialization has been prohibited.

7.  The population of Guatemala is over
fifteen million, half of the population
is under 18 and more then half of
that age group live in squalor. The
high level of poverty in the country
can be attributed to a number of
reasons one is the lack of social
programs and the demand for
cheap labor which results in children
being taken advantage of. But,
sometimes the children need to
work if it means they are the sole
support for their family. Guatemala
has also one of the highest
percentages of street children
discarded like trash by their families
since there is no means to support
them. Capital: Guatemala City;
more than one million people.

8.  The official currency of
Guatemala is the Quetzal. There
are many money exchanges
that you can get great deals
from as you cross the border.
Also any major bank will trade
for local currency but the US
dollar is accepted there.
 Quetzal, U.S. dollar, others
allowed
 The currency is named after the
Resplendent Quetzal, which is a
fragile and rare bird that
happens to be the national bird
of Guatemala. Apparently, in
the time of the Mayan Empire,
the birds tail feathers were
actually used as currency.

10. There are about 21 different
varieties of original Mayan
languages still spoken in
Guatemala today. With
such a large language gap
many of the papers
needed for business are
translated regularly.
As well as several non-
Mayan Amerindian
languages are spoken
here, especially in the rural
areas.

11.  Industry: Sugar, textiles and
clothing, furniture, chemicals
 Agriculture: Sugarcane, corn,
bananas, coffee; cattle
 Exports: Coffee, sugar, bananas,
fruits and vegetables,
cardamom, meat

12. Constitutional
democratic republic.
Chief of State: President Otto Pérez
Molina
Head of Government: President Otto
Pérez Molina
The president and vice president are
directly elected through universal
suffrage and limited to one term. A vice
president can run for president after 4
years out of office. The Supreme Court
consists of 13 justices who are elected
by the Congress from a list of 26
qualifying candidates submitted by the
bar association, law school deans, a
university rector, and appellate judges.
The Supreme Court and local courts
handle civil and criminal cases. There
also is a separate Constitutional Court.

13. The Mayan culture was
rich in mathematical
computations they first
created the concept of
Zero. The concept of
zero was foreign to many
advanced cultures in
mathematics. Many
archeologist think that
ancient cultures shared
a common
mathematical teacher
and are still unsure
where they get it.

15.  Due the ecological diversity of Guatemala there are normally
earthquakes and an eventful of natural calamities that strike
this small Latin American country regularly. But there is one
city that has withstood the test of time and these disasters it is
Antigua. This place is a historians dream with old churches,
cobble stone streets and wonderful architectural designs of
the old world.
 The northernmost of the Central American nations,
Guatemala is the size of Tennessee. Its neighbors are Mexico
on the north and west, and Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador
on the east. The country consists of three main regions—the
cool highlands with the heaviest population, the tropical area
along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and the tropical
jungle in the northern lowlands (known as the Petén).

16. The most destructive earthquake since 1917 struck Guatemala on
February 4. The magnitude 7.5 quake was centered about 160 km
northeast of Guatemala City. The death toll has reached more than
23,000, and thousands have been injured. Damage was extensive. Most
adobe type structures in the outlying areas of Guatemala City were
completely destroyed, leaving thousands homeless.

18. MARIMBA DE GUATEMALA

19.  The highest mountain in Guatemala is the
Tajumulco volcano it has an altitude above
4500 meters or 14000 ft.

20.  Guatemala, meaning land of trees, is a heavily
forested and mountainous nation—and the
most populous in Central America. The Pacific
coast lowlands in the south rise to the volcanic
Sierra Madre and other highlands, then the
land descends to the forested northern
lowlands, including the narrow Caribbean
coast. The highlands, where most
Guatemalans live, are temperate in climate
compared to the tropical lowlands. There are
252 listed wetlands in Guatemala. The country
is recorded to have 100 rivers, 61 lagoons, 5
lakes and 3 swamps.

22. On November 7, 2012, a magnitude 7.4
earthquake rocks Guatemala. At least 48
people were killed. With at least 150
seriously injured and 23 people missing,
government officials said the death toll
would likely rise. Houses were destroyed.
Schools, roads, and government buildings
were damaged. When a prison wall
collapsed, 98 inmates had to be transferred
to another jail. At a news conference,
President Molina said, "This is the largest
earthquake we have had since the one in
1976."

24.  Guatemala s one of the premier destinations to visit when you are
visiting central and south America.. Guatemala is very famous for it
bio diversity and ecological diversity within the region. It is home to
hundreds of thousand of species of plants and animals. So if you
have never been to Guatemala a or you are coming back again for
a second visit don’t miss out on some of the most fascinating sites
that you should enjoy while you are there here is a top 10 list of
them.
 Guatemala's wildlife is contained in nearly 20 different ecosystems
throughout the country. This wildlife fauna includes some 250
species of mammals, 200 species of reptiles and amphibious
creatures, and many different species of butterflies and other
insects. Additionally, these ecosystems are home to some 600 bird
species including the national Quetzal, which can be seen all over
the country. Also included in this list are parrots, toucans,
hummingbirds, oriols, and motmots to name only a few.

26. Much like the region's diverse fauna, Guatemala has
many species of impressive flora as well. In fact,
the nearly 20 ecosystems in Guatemala house
some 8,000 plant species residing in the many
mangrove forests, dry forests, tropical rainforests,
wetlands, cloud forests, and pine forests. Of
Guatemala's complete area, over 36% is said to be
forested. Of that over 36%, just under 50% is
classified as primary forest. Primary forest means
that the growth is extremely old and has never
been clear cut. Forest growth after a clear-cut or
burning is known as secondary growth and
generally less diverse in this area. This is because a
primary forest has experienced less severe
disturbance allowing for a more rich mix of plants
and animals dependant on this age old habitat.
Guatemala's national flower, the monja blanca, is
one of 600 species of orchids existing in the
country's vast forests.

29.  The country has a hot
tropical climate, more
temperate in the highlands
and drier in the
easternmost areas.
Guatemala experiences a
variation in temperatures,
owing to the differences in
altitudes.
 Climate: tropical; hot,
humid in lowlands; cooler
in highlands
Guatemala City is generally mild, almost spring like, throughout the course of
the year. It occasionally gets warm during the dry season, but not as hot as other
sea-level cities located in the tropic.

31. This museum houses a vast collection of
exquisite Maya artifacts displayed in the
different halls: the archaeology section
has objects from the Preclassic Period,
The Classic Period, The Post-Classic and
an ethnology section that shows
linguistic Maya groups, textiles and
traditions. Valuable treasures, such as
the Piedras Negras throne, are found at
this museum.

33. The Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology
Foundation (Spanish: Fundacion de Antropología
Forense de Guatemala, or FAFG) is an autonomous,
non-profit, technical and scientific non-governmental
organization. Its aim is to strengthen the
administration of justice and respect for human
rights by investigating, documenting, and raising
awareness about past instances of human rights
violations, particularly unresolved murders, that
occurred during Guatemala's 30-year-long Civil War.
Its main tool in pursuing this goal is the application
of forensic anthropology techniques in exhumations
of clandestine mass graves. Its endeavors in this
regard allow the relatives of the disappeared to
recuperate the remains of their missing family
members and to proceed with burials in accordance
with their beliefs, and enable criminal prosecutions to
be brought against the perpetrators.

35. Water Activities
The diverse group of water activities that you can enjoy in Guatemala
comes by being surrounded by hundreds of natural lakes and rivers that
cross the country. There are numerous snorkeling and scuba
opportunities in the areas. You can go rapid rafting in some of the rivers
that flow past El Chiquibil or La Pasion.
Boat rides
One of the best ways to enjoy some of
the ecological and biodiversity that
Guatemala has to offer is one of the
extensive boat rides that are available.
From lakes, rivers, and lagoons you sail
down or row your way through miles of
mangrove trees and rough nature. If
your real lucky you might be able to
pick out some of the native monkeys
flying through the trees. Or just enjoy
the of beauty of its waters is to take a
boat ride down Rio Dulce

38. Another drawback to the poverty crises in
Guatemala is that among Guatemala’s
children it is very high. Most children under 5 in
this country are mal nourished more so in the
rural areas but it effects the over all mortality
rate whether it is in the city or rural areas.
Malnutrition mirrors the geographic and ethnic
patterns of poverty, being higher among rural
children than urban (51% vs. 32%). The poor are
highly dependent on agriculture, some 87
percent, as small scale subsistence farmers or
agricultural day laborers. Non Spanish
speakers also face lower incomes

39. With extreme poverty there also
comes consequences, one of
which is the low life expectancy
age in the country. Guatemala
ranks as one of the worst with the
average age of 65 and a 40 out of
every 100 births do not survive
past a few weeks. The
government only spends a small
amount of money in social
programs such as health care
which result in the poor health of a
lot of Guatemalan families. The
poor do not have easy access to
good health care as facilities are
focused in the metropolitan areas.
Then with the use of pesticides, the
low availability of drinking water
and waste disposal services in
rural areas there has also raised
the occurrence of health
problems.

41. The government must also
focus on another issue the
lack of proper education
for the populous. Education
is not a great priority for
poor Guatemalans as
children are needed to
work to contribute to the
family income. Only 44
percent of school age
children attend classes and
only 55.6 percent of the
total population is literate.
Child labor significantly
inhibits the ability to attend
school.

42. Lake Atitlan
A lot of visitors who have had the
opportunity to sail some of the waters
here agree the beauty of it will take your
breath away. Here, you will experience
the serenity of its neighboring Mayan
settlements. So, you will definitely want
to include this in your itinerary. Which
again is a must see for any visitor going
to Guatemala.

44. The greatest locations in Guatemala are
from the old culture that use to roam is
lands. One of the greatest feats of old
architecture design you will stand in
amazement and greatness of these
behemoth structures. The Mayan structures
are great triangular temples. These ruins are
a great way to really get a feel full the
culture you are experiencing how their
roots dwell into today’s friendly people.

47. Semana Santa Processions
Guatemala is not only diverse in its ecological and bi diversity it is
also very unique in its culture. A portion of Guatemala culture is
rooted into religion. It is very important in the lives of the people that
live there. There is always some type of local or national celebration
going on and the tributes that the locals provide is a great sight to
experience. There will be a procession of religious icons, and people
dressed in purple frocks and dresses walk the streets as a testament
of their faith to their religion. It is a wonderful side of Guatemala
culture.
Dead-ly festivities
During October there is a special celebration in October that we
know as Halloween, the Guatemalans hold festivals for the dead
known as Day of The Dead. The start of the celebration is on
November 1st. They flock to cemeteries with flowers and candles,
donning skeleton costumes, presents and even skulls.

49. The indigenous people from the Highlands in
Guatemala created Worry Dolls many generations
ago as a remedy for worrying. According to the
Mayan legend, when worrying keeps a person
awake, he or she tells a worry to as many dolls as
necessary. Then the worrier places the dolls under
his or her pillow. The dolls take over the worrying
for the person who then sleeps peacefully through
the night. When morning breaks, the person
awakens without the worries that the dolls took
away during the night.

52. GUATEMALAN FOOD