Guatemala's population, the highest of any Central American country, is roughly 13 million (July 2001 estimate). The country is also host to the largest indigenous population in all of Latin America today. The great majority of the indigenous population are the Maya. Most Guatemalan citizens live in or around Guatemala City and the western highlands. The population is nearly evenly divided between native Americans and Mestizos (known also as Ladinos), a people of mixed European and indigenous Maya ancestry.

There are two seasons in Guatemala: the rainy season and the dry season. The rainy months run from May to October, the dry from November to April. The average year round temperature is 75 degrees.

Nearly two-thirds of the country is comprised of towering mountain ranges, with peaks in the Sierra de las Minas range that rise to an elevation of up to 12,000 feet. Dominating the Guatemalan landscape are thirty three volcanoes, several of which are still active. In addition to its striking geologic setting, the land is host to many more geographical contrasts. From the lush tropical rain forests to the north, the fertile plains and temperate plateaus of the south and east, the beautiful highland lakes, the wonderful rivers, and pristine coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, Guatemala is a destination not to be missed.

Most plants typical of tropical areas are found in the Guatemalan lowlands to the north. In the mountain regions, oak trees predominate on lower slopes, giving way to pine forests above 2100 m (7000 ft). Deer, monkeys, tepescuintle (a type of giant guinea pig), and wild pigs, known as peccaries, are common in the sparsely populated lowlands. Other wild animals—including jaguar, tapir, and puma—are found in smaller numbers, and crocodiles inhabit some rivers. Bird life is extremely rich, and the rare and endangered Quetzal serves as a symbol of the country. Its bright emerald green feathers, the color of the most precious jade, was the most esteemed material in all of ancient Mesoamerica. Guatemala's primary natural resource is the rich soil of its highland valleys and coastal plains, but it also has some petroleum, as well as nickel, lead, zinc, iron, and small quantities of gold, silver, and jade.

Guatemala is also host to the largest and most important collection of Maya ruins in Central America, as well as vast treasures of Pre-Columbian artifacts housed in it's 15 major museums. Almost two thousand years before Columbus landed on the shores of Central America, the Maya had developed the four main compass points used in marine navigation. They developed a complex and extremely accurate calendar which is still used today for planning crops and fishing. Evidence of this ancient history is apparent wherever you go.

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Guatemala City

Guatemala City is a fast growing cosmopolitan city that blends the charms of an eighteenth century city with the dynamic vitality of a modern day metropolis. With important museums, churches of all denominations, theaters, markets, shopping malls and both public institutions and private corporations, the city is the hub and nerve center of Guatemala. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, Guatemala's capital city enjoys year-round springtime weather and a climate that is the envy of visitors. Guatemala City has experienced a great deal of growth over the last three decades and now is home to over two million inhabitants. Principle agricultural products include coffee, corn, carrots and apples. Principle industries include light manufacturing, food processing, beverage bottling plants, retail, and textiles.

Guatemala's political and economic climate is also extremely tourist friendly. Foreigners are welcomed as a vital segment of the national financial lifeblood. The value of its currency, the Quetzal, when compared to other currencies makes Guatemala a very affordable destination. A center of social life in Guatemala are the Markets, there you will find great bargains on exquisite fabrics and textiles, art, handcrafts and delicious food.

Guatemala is a surprisingly modern country, with up-to-date communications, internet service, shopping malls, health care, and public transportation. Whether its the nonstop hustle and bustle of Guatemala City, the pristine colonial splendor of Antigua, the bohemian feel of Panajachel, the awe inspiring ruins of Tikal, or steamy tropical nights on the Rio Dulce, Guatemala has what you are looking for.

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The Highlands

The Central Highlands are made up of the departments of Chimaltenango, Sacatepequez (Antigua) and Sololá (Lake Atitlan, Panajachel). The colonial town of Antigua located just 20 minutes from Guatemala City is the main tourist destination in Guatemala, known for it's rich colonial heritage, scenic yet imposing volcanoes, and it's world renown Spanish language schools as well as it's Easter processions (Semana Santa). In the department of Sololá the traveler finds another gem in the form of Lake Atitlan (pictured at right), considered by many to be the most beautiful lake in the world, its actually a caldera formed by volcanic activity. The lake, based at 5100 feet is more than one thousand feet deep and is roughly 7 miles across by 11 miles wide and on its southern side adorned by three prominent volcanoes (San Pedro, Atitlan and Toliman), none of which are active. Panajachel is the main tourist center on the lake full of international restaurants and hotels as well as colorful textiles and crafts, from here you can explore by either boat, car, bicycle, motorcycle, horseback or just hiking the many indigenous villages all with a distinct language and traditional dress. Some of the principle agricultural products include coffee, corn, wheat, baby vegetables, cut flowers and fruits. Industries include drawback textile operations, hand woven textiles, vegetable packing and regional handicrafts for export. Antimony, iron, titanium and copper can be found in this region. The Inter-American highway is the primary access to the region.

The Northern highlands of Guatemala include the departments of Quiché, Alta and Baja Verapaz. Guatemala's main hydroelectric project, Chixoy, is located in the region. Four of the country's nature reserves are located in this region including the Mario Dary Nature Reserve, home to the national bird, the Quetzal. Principle agricultural products include coffee, cardamom, rice, broccoli, corn and black pepper. Principle industries include shoe manufacturing, regional handicrafts and forestry. Mineral outcrops in the region include barium, zinc, cobalt, iron, lead, silver and titanium. Good road access is limited to the cities of Cobán and Salamá in Alta and Baja Verapaz and Santa Cruz del Quiché in Quiché , however one can soon expect improved road access throughout this region as it has received considerable funds for road development from the European community as well as other sources.

The Eastern Plains are characterized by their semi-arid, often desert-like climate. The Eastern Plains region includes the departments of Jutiapa, Jalapa, Chiquimula, Zacapa, and El Progreso. In the department of Zacapa temperatures can rise to 110 F and above. Zacapa produces Ron de Zacapa (aged rum) which since 1998 has been coveted as the finest premium rum in the world and celebrated at annual international taste tests. Other principle products of the region include sugar cane, tobacco, cocoa, bananas, melons okra, sesame seeds, grapes, corn, fruits and black beans.

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The Lowlands

Principal agricultural products include corn, black beans and rice. Principle industries include Low-impact tourism, oil, precious woods, palm fronds, chicle and wood ornaments. Copper is the main mineral in the Petén. Most tourists choose to fly from Guatemala City (30-45 minute flight) as daily commercial flights are readily available. New modern roads are currently under construction which will improve access to the area. Tourists often cross over to Belize from El Petén.

Izabal is the Caribbean lowlands region of Guatemala. The department of Izabal boasts the largest lake in the country "Lake Izabal" as well as Chocón Machacas, a natural reserve for the Manatee. Izabal is where you will find the Rio Dulce which opens up into Amatique Bay on the Caribbean and at it's mouth the Carib town of Livingstone. The Rio Dulce is a must see for any visitor coming to Guatemala. Here you can tour the San Felipe Castle, built to protect the people against the attack of marauding British pirates during the seventeenth century. Some of the principle agricultural products of the region are of course bananas, corn, black beans, rice and plantains. Principal industries consist of port operations (Puerto Barrios and San Felipe de Castillo), private marinas, fishing and tourism. Nickel, cobalt, iron and gold are minerals found in the region. One can reach the region by the Inter-Ocean Highway.

The Pacific Coast region is host to pristine black volcanic sand beaches and inter-coastal mangrove waterways, home to an abundant variety of plants and animals. There is a cayman and turtle reserve in the coastal town of Monterico hosted by the University of San Carlos in Guatemala City. The coast is worth the visit in order to witness yet another biologically diverse part of Guatemala. The Pacific Coastal Highway provides access to all major population centers in the area.

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Antigua

Famed for its colonial architecture and Easter processions, Antigua Guatemala is a quiet beautiful town nestled in a lush valley surrounded by three imposing volcanoes. Two of the volcanoes, Agua and Acatenango are dormant while Fuego remains active to this day.

The climate of Antigua is spring like all year round making it a wonderful year round destination. Antigua has been named a World Cultural Patrimony center by UNESCO and is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations, offering a truly outstanding variety of elegant restaurants, hotels and specialty shops. Many people come to study in Antigua's many exceptional Spanish language schools, which have become world renown for the quality of their instruction.

Founded in 1543, Antigua was originally known as the Very Noble and Loyal City of Saint James of the Knights of Guatemala and was the third capital founded by the unlucky Spaniards in Guatemala. The first, a temporary headquarters near the Maya city of Iximche, was abandoned after the city's Kaqchiquel inhabitants rebelled at exorbitant demands for gold. The second, today called Ciudad Vieja (found a short distance from Antigua), was washed away in a flood. The third city, now known as Antigua Guatemala, served as the capital of all Central America for 230 years, and was home to a number of religious orders that built elaborate monasteries and convents.

The disaster-prone city was rebuilt after each of a dozen earthquakes and much of what can be seen today was built following the earthquake of 1717. Finally, after a devastating quake in 1773, Guatemala's governor ordered the city abandoned and a new capital built where present-day Guatemala City now stands. The ruined houses and structures lay, virtually forgotten, until the latter half of the 19th-century, when coffee was planted in Antigua's fertile valley and interest in the colonial city reawakened. Spectacularly beautiful, the city's quiet sun washed cobblestone streets today are often occupied by local artists with easels and paint boxes set up lovingly painting the scene of a volcano framed by a colonial arch, and jade nearby.

The contemporary Antigua is a cosmopolitan center of learning, with a fine library and research institute for visiting archaeologists, a cultural center that hosts films and plays, dozens of language schools and a biennial arts festival featuring performances of ballet, opera and classical music. It is also the site of annual processions during Easter week, the most beautiful religious celebration in the Americas.

Ruins of convents and monasteries, which have been partially destroyed by earthquakes over the years, can be found throughout the city. The most popular of these ruins include La Merced, Las Capuchinas, the Cathedral, and the Franciscan monastery. The baroque facade of La Merced and its lovely fountain are some of the city's most photographed architectural details. In Las Capuchinas, visitors can see how architects tried to deal with the problem of earthquakes using short thick pillars to sustain arches.

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