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Guatemala Country Guide - world travel guide

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Antiquity is at the heart of Guatemala: the country incorporates some of the most spectacular Mayan archaeological sites and the pineforested hills of the Highlands are home to Mayan communities that still wear their traditional... See more » Antiquity is at the heart of Guatemala: the country incorporates some of the most spectacular Mayan archaeological sites and the pineforested hills of the Highlands are home to Mayan communities that still wear their traditional weavings. Guatemala has around 21 different ethnic groups, speaking some 23 languages. The staggering Mayan monuments alert the visitor to a mystery that hangs in the air: the Mayans were dominant through much of Central America from the fifth until the eighth century, when their civilisation rapidly declined and a variety of other ethnic groups moved into the region. Guatemala was one of the territories overrun by the Spanish conquistador Cortés in the 17th century. Pressure on their empire during the early 19th century forced the Spanish to concede independence to their American colonies, principally Mexico, into which Guatemala was briefly incorporated in 1822. Guatemala then enjoyed comparative stability under a series of dictators who were content to keep the country under a quasi-feudal regime. Eventually, the country slid into almost perpetual civil war between a series of right-wing military Governments and various leftist guerrilla movements: a major figure during this period was the former general Efrain Rios Montt, who as army chief of staff and (briefly) President during the 1970s and 80s, presided over a vicious counter-insurgency campaign whose savagery was exceptional. Only now has the Government admitted that its predecessors were responsible for massive human rights abuses, perhaps because of the findings of a UN-sponsored investigation into the estimated 200,000 killings. This investigation also drew attention to the complicity and active assistance of successive American Governments in the counter-insurgency campaign, for which the then-US president, Bill Clinton, apologised. Under the terms of the deal that ended civil war, the culprits go unpunished. Even Guatemala's cities have been subject to cataclysm. Three attempts to establish a capital were made before Guatemala City was founded in 1775. The first colonial settlement was built in 1524 but continuing battles with Cakchiquel warriors necessitated relocation in 1527 near present-day San Miguel Escobar. An earthquake destroyed this in 1541. A third capital was then established on the present site of la Antigua Guatemala and survived until 1773, when it was hit by a huge earthquake and eventually abandoned. The former capital was thereafter known as la Antigua Guatemala, or Old Guatemala. But nature wields a double-edged sword in Guatemala, and as much as its effects have scathed Guatemalan infrastructure and land, it has also formed some astonishing sights, such as volcanic peaks, subtropical forests and ancient, sulphurous lakes. Orchids spring out of soil, exotic creatures roam it, and exotic birds soar in Guatemala's vast skies. And equally, just as Guatemala's human history contains some savage chapters, a visitor is still frequently greeted by sincere friendliness. The indigenous Guatemalan culture also persists, and those thinking that the Mayans were totally eradicated centuries ago may be surprised to bump into a few on their travels – they constitute almost half of the population. See less »

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central america, guatemala

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Guatemala Country Guide - world travel guide

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