Guatemala: History and Facts

• History:

The magic in Guatemala’s history comes from the mayan people, who were taken by conquerors

The most important period in the history of Guatemala is marked by the arrival of Pedro de Alvarado, conqueror of Guatemala, in 1924. In July of that same year, he founded the first capital of the kingdom of Guatemala at Iximché (presently Tecpán). From there, it was moved to Almolonga (then Ciudad Vieja) in 1527 and to La Antigua Guatemala in 1543. 

The arrangement survived until the end of the colonial period (except that the capital moves to Guatemala City after Antigua is destroyed by an earthquake in 1773), and it is this larger region of Guatemala which declared independence on september 15th, 1821 - just three weeks after neighbouring Mexico, under Agustín de Iturbide, has won freedom from Spain.

• Culture:

The culture of Guatemala, may be one of the attractions that this country has, since their ancestors were smart enough to create their own numeration system and also their calendar. This significative legacy makes Guatemala one of the most attractive countries in Central America

Guatemalan people are mostly  “Ladinos” and European ethnicities. Ladinos come of a mixed Amerindian-Spanish ancestry. In the Mayan people, the most prevalent group is the Quiché, comprise the mayority of the population. Guatemala´s culture and music receive influence from the Mayan and Spanish cultures and also benefit  from the Garifuna people, who can be found along the  eastern coast of the country, near Santo Tomás and Livingston.

For the most part, Guatemala music includes the marimba, which is the country’s national instrument, is a member of the xylophone family, the marimba is played throughout the country, often accompanied by percussion bands. Especially during village festivals and Lent and Easter processions, these marimba and percussion bands fill the air with music. The Guatemala music scene boasts an array of performing organizations, especially in the capital of Guatemala City, where you will find a range of music performances. Often, upon arrival to a Guatemalan destination, you will find a welcoming marimba and percussion band, whose typical Guatemala music will fill your Guatemalan vacation with an appropriate soundtrack.

• Tourism: 

Guatemala is a land of tropical jungles, active volcanoes, mountain lakes, mountain cloud forests, volcanic beaches and coral reefs. Weaving is a popular business with a rainbow of colors found in the villagers’ hand-woven clothes, each indigenous village has its own unique pattern and color. The ancient ruins of Tikal provides you a look at Mayan culture with plazas, an acropolis, pyramids, temples and a museum.

Popular Guatemala Destinations:

• Chichicastenango 
• Coban 
• Guatemala City 
• La Antigua Guatemala 
• Livingston
• Panajachel 
• Quetzaltenango 
• San Pedro La Laguna 
• Santa Catarina Palopa 
• Santiago Atitlan 
• Tikal National Park 
• Todos Santos Cuchumatanes

• Religions
  

The Constitution guarantees religious freedom. Historically, Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion (between 50 and 60%), with an archbishopric at Guatemala City and bishoprics at Quezaltenango, Verapaz, and Huehuetenango. Many inhabitants combine Catholic beliefs with traditional Maya rites. The constitution recognizes the separate legal personality of the Catholic Church.

Protestant churches were estimated to have fewer than 500,000 adherents in 1980, but rapidly growing fundamentalist groups increased the number of Protestants to some 40% of the population since 1998. The largest Protestant denominations are the Assembly of God, the Church of God of the Complete Gospel, and the Prince of Peace Church. Other denominations represented are Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Minority groups and religions with small communities include Jews, Muslims, and followers of the Indian spiritual leader Sri Sathya Sai Baba.

During the civil war in the 1980s, the government allied itself with conservative Protestant groups and accused the Catholic Church of helping leftist guerillas. The regime’s relationship with the Church worsened when Gen. José Efraín Ríos Montt refused to listen to the Vatican’s plea for clemency for six alleged subversives condemned to death by secret tribunals in March 1983 and let them be executed a few days before the visit of Pope John Paul II to Guatemala. Evangelical Protestants continued to represent a greater portion of the governments through the Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG) when it became the governing party in 1999 under the leadership of retired Gen. Montt.

A 1995 Agreement on the Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples was approved to provide freedom of practice and promote respect for the forms of spirituality practiced by the Maya, Garifuna, and Xinca groups. As of 2002, however, very little had been done to implement to Agreement.

• Guatemala Weather

Guatemala’s climate varies according to altitude. The coastal regions and the north are hot throughout the year with an average temperature of 20°C (68°F) sometimes rising to 37°C (99°F). Generally, nights are clear all year round. In higher climes, near the center of the country, the rainy season, running from May to September, is characterized by clear skies after abundant rainfall in the afternoons and evenings. Temperatures fall sharply at night.

Guatemala annual rainfall ranges from 70 inches in the North to almost 200 inches in the South. To the north in the Peten area, the normal rainy season is June through October and the dry season is March through May, but is variable. In recent years global weather conditions and changes are making traditional predictions somewhat invalid. Generally the weather is good, but if you happen to be there during any small tropical storm it can rain for several days. For the Peten area, late October through February are the cooler months, with December through February temperatures getting as low as 11°C or 51°F, if only for a few days. Most visitors find these months the most pleasant to visit the area. March through May are normally the worst, being very hot and humid, with temperatures reaching 37°C (99°F). Average humidity for Petén is 85%. Average rainfall in El Remate area is 62 inches.