Guatemala is situated in Central America with varying climates and geographic wonders. It's a land full of beautiful landscape and glorious color.
Boundaries and Neighbors:
Guatemala borders Mexico on the west and north. To the east it has a border with Belize. It also has a coastline on the Caribbean Sea. Honduras and El Salvador are on its borders on the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean is directly to the south. Its area covers about 108,889 square kilometers (about 42,042 square miles). Guatemala City is the capital and the largest city of the republic.
Land and Resources:
Approximately two-thirds of the total land of the country is mountainous, a majority of which are volcanic. The Sierra Madre Mountains are parallel to the Pacific Ocean, extending from east to west, dividing Guatemala into two important regions of unequal portions. The Pacific coast is mainly a flat, treeless grassland and its midregion is generally watered and fertile. The majority of the population reside in this area. The northern region is a broad area around Lake Petén Itzá, ranges from the grazing land to the tropical rainforest and is sparsely populated by humans.
The jungles of this region are densely populated with a variety of tropical wildlife and supply an abundance of fine wood to the country as well as gum from some trees.
Natural Resources:
Guatemala is mainly an agricultural country due to its exceptionally fertile soil, which is its number one resource.
Other resources include minerals such as: petroleum, nickel, zinc, lead and iron. The country also produces cotton, gum, coffee and sugar. Most of its income comes from the export of these products.
Climate:
Due to its geographic situation, Guatemala has a variable climate depending on the altitude. This can be tropical, hot and humid in lowlands or coastal regions with an average annual temperature of about 28.3o C (about 83 o) or more. It also has a cooler climate in the highland zones, which are between 915 and 2,440 meters (about 3,000 and 8,000 feet) above sea level; the temperature is approximately 20 o C (about 68 o F).
It's important to mention that the rainy season begins in May and ends in October.
Guatemala is a land of beauty and charm that captivates the heart of its visitors. It has abundant natural resources such as beautiful volcanoes, rivers and lakes; and because of its good weather, it is referred to as "The Land of Eternal Spring."
Photo taken from Enchantment of the World: Guatemala, by Marlene Targ Brill and Harry R. Targ, copyright 1993 by Children's Press, Inc.
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guatemala map
Guatemala Geography
Traveling to Guatemala
