Information about Quetzaltenango:

The following describes the most important information about Quetzaltenango and about the Republic of Guatemala, which could be of interest to the future student of the school Rigoberta Menchú Tum.

Quetzaltenango: In the region of the highlands – Guatemalans highlight the department of Quetzaltenango, which is characterized by its ample and varied potential in natural resources, protected areas, and cultural heritage. It is the most important location in the Guatemalan west and the second largest city in the country, known as “the heart of the culture” for its rich culture and its distinct historical periods.

The city of Quetzaltenango has a strong heritage that is fundamentally concentrated in its buildings of monumental architecture, whose origin dates to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. A fundamental part is set in the environment of the Central Park. The head of the department is found in the city of Quetzaltenango, which extends to 120 squared kilometers and is characterized by its narrow streets with an Italian feel, and its buildings in the neoclassic style.

Along with tourist resources, you can also find urban architecture, open markets, and traditional cultures such as: danzas, rituals, and processions. Quetzaltenango also has unique natural attractions, such as the hot water springs and eight volcanoes, of which some are active. Quetzaltenango is the second largest city of the country in commerce, industry, and the land of the department is a series of wooded mountains that are part of a mountain range known as the Sierra Madre, which runs through the department. Its altitude is 2,333 meters above sea level, allowing it to be known as, “La Ciudad de los Altos” (“The City of Heights”), and it has an average temperature of 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees Fahrenheit). Xela, as Quetzaltenango is commonly called, is famous for its wide plains, its chain of volcanoes, its hot spots and hot water springs, and the appearance of its eight volcanoes: Santa María, Santiaguito, Cerro Quemado, Siete Orejas, Chicabal (with a beautiful lagoon in its crater), Lacandón, Zunil, and Santo Tomás (better known as Cerro Pecul).

The department of Quetzaltenango has a territorial extension of 1951 squared kilometers and a population of 678,251 people with the majority being of Mayan ethnicity. The Spanish influence by means of the conquest gave birth to a very rich culture, resulting in the mix of the two cultures; the demonstrations of this syncretism are intimately tied to the Catholic Church and the religion of the Mayan people. It is by means of the “cofradías,” a group of Mayan leaders, that the forms of thinking, beliefs, clothing, food, rituals, and customs have been preserved. The markets of Quetzaltenango are full of colors and in them the social organization of the Mayans of this region can be seen.

General Information about Guatemala:

Official Name: Republic of Guatemala
Territorial Surface: 108,889 squared kilometers
Population: 11,237,196 (according to the latest census in the year 2002)
Capital City: Guatemala City
Administrative Structure: 22 departments and 333 cities
Money: The Quetzal
National Holiday: September 15 (Independence Day)
Languages: Spanish, Garífuna, Xinca, and 22 Mayan languages Ethnic
Groups: Maya 60.07%, Ladino 39.27% (mixed Amerindian-Spanish), others 0.48%, Xinca 0.14%, and Garífuna 0.04% Principal Cities: Quetzaltenango, Totonicapán, Cobán, Escuintla, Mazatenango, Retalhuleu, Chiquimula, Chimaltenango

Guatemala, “The Land of Eternal Spring,” as it is known internationally due to its climatic and scenic conditions which allow it to have fragrant and beautiful flora during the four seasons of the year, is situated in the head of the Central American isthmus. Its name is derived from the Mayan word Coactemalan, which means “Land of Trees.” Its strategic geographic placement, between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, makes it a key country historically, from the Pre-Columbian times until now, in the communications and the commercial and cultural flow from all of Central America.

Guatemala, the most populous country in Central America, has a population whose characteristic features are determined by very notable ethnic, socioeconomic, and biogeographic factors. It is one of the Central American countries where the Mayan population is predominant; the Mayan society is distinguished by its rural character and a profound identification of the cultural and linguistic traditions. The other part of the population is represented by the “ladinos.”

Principal Tourist Attractions :

Tikal: Tikal National Park is located in the Petén, a mysterious land with thousands of years of Mayan history and the largest of the departments in Guatemala. This department is considered one of the life supports of the planet Earth, due to its exuberant vegetation. Tikal National Park is the most important archeological site of the Mayan culture. This park was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979 by UNESCO, because of its natural and cultural richness.

Its awesome ruins are in the center of the National Park, a reserved area of 576 squared kilometers. Of the entire archeological complex, some of its monumental constructions are mentioned: The Plaza Mayor: It is the heart of Tikal, with Temples I and II, the Northern and Central Acropolis, standing out amongst its constructions along with an infinite number of steles and altars that are a reliable witness of the Mayan history.

Temple I: Known as the Gran Jaguar (Great Jaguar), with an elevation of 45 meters above the Plaza Mayor. Its form is pyramidal, as is that of most of the Mayan constructions. In front of this is found the Temple II, also known as Templo de las Máscaras (Temple of the Masks), due to its richly decorated façade.

Lake Atitlán: This beautiful lake extends 18 kilometers in length and 13 in width, with depths of up to 341 meters, and with a surface area of 130 squared kilometers. It’s surrounded by nine picturesque villages where the Mayan cultures of Tzutuhil and Kakchikel are conserved. Three important volcanoes: The Atitlán, the Tolimán, and the San Pedro make up the natural frame that gives it that special attraction of “The Most Beautiful Lake in the World,” as it is poetically known, because of its crystalline waters that are rocked by the gentle evening breeze known by its inhabitants as Xocomil.

Antigua Guatemala: Declared by UNESCO in 1979 as a World Heritage Site. It is a colonial city where its own cultural values and the ancestry of Guatemala have been preserved, as it was the old Capital of Guatemala. The valley where Antigua Guatemala is located is surrounded by the volcanoes “de Agua” (of Water), “de Fuego” (of Fire), and Acatenango, also possessing hills and deep ravines, that give an enchantment to its beautiful scenery, in a temperate, pleasant climate.

Quiriguá: This is an archeological site of great importance, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, situated in the region of the Low Valley of the Motagua River, amongst the banana plantations. Among its main archeological structures are: The Centro Mayor: a large part of the same is still buried under ground and annually is washed away by the rains. Plaza Central: Probably was a public place, used in the celebration of large religious ceremonies. The Mayan steles and zoomorphic stone sculptures can be found inside of this plaza.

Juego de Pelota (Game of the Ball): A place destined for the physical activities of ceremonial character; its architectural remains can be found inside one of the plazas and is surrounded by staircases on three of its sides.