Guatemala is the first stop on my the 11 month journey around the world. I wanted to look into the history and culture of each country to be able to better appreciate its beauty when I get there. To keep with the theme of “11,” I’m going to share eleven interesting facts and history I recently learned about Guatemala.
11. The country changed it’s capital twice due to volcano eruptions.
“The city of Antigua, the capital of Sacatepéquez Province, Guatemala, is a charming old colonial city that for many years was the political, religious and economic heart of Central America. After being destroyed by a series of earthquakes in 1773, the city was abandoned in favor of what is now Guatemala City, although not everyone left. Today, it is one of Guatemala’s top visitor destinations.” The History of the City of Antigua, Guatemala.
10. Guatemala is one of the world’s largest coffee exporters.
During the 20th and 21st century Guatemala reach climax and became one of the biggest producers of coffee in Central America. The country exports up to 200,000 tons of coffee every year and comes in as the tenth country to export coffee beans.
9. No trains have run in Guatemala since 2007.
The foundation for the first railway was launched for the first time back in 1890 and concluded in 1904. The line continued to run until 1996 when due to bad conditions of the tracks it was shut down. In 1997 a concession was given to RDC (Railroad Development Corporation) to restore the railway in 1999 they reinstated the traffic but in 2007 the government withdrew the concession and all operations were closed because RDC registered too many loses due to the government actions.
8. They have the highest illiteracy rate in Central America.
In Guatemala only 75% of teens over the age of 15 having access to education. One of the particular reasons of the high illiteracy rate is the lack of free public education. In Guatemala the basic needs for keeping a child in school exceed a months salary.
7. In 2010 an enormous hole opened up in the middle of the ground.
An area of 65 feet across fell 300 feet deep into the ground swallowing up a three-story factory. The Guatemala sinkhole opened up because of a combination of factors from a tropical storm, the Pacaya volcanic eruption and the leaking pipes under the building left unfixed for a long time.
6. Blue Denim comes from Guatemala.
There is anthropology evidence that the Mayans used indigo to create the pigment named Mayan blue. A color that appears on their pottery, murals or archaeological remains from the 1500s. Natural indigo return to it’s past glory because of health problems raised by synthetic dyes presenting big opportunists for Guatemala’s economy.
5. They were the first ones to discover chocolate during the Mayan Era.
The birthplace of chocolate is the name given to Guatemala. As the country’s reputation for producing one of the best chocolates in the world has shown some of increasing, Antigua has a cocoa museum that is still the main attraction for tourists.
4. There is a river in Guatemala named “The Sweet River.”
The Sweet River is also known as Dulce River or Rio Duice. At the entrance to the river there is a small Spanish colonial fort, the Castillo de San Felipe de Lara, built to stop pirates from entering the lake from the Carribbean.
3. Guatemala is one of the biggest Jade producers in the world.
It is well known that Guatemala is the land of the Mayan civilization which jade stones had enormous spiritual and religious importance. Many scientist have looked for the source of the Jade and currently found it in the wilds of Guatemala. A mountainous region spread with enormous jade stone and science of ancient mining.
2. There are over 15 languages spoken in Guatemala.
Spanish is the official language of Guatemala. Nearly 93% of the population speak Spanish. 21 Mayan languages, 1 indigenous, and one Arawakan language are also spoken in the country.
1. Religions of Guatemala
The main religion in Guatemala is Roman Catholicism. Sixty-five percent of the population process that faith. Around 43% of the population adheres to a denomination of Protestant Christianity. Indigenous Mayan religions also command a sizable chunk of the population, with many Protestants and Roman Catholics participating in Mayan rituals.
15 Things You didn’t know about Guatemala – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5Iaxare-6s
Whats the Main Religion in Guatemala? –https://www.reference.com/world-view/main-religion-guatemala-b83a97685adb9b55
