Geography and Government of Guatemala

Geography

• Guatemala is known for its diverse geography, featuring mountains, volcanoes, and beaches along the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
• The country has 30 volcanoes, with three still active; Pacaya volcano is the most active one.
• Lake Atitlán, formed by a volcanic eruption 84,000 years ago, is the deepest lake in Central America, reaching 900 feet (300 meters) deep and spanning 48 square miles (125 square kilometers).
• One-third of the population lives in highland villages with cooler climates, while the coastal lowlands are warm and humid.
• Guatemala borders Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize, and its capital, Guatemala City, has about 1 million residents.

Government

• The Constitution of Guatemala was adopted in 1985 and amended in 1994, establishing it as a democratic republic.
• The government has three branches: legislative (Congress), executive (president), and judicial (Supreme Court).
• Members of Congress serve four-year terms, as does the president, who cannot be re-elected.
• The country is divided into departments, governed by governors, and municipalities managed by mayors.

History

• Evidence suggests that the first settlers arrived in Guatemala around 14,000 years ago, with recorded human presence dating back to 9000 B.C.
• The Maya civilization thrived from A.D. 250 to 900, with Tikal being a major city that housed around 100,000 people, later abandoned by A.D. 900.
• The Spanish conquered the Maya in the 16th century, leading to forced labor on plantations and significant population loss due to European diseases.
• Guatemala gained independence from Spain in 1821 and initially became part of the Mexican Empire until 1823.

Colonial Period

• Under Spanish rule, the capital was established in Antigua Guatemala, which flourished while rural areas remained underdeveloped.
• Economic activities included cacao and indigo production using Indigenous and African slave labor, with cochineal dye later becoming significant.
• Earthquakes in 1773 led to the capital being relocated to Guatemala City, which became the administrative hub for Central America.

Post-Colonial Period and Independence

• Inspired by the American and French revolutions, Guatemala, alongside Central America, achieved independence from Spanish control.
• The United Provinces of Central America was formed, with Guatemala as the political center until its dissolution in 1839.
• Following the collapse, Guatemala became an independent republic.

Independence to the 1950s

• From 1871 to 1944, various governments updated infrastructure but suppressed political freedoms.
• In 1944, a military coup enabled political reform, resulting in Juan José Arévalo's election as president who introduced labor rights and social security.
• Jacobo Arbenz became president in 1951, advocating for land reforms that threatened U.S. business interests, namely the United Fruit Company.
• In 1954, the CIA intervened to overthrow Arbenz due to fears of communism.