Now that you know a little bit about the history of Guatemala, lets move on and discover

 

The Geography of Guatemala

 

The Geography of Guatemala is very diverse.  The elevation ranges from mountains to lowlands and the ecosystem from desert to rainforest. 

 

Two-thirds of the country is covered in mountains.  The majority of the population lives in these highlands.

 

There are two areas of lowlands in Guatemala: the pacific lowlands and the Petén.  The Petén covers northeastern Guatemala and is riddled with caves and sinkholes.  There is also a rainforest in the Petén where the city of Tikal is located.  The pacific lowlands has a lot of farm land and a small population. 

There is a lush rain forest in the mountain range by the Mexican border as well.  This area of the country receives over 100 inches of rain a year.  Parts of the Petén receive over 150 inches.  Pennsylvania only  receives about 40 inches per year. 

 

 

 

            

 

 

 

 

Many beautiful lakes sit high on top of the mountain ranges. Guatemala's largest lake is Lake Izabel.         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In contrast to the rainforest, the Motagua Valley, which lies in southeastern Guatemala near the border with Honduras only gets around 20 inches of rain per year.  This area also reaches temperatures as high as 106° F. 

Other parts of the country do not get as hot.  The plateau where Guatemala city is only has an average temperature of 67° F and the Caribbean coast’s average is 79° F.