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Guatemala City

Capital of GuatemalaA mountain valley called the Valle de la Ermita holds Guatemala City, in the south-central part of Guatemala, about 1,500 m above sea level. To the south, a line of volcanoes stands between the city and the Pacific lowlands.

Why it's the capital

Earthquakes in 1773 left the old capital, now called Antigua Guatemala, in ruins. In 1776 the Spanish moved the seat of government to this valley, which was less prone to earthquakes, and named the new city Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción.

Fun facts

  1. The Maya city of Kaminaljuyu, lived in mainly from 1500 BCE to 1200 CE, stood where Guatemala City is now. Its ceremonial centre is a park inside the city.
  2. Four volcanoes can be seen from the city. The nearest and most active, Pacaya, is about 25 km to the south.
  3. In 2007 a round hole about 100 m deep suddenly opened in the north-east of the city, probably because water from a sewer washed away the loose volcanic ground.

Finding it on the globe

Guatemala City is in the mountains of the south, much closer to the Pacific coast than to the Caribbean. Skip the wide northern lowlands of Petén and tap the southern highlands.

Sources: Wikipedia: Guatemala City