Portal:Guatemala

The Guatemala portal

Republic of Guatemala
República de Guatemala (Spanish)
Motto: 
  • "Libre Crezca Fecundo"[1] (Spanish)
    (English: "Grow Free and Fertile")
Anthem: 
Himno Nacional de Guatemala
(English: "National Anthem of Guatemala")
ISO 3166 codeGT

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in northern Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast (in the adjacency zone) by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Gulf of Honduras to the northeast.


The territory of modern Guatemala hosted the core of the Maya civilization, which extended across Mesoamerica; in the 16th century, most of this was conquered by the Spanish and claimed as part of the viceroyalty of New Spain. Guatemala attained independence from Spain and Mexico in 1821. From 1823 to 1841, it was part of the Federal Republic of Central America. For the latter half of the 19th century, Guatemala suffered instability and civil strife. From the early 20th century, it was ruled by a series of dictators backed by the United States. In 1944, authoritarian leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic military coup, initiating a decade-long revolution that led to social and economic reforms. In 1954, a U.S.-backed military coup ended the revolution and installed a dictatorship. From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala endured a bloody civil war fought between the U.S.-backed government and leftist rebels, including genocidal massacres of the Maya population perpetrated by the Guatemalan military. The United Nations negotiated a peace accord, resulting in economic growth and successive democratic elections.


Guatemala's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems includes many endemic species and contributes to Mesoamerica's designation as a biodiversity hotspot. Although rich in export goods, around a quarter of the population (4.6 million) face food insecurity; other major issues include poverty, crime, corruption, drug trafficking, and civil instability.


With an estimated population of around 17.6 million,0 Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America, the fourth most populous country in North America and the 11th most populous country in the Americas. Its capital and largest city, Guatemala City, is the most populous city in Central America. (Full article...)

Selected article -

The Guatemala syphilis experiments were United States-led human experiments conducted in Guatemala from 1946 to 1948. The experiments were led by physician John Charles Cutler, who also participated in the late stages of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. Doctors infected 1,300 people, including at least 600 soldiers and people from various impoverished groups (including, but not limited to, sex workers, orphans, inmates of mental hospitals, and prisoners) with syphilis, gonorrhea, and chancroid, without the informed consent of the subjects. Only 700 of them received treatment. In total, 5,500 people were involved in all research experiments, of whom 83 died by the end of 1953, though it is unknown whether or not the injections were responsible for all these deaths. Serology studies continued until 1953 involving the same vulnerable populations in addition to children from state-run schools, an orphanage, and rural towns. However, the intentional infection of patients ended with the original study.

On October 1, 2010, the U.S. President, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Health and Human Services formally apologized to Guatemala for the ethical violations. Guatemala condemned the experiment as a crime against humanity. Multiple unsuccessful lawsuits have since been filed in the US. (Full article...)

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Subcategories

Guatemala
Guatemala-related lists
Buildings and structures in Guatemala
Culture of Guatemala
Economy of Guatemala
Education in Guatemala
Environment of Guatemala
Geography of Guatemala
Government of Guatemala
Health in Guatemala
History of Guatemala
Organizations based in Guatemala
Guatemalan people
Politics of Guatemala
Society of Guatemala
Guatemala stubs

WikiProjects

WikiProject Central America

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This is a Good article, an article that meets a core set of high editorial standards.
Árbenz in the 1950s

Juan Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán (Spanish: [xwaŋ xaˈkoβo ˈaɾβens ɣusˈman]; 14 September 1913 – 27 January 1971) was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as the 25th president of Guatemala. He was Minister of National Defense from 1944 to 1950, before he became the second democratically elected President of Guatemala, from 1951 to 1954. He was a major figure in the ten-year Guatemalan Revolution, which represented some of the few years of representative democracy in Guatemalan history. The landmark program of agrarian reform Árbenz enacted as president was very influential across Latin America.

Árbenz was born in 1913 to a wealthy family, son of a Swiss German father and a Guatemalan mother. He graduated with high honors from a military academy in 1935, and served in the army until 1944, quickly rising through the ranks. During this period, he witnessed the violent repression of agrarian laborers by the United States-backed dictator Jorge Ubico, and was personally required to escort chain-gangs of prisoners, an experience that contributed to his progressive views. In 1938, he met and married María Vilanova, who was a great ideological influence on him, as was José Manuel Fortuny, a Guatemalan communist. In October 1944, several civilian groups and progressive military factions led by Árbenz and Francisco Arana rebelled against Ubico's repressive policies. In the elections that followed, Juan José Arévalo was elected president, and began a highly popular program of social reform. Árbenz was appointed Minister of Defense, and played a crucial role in putting down a military coup in 1949. (Full article...)

Selected image -

  • A view of Flores, El Petén
  • Station and Customs of Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, Northern Railway, 1896
  • Lake Atitlán, from a dock in San Juan La Laguna
  • A low impact trail built for ecotourists to protect an archeological site in Guatemala
  • Tikal Temple II
  • Jaguar Temple Tikal, Guatemala
  • A camioneta or chicken bus, a typical mode of transportation in Guatemala
  • View from the top of the Lost World Pyramid, Temple IV on the right and top of pyramid 5C-49 (also known as the Talud-Tablero Temple) in the Plaza of the Lost World
  • A view of the beach in Livingston, Guatemala

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Stela E

Quiriguá (Spanish pronunciation: [kiɾiˈɣwa]) is an ancient Maya archaeological site in the department of Izabal in south-eastern Guatemala. It is a medium-sized site covering approximately 3 square kilometres (1.2 sq mi) along the lower Motagua River, with the ceremonial center about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the north bank. During the Maya Classic Period (AD 200–900), Quiriguá was situated at the juncture of several important trade routes. The site was occupied by 200, construction on the acropolis had begun by about 550, and an explosion of grander construction started in the 8th century. All construction had halted by about 850, except for a brief period of reoccupation in the Early Postclassic (c. 900 – c. 1200). Quiriguá shares its architectural and sculptural styles with the nearby Classic Period city of Copán, with whose history it is closely entwined.

Quiriguá's rapid expansion in the 8th century was tied to king K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat's military victory over Copán in 738. When the greatest king of Copán, Uaxaclajuun Ub'aah K'awiil or "18-Rabbit", was defeated, he was captured and then sacrificed in the Great Plaza at Quiriguá. Before this, Quiriguá had been a vassal state of Copán, but it maintained its independence afterwards. The ceremonial architecture at Quiriguá is quite modest, but the site's importance lies in its wealth of sculpture, including the tallest stele erected in the Mayan world. Because of its historical importance, the site of Quiriguá was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981. (Full article...)

General images -
The following are images from various Guatemala-related articles on Wikipedia.

  • Finance Center in 2011. In 1981, a powerful bomb exploded in the building's basement, leaving it without windows for several years. The owners, Industrial Bank, decided to keep the building open to the public as a defiant stance against the leftist guerrilla. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Central America in the 16th century, before the Spanish conquest (from History of Guatemala)
  • Route map of the Great White Fleet of the United Fruit Company, which held a monopoly on freight and passenger maritime transport to and from Puerto Barrios in Guatemala since 1903. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Inauguration of Colonel Jacobo Árbenz as President of Guatemala, 1951. (from History of Guatemala)
  • General Francisco Morazán (from History of Guatemala)
  • Barrigones sculpture (from History of Guatemala)
  • Guatemalan National Penitentiary, built by Barrios to incarcerate and torture his political enemies (from History of Guatemala)
  • Coat of Arms of the Republic of Guatemala from 1858 to 1871. A replica was carved on the front of the Carrera Theater before it was remodeled in 1892. (from History of Guatemala)
  • 1861 map showing the boundary between British Honduras (now Belize) and Guatemala (from History of Guatemala)
  • Chiltepe, a common pepper used on some Guatemalan dishes. (from Culture of Guatemala)
  • General Carrera, portrait celebrating the foundation of the Republic of Guatemala in 1847 (from History of Guatemala)
  • Manuel Estrada Cabrera ruled Guatemala from 1898 to 1920. (from History of Guatemala)
  • General Manuel José Arce; decorated Salvadoran General and president of the Federal Republic of Central America from 1825 to 1829. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Criollos rejoice upon learning of the declaration of independence on 15 September 1821. Painting by Rafael Beltranena. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Coat of arms of the state of Los Altos, carved in stone on the grave of heroes at the Cemetery of Quetzaltenango (from History of Guatemala)
  • Map of railway lines in Guatemala and El Salvador, owned by the IRCA, a subsidiary of the United Fruit Company that controlled the railroads in both countries. The only Atlantic port was controlled by the Great White Fleet, also a UFCO company. (from History of Guatemala)
  • The Jurun Marinalá power plant was conceived during the Árbenz government to compete with the Electricity Company of Guatemala, which was then an American company using foreign oil instead of Guatemala's natural resources. Construction of the plant was not completed until 1968, fourteen years after Árbenz was removed in a CIA-sponsored coup d'état in 1954. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Day laborers receiving their pay in Santa Rosa, circa 1890, as per the Day Laborer Regulations established by Barrios (from History of Guatemala)
  • Guatemalan territory during the conservative regimes of Rafael Carrera and Vicente Cerna. The Soconusco territories were ceded to Mexico in exchange for support during the Liberal revolution of 1871, as stipulated by the Herrera-Mariscal Treaty of 1882. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Chipilín Tamal, a common dish usually eaten at dinner. (from Culture of Guatemala)
  • Location of the Franja Transversal del Norte (Northern Transversal Strip) in Guatemala (from History of Guatemala)
  • Maya city of Tikal (from History of Guatemala)
  • Advertisement for the Marinalá power plant during the Árbenz government (from History of Guatemala)
  • Map of Guatemala in 1829. Note that borders with Mexico, Yucatán, and Chiapas are not defined. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Captain General Rafael Carrera after being appointed president for Life of the Republic of Guatemala in 1854 (from History of Guatemala)
  • Plaza Central of Antigua Guatemala in 1829. The old "Palacio de la Capitanía General" remained in ruins following the 1773 earthquake. (from History of Guatemala)
  • Proclamation coin from 1847 of the independent Republic of Guatemala (from History of Guatemala)

Topics

Departments

Departments and municipalities

Guatemala is divided into 22 departments (departamentos) and sub-divided into about 332 municipalities (municipios).

The departments include:

  1. Alta Verapaz
  2. Baja Verapaz
  3. Chimaltenango
  4. Chiquimula
  5. Petén
  6. El Progreso
  7. El Quiché
  8. Escuintla
  9. Guatemala
  10. Huehuetenango
  11. Izabal
  1. Jalapa
  2. Jutiapa
  3. Quetzaltenango
  4. Retalhuleu
  5. Sacatepéquez
  6. San Marcos
  7. Santa Rosa
  8. Sololá
  9. Suchitepéquez
  10. Totonicapán
  11. Zacapa

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Recognized content

Good articles

  • Cinnamon hummingbird (Amazilia rutila) in flight Los Tarrales
  • Emerald swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) Finca El Pilar
  • Ocellated turkey (Meleagris ocellata) male Peten

Associated Wikimedia

The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:

Guatemala news

The current date and time in Guatemala is Friday, March 20, 2026, 13:38.
News media:

Sources

  1. ^ Banco de Guatemala 1996.
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