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Guatemala

 
Dictionary: Gua·te·ma·la   (gwä'tə-mä'lə) pronunciation
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also Guatemala City The capital and largest city of Guatemala, in the south-central part of the country. Founded on its present site in 1776, it was rebuilt after major earthquakes in 1917 and 1918. Population: 942,000.

 

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Guatemala City
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City (pop., 2007 est.: 1,024,000), capital of Guatemala. It is the largest city in Central America and lies in the central highlands at an elevation of about 4,900 ft (1,490 m). Founded in 1776, it replaced earthquake-damaged Antigua Guatemala as the capital of the captaincy general of Guatemala. After independence from Spain, it served as capital of the province of Central America under the Mexican Empire of Agustín de Iturbide and later of the Republic of Guatemala. It is the country's political, social, cultural, and economic centre and the site of San Carlos University of Guatemala (1676); its museums include the National Archaeological Museum, which houses a collection of rare Mayan artifacts. The modern city was largely rebuilt after a series of earthquakes in 1917 – 18; it was severely damaged again in 1976.

For more information on Guatemala City, visit Britannica.com.

 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Guatemala
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Guatemala, city (1994 est. pop. 823,301), S central Guatemala, capital of the republic. Its full name is La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción. In a broad, fertile, highland valley, c.5,000 ft (1,520 m) high, it enjoys an equable climate the year round. It is the largest city in Central America, with a cosmopolitan atmosphere and many fine public buildings. It is served by international and local airways and modern highways, and is the industrial, commercial, and financial center of the republic. To the city's markets come the fruits and vegetables of the tropical coasts and temperate highlands and also native handicrafts, especially textiles. Much of the produce is carried in from the countryside and sold in the market stalls. There is also a modern business section. The present city is the fourth permanent capital of Guatemala and was founded in 1776 after Antigua Guatemala was abandoned. An earthquake destroyed Guatemala City in 1917-18, but it was rebuilt on the same site. In 1976, another earthquake caused extensive damage to the city and its environs, resulting in more than 20,000 fatalities. From the city excursions may be made to the sites of Antigua Guatemala and Ciudad Vieja, the first two capitals. Many interesting remains of Mayan civilization have been unearthed in the vicinity of Guatemala City, notably at Lake Amatitlán. The Univ. of San Carlos de Guatemala (1676) is in the city, as are many other educational and cultural institutions.

Weather: Guatemala
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AccuWeather® 5-Day Forecast

Tuesday HI:  81°F / 27°C
LO: 53°F / 11°C
Wednesday HI:  70°F / 21°C
LO: 56°F / 13°C
Thursday HI:  71°F / 21°C
LO: 57°F / 13°C
Friday HI:  70°F / 21°C
LO: 56°F / 13°C
Saturday HI:  69°F / 20°C
LO: 55°F / 12°C
Last updated November 24, 2009 05:49 (EST)

Dialing Code: The telephone dialing code for: Guatemala City, Guatemala
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The country code is: 502
The city code is: 2

Local Time: Guatemala City, Guatemala
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It is 5:38 AM, November 24, in Guatemala City (Guatemala).

Maps: Guatemala
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Wikipedia: Guatemala City
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Guatemala City
La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción
Guatemala City
Nickname(s): Guate, G-Town
Motto: "Tú eres la ciudad" (You are the city)
Guatemala City is located in Guatemala
Guatemala City
Location within Guatemala
Coordinates: 14°37′22.48″N 90°31′53.33″W / 14.6229111°N 90.5314806°W / 14.6229111; -90.5314806
Country  Guatemala
Department Guatemala
Municipality Guatemala
Subdivisions Zonas (zones)
Established 1773
Government
 - Mayor Álvaro Arzú
Area
 - Total 692 km2 (267.2 sq mi)
 - Land 1,905 km2 (735.5 sq mi)
Elevation 1,500 m (4,921 ft)
Population (2002 Census)
 - Total 2.5 Million
Time zone GMT-6 (UTC-6)
Website Municipalidad de Guatemala

Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala. It is also the capital city of the local Guatemala Department and the largest city in Central America and the Caribbean.

The city is located at 14°38′N 90°33′W / 14.633°N 90.55°W / 14.633; -90.55, in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita in the south central part of the country.

Contents

Population

As of the 2002 census, the city had a population of 2.5 million.[1] However, it has grown in excessive amounts throughout recent years. The current population estimates encompassing the city's metro area are of 7.2 million.[citation needed] Guatemalans have a diversity of origins, with Spanish and Mestizo descent being the most common. Guatemala City also has a sizeable Indigenous population and minority groups consisting of Germans and other European, Jewish people, Koreans; and also many people from other areas of Latin America.

Guatemala City's population has experienced drastic growth since the 1970s with the influx of indigenous migrants from the outlying departments as well as a large influx of foreign groups.

Climate

Despite its location in the tropics, due to its elevation and the resulting moderating influence of the higher altitude, Guatemala City features a subtropical highland climate. Guatemala City is generally mild, almost springlike, throughout the course of the year. It occasionally gets warm during the dry season, but it is nowhere near as hot as other sea-level cities located in the tropics. The rainy season extends from May to October while the dry season covers the remainder of the year.[2]

Its average annual temperature is 19°C (67 °F): 23°C (74°F) during the day and 15°C (59 °F) at night. Sleet and freezing temperatures are practically nonexistent here.[2]

Average morning relative humidity: 82%, evening relative humidity: 58%. Average Dew Point is 13°C (57°F)[2]

Weather data for Guatemala City
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 22
(72)		 23
(73)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 25
(77)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 23
(73)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 22
(72)		 23
(73)
Daily mean °C (°F) 17
(63)		 18
(64)		 20
(68)		 21
(70)		 21
(70)		 20
(68)		 20
(68)		 20
(68)		 19
(66)		 19
(66)		 18
(64)		 17
(63)		 19
(66)
Average low °C (°F) 12
(54)		 13
(55)		 14
(57)		 15
(59)		 16
(61)		 16
(61)		 16
(61)		 16
(61)		 16
(61)		 16
(61)		 14
(57)		 13
(55)		 15
(59)
Avg. precipitation days 4 3 4 5 14 23 20 20 23 15 7 5 143
Source: Weather Base [3]

History

Metropolitan Cultural Centre (old National Post Office Building).

Within the confines of modern Guatemala City is the ancient Maya city of Kaminaljuyu. Kaminaljuyu dates back some 9,000 years and is one of America's most notable archaeological sites. The center of Kaminaljuyu was located a short distance from the oldest part of Guatemala City. However, in the late 20th century, the city grew around the ruins, and, in some cases, over some of the outlying ruins before they were protected.

Many of the several hundred temple mounds have been built over with freeways, shopping centers, commerce, luxury hotels and residential areas. The central ceremonial center of Kaminaljuyu was however protected by the Guatemalan government and is now a park within the city. There are also many ruins still in existence, protected by the government.

In Spanish colonial times, Guatemala City was a small town. It had a monastery called El Carmen, founded in 1629. The capital of the Spanish Captaincy General of Guatemala, covering most of modern Central America, was moved here after a series of earthquakes - beginning on July 29, 1773 - destroyed the old capital, Antigua Guatemala.[4] On September 27, 1775, King Charles III of Spain officialized the moving of the capital. This dramatically increased the potential for expansion of the city.

Guatemala City was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, and became the capital of the United Provinces of Central America in 1821.

Today

Guatemala City is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic, and economic capital of Central America and the Caribbean. The city also functions as the main port of entry into the country, with Central America's largest international airport, La Aurora International Airport. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops, the city has a wide variety of art galleries and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and continually offers an increasing amount of cultural activities.

Structure and growth

Guatemala City from air.

Guatemala City is subdivided into 20 zones designed by the urban engineering of Raúl Aguilar Batres, each one with its own streets and avenues, making it very easy to find addresses in the city. Zones are number 1-19 and then 21, with Zone 20 not existing. The city metro area has grown so fast in the past years that it has absorbed most of the neighboring municipalities, including Villa Nueva, Santa Catarina Pinula, Mixco, and the suburban area of Carretera a El Salvador, currently a big and fine commercial and residential focal point of the city's metro area.

Zone One is the Historic Center, (Centro Histórico), lying in the very heart of the city, the location of many important historic buildings including the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura (National Palace of Culture), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Congress, the Casa Presidencial (Presidential House), the National Library and Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Plaza, old Central Park). Efforts to revitalize this important part of the city have been undertaken by the municipal government and have been very successful thus far.

In an attempt to control rapid growth of the city, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala) headed by long time Mayor Álvaro Arzú, has implemented a plan to control its growth based on transects along its important arterial roads. This plan denominated POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial) aims to allow taller building structures of mixed uses to be built next to large arterial roads and gradually decline in height and density as you move away from such. [5]

Places of interest by zones

Catedral Metropolitana, Guatemala City.

Zone 1

Zone 2

  • Mapa en Relieve (giant map of Guatemala) and surrounding parks [6]

Zone 4

Main square with the National Palace opposite.

Zone 5

Zone 7

  • Kaminaljuyu, Museo Miraflores [4], Miraflores (Biggest Mall in Central America)

Zone 9

Zone 10

Monument to Pope John Paul II.

Zone 13

Transportation

  • The newly renovated and expanded La Aurora International Airport lies in the southern part of the city and is the main gateway to the country.
  • Urban public transportation is provided mainly by bus and recently supplemented with a BRT System. Guatemala City is the spot where the 5 main highways of the country start. (Highway to the Atlantic, to El Salvador, to the Coast, to the Altiplano and to Peten.) The construction of freeways and underpasses by the municipal government, the implementation of reversible lanes during peak rush hour traffic flows, as well as the establishment of the Department of Metropolitan Transit Police (PMT) has helped traffic flow in the city, however, the Guatemalan metropolitan area still faces a growing transportation problem. A new BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system called Transmetro, consisting of special-purpose lanes for high-capacity buses, began operating in 2007 and aims to improve traffic flow in the city through the implementation of an efficient mass transit system. The first line (Eje Sur) is proving to be a success and work has begun on a second central line (Eje Central). [6] This may also lay the base for the possibility of a light rail system in the future. Traditional buses are now required to discharge passengers at central stations at the city's edge to board the Transmetro. This is being implemented as new Transmetro lines become established. In conjunction with the new mass trasit implementation in the city, there is also a prepaid bus card system that is being implemented in the metro area to limit cash handeling for the trasportation system.

Universities and Schools

There are 10 universities, Universidad Mariano Gálvez, Universidad Panamericana, Universidad Mesoamericana, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Universidad del Valle, Universidad del Istmo, Universidad Galileo, Universidad Rural and Universidad de San Carlos, the only public one and third oldest university in America. The city also has 2 of the most expensive schools in Central America, The American School of Guatemala and The Mayan International School.

Sports

Estadio Mateo Flores.

Guatemala City possesses several sportsgrounds and is home to many sports clubs. Football is the most popular sport, with CSD Municipal, Aurora FC and Comunicaciones being the main clubs. The Estadio Mateo Flores, located in the Zone 5 of the city, is the largest stadium in the country, followed in capacity by the Estadio Cementos Progreso and the Estadio del Ejército. An important multi-functional hall is the Domo Polideportivo de la CDAG.

The city has hosted several international sports events: in 1950 it hosted the VI Central American and Caribbean Games, and in 2000 the FIFA Futsal World Championship. On July 4, 2007 the International Olympic Committee gathered in Guatemala City and voted Sochi to become the host for the 2014 Winter Olympics.[11]

Guatemala City was announced in November 2007 to host the 2008 edition of the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, played at the Domo Polideportivo from June 2 to June 8 2008.[12][13]

Crime

In 2008, Approximately 40 murders a week were reported in Guatemala City alone. While the vast majority of murders do not involve foreigners, the sheer volume of activity and the limited resources makes local officials and police, who are inexperienced and underpaid, unable to cope with the problem. The judicial system is weak, overworked, and inefficient further compounding the crime problem.[14] There have been proposals to create a criminal justice program in the country and require police officers to have such studies. Higher studies would also be coupled with higher pay. This has only remained in the discussion stage without any advances despite the increased criminal wave that has plagued the city and country in the past decade or so.

Natural disasters

View of Guatemala City with the Agua, Fuego and Acatenango volcanoes in the background.

Earthquakes

Guatemala City has been affected several times by earthquakes. The worst quakes were registered in 1917/1918 and 1976.

Volcanic activity

Four volcanoes are visible from the city, two of them active. The nearest and most active is Pacaya, which at times expels a considerable amount of ash, resulting in the closure of La Aurora International Airport and subsequent flight delays.[15]

Mudslides

Due to heavy rainfalls some of the humble neighborhoods built at the edge of steep valleys are frequently washed away and buried under mudslides, as in October 2005.[16]

Sinkhole

In February 2007 a large sinkhole opened in a poor neighborhood in northeast Guatemala city, killing three people. The sinkhole was 100.5 m (330 ft) deep, and apparently was created by fluid from a sewer dissolving the rock underneath. As a result, one thousand people have been evacuated from the area.[17] The sink hole has since been mitigated and plans to develop on the site have been proposed.

Zona Ten and Zona Viva

Zone Ten along with being the financial district of the city is among the most popular areas for pop culture, shopping and entertainment. A district within Zone Ten, known as Zona Viva, contains many of the city's most popular hotels, restaurants, bars, discothèques, and other entertainment venues for the urban elite. Also, many of the embassies are located in Zone Ten.

International relations

Main article: List of twin towns and sister cities in Central America

Twin towns — Sister cities

Guatemala City is twinned with:

Sons and daughters of the city

See also

Search Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ciudad Guatemala

References

  1. ^ http://www.ine.gob.gt/index.php/demografia-y-poblacion
  2. ^ a b c Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Guatemala City, Guatemala
  3. ^ "Historical Weather for Guatemala City, Guatemala". http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=14687&refer=&units=metric. 
  4. ^ José Omar Moncada Maya. "En torno a la destrucción de la ciudad de Guatemala, 1773. Una carta del ingeniero militar Antonio Marín". Ub.es. http://www.ub.es/geocrit/b3w-444.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
  5. ^ ":::... Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial - Tú eres la Ciudad, Municipalidad de Guatemala, cumple ...:::" (in Template:.e icon). Pot.muniguate.com. http://pot.muniguate.com/. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
  6. ^ "Mapa en Relieve de Guatemala". Web.archive.org. http://web.archive.org/web/20080209212714/http://www.funtec-guatemala.org/page6.html. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  7. ^ "Museo Ixchel". Web.archive.org. 2008-02-02. http://web.archive.org/web/20080202120854/http://www.museoixchel.org/. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  8. ^ "Jardin Botanico". Natureserve.org. http://www.natureserve.org/nhp/lacarb/guate/jardin_botanico.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  9. ^ "Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia de Guatemala - deGUATE.com". deGUATE.com<!. http://www.deguate.com/infocentros/entretenimiento/arteycultura/arteycultura/museo-arque.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  10. ^ "Zoológico". Aurorazoo.org.gt. http://aurorazoo.org.gt/pages/intro.php. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 
  11. ^ rga-online, Remscheid, Germany. "Topnews - Sport - Remscheid: Remscheider General-Anzeiger / rga-online ...weil wir hier zu Hause sind!". Rga-online.de. http://www.rga-online.de/sport/topnews.php?publikation=2&template=phparttext_tt&ausgabe=42929&redaktion=1&artikel=108623013. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
  12. ^ "2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship to take place in Guatemala". CONCACAF. http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/futsal/viewArticle.asp?lang=en&id=4024. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
  13. ^ "2008 CONCACAF Futsal Championship Logo Unveiled". CONCACAF. http://www.concacaf.com/competitions/futsal/viewArticle.asp?lang=en&id=4097. Retrieved 2008-03-29. 
  14. ^ http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1129.html
  15. ^ "MTU-VP Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala". Geo.mtu.edu. 1995-06-01. http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/central_america/guatemala/pacaya/gvn/sepgvn.html. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
  16. ^ Carlos, Juan (2005-10-07). "Mudslide in Guatemala kills dozens | The San Diego Union-Tribune". Signonsandiego.com. http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20051007/news_1n7stan.html. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
  17. ^ Font size Print E-mail Share 5 Comments By David L Miller (2009-07-04). "Massive Guatemala Sinkhole Kills 2 Teens". CBS News. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/23/world/main2508879.shtml. Retrieved 2009-07-08. 
  18. ^ "Madrid city council webpage Mapa Mundi de las ciudades hermanadas". Ayuntamiento de Madrid. http://www.munimadrid.es/portal/site/munimadrid/menuitem.dbd5147a4ba1b0aa7d245f019fc08a0c/?vgnextoid=4e84399a03003110VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=4e98823d3a37a010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD&vgnextfmt=especial1&idContenido=1da69a4192b5b010VgnVCM100000d90ca8c0RCRD Madrid city council webpage. Retrieved 2009-07-25. 

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Translations: Guatemala City
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Dansk (Danish)
n. - Guatemala City

Deutsch (German)
n. - Guatemala-Stadt

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
危地马拉城

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 瓜地瑪拉城

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮גואטמלה סיטי‬

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