Guatemala City

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Guatemala City
Ciudad de Guatemala
Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción
New Guatemala of the Assumption
Ciudad de Guatemala, CA.jpg
Guatemala National Palace (reflection).jpg
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Post Office Palace in Guatemala City - GT.jpg
Torre del Reformador.jpg
Teatro Lux visto desde el Paseo de la Sexta.jpg
Plaza de la Republica & Banco Industrial.jpg
Ciudad Cayala - Guatemala.jpg
Clockwise from top: Zone 14 skyline; Guatemala National Palace; Metropolitan Cathedral; Post Office Palace; Reformer's Tower; Cultural Center of Spain; Zone 4 and Cayalá City.
Bandera de la Ciudad de Guatemala.svg
Escudo de Armas de la Ciudad de Guatemala.svg
Motto(s): 
"Todos somos la ciudad" (We are all the city), "Tú eres la ciudad" (You are the city).
Guatemala City
Interactive map outlining Guatemala City
Municipality of Guatemala City and its neighbors.svg
Guatemala City and its neighbors [lower-alpha 2]
Guatemala location map.svg
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Guatemala City
Outline map of Central America with borders.svg
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Guatemala City
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Guatemala City
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Guatemala City
Coordinates: 14°36′48″N90°32′7″W / 14.61333°N 90.53528°W / 14.61333; -90.53528
CountryFlag of Guatemala.svg  Guatemala
Department Bandera del Departamento Guatemala.svg Guatemala Department
Established1776
Government
  Type Municipality
  Mayor Ricardo Quiñónez Lemus (Unionist)
Area
   Capital city 997 km2 (385 sq mi)
  Water0 km2 (0 sq mi)
Elevation
1,500 m (4,900 ft)
Population
 (2023 projection) [1]
   Capital city 1,221,739
  Density5,552/km2 (14,380/sq mi)
   Urban
3,014,000 [2]
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
  Year2023
  Total (Metro)$48.1 billion [3]
  Per capita$15,500
Time zone UTC−06:00 (Central America)
Climate Aw
Website www.muniguate.com

Guatemala City (Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala), known nationally also as Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala. [4] It is also a municipality capital of the Guatemala Department and the most populous urban area in Central America. The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nestled in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita (English: Hermitage Valley).

Contents

Guatemala City is the site of the Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu, founded around 1500 BC. Following an earthquake in La Antigua in 1776 it was made capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. In 1821, Guatemala City was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, after which it became the capital of the newly established United Provinces of Central America (later the Federal Republic of Central America). [5]

In 1847, Guatemala declared itself an independent republic, with Guatemala City as its capital. The capital was originally located in what is now Antigua Guatemala, and was moved to its current location in 1776. [6]

Guatemala City was almost completely destroyed by the 1917–18 earthquakes. Reconstructions following the earthquakes have resulted in a more modern architectural landscape.[ citation needed ] Today, Guatemala City is the political, cultural, and economic center of Guatemala.

Names

Guatemala City (Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala) is known colloquially by Guatemalans as La Capital or Guate. Its formal name is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción [7] (New Guatemala of the Assumption). The latter name is derived from the fact that it was a new Guatemala after the old one (La Antigua) was ruined by an earthquake. Also, Assumption is in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption, whose festivity is 15 August, the city's feast day.

History

Early history

"Cerrito del Carmen" church. First construction ever built by the Spaniards in the valley that eventually became Guatemala City. Cerritodelcarmen.jpg
"Cerrito del Carmen" church. First construction ever built by the Spaniards in the valley that eventually became Guatemala City.

Human settlement on the present site of Guatemala City began with the Maya, who built a large ceremonial center at Kaminaljuyu. This large Maya settlement, the biggest outside the Maya lowlands in the Yucatán Peninsula, rose to prominence around 300 BC due to an increase in mining and trading of obsidian, a valuable commodity for the pre-Columbian civilizations in Mesoamerica. Kaminaljuyu then collapsed around 300 AD for unknown causes. [8]

A series of devastating earthquakes had left the old capital city, Antigua Guatemala, in ruins and unusable to the Spanish colonial authorities. During this period the central plaza, with the Cathedral of Guatemala City and the Palace of the Captain-General, were constructed. After Central American independence from Spain the city became the capital of the United Provinces of Central America in 1821.

The 19th century saw the construction of the monumental Carrera Theater in the 1850s, and the modern-day Presidential Palace in the 1890s. At this time the city was expanding around the 30 de Junio Boulevard and elsewhere, displacing native settlements on the peripheries of the growing city. Earthquakes in 19171918 destroyed many historic structures. Under President Jorge Ubico in the 1930s a hippodrome and many new public buildings were constructed, although slums that had formed after the 19171918 earthquakes continued to lack basic amenities.

Guatemala City continues to be subject to natural disasters, with the latest being the two disasters that struck in May 2010: the eruption of the Pacaya volcano and, two days later, the torrential downpours from Tropical Storm Agatha.

Contemporary history

Zone 10 of Guatemala City Guatemala City Air View.jpg
Zone 10 of Guatemala City

Guatemala City serves as the economic, governmental, and cultural epicenter of the nation of Guatemala. The city also functions as Guatemala's main transportation hub, hosting an international airport, La Aurora International Airport, and serving as the origination or end points for most of Guatemala's major highways. The city, with its robust economy, attracts hundreds of thousands of rural migrants from Guatemala's interior hinterlands and serves as the main entry point for most foreign immigrants seeking to settle in Guatemala.

In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, shops, and a modern BRT transport system (Transmetro), the city is home to many art galleries, theaters, sports venues and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and provides a growing number of cultural offerings. Guatemala City not only possesses a history and culture unique to the Central American region, it also furnishes all the modern amenities of a world class city, ranging from an IMAX Theater to the Ícaro film festival (Festival Ícaro), where independent films produced in Guatemala and Central America are debuted.

Structure and growth

Plaza Espana at night Plaza Espana Cd Guatemala a Noche.jpg
Plaza España at night
Evening view from a plane Guatemala city aerial night b.JPG
Evening view from a plane
Cayala City, an upscale suburb of Guatemala City Ciudad Cayala - Guatemala City.jpg
Cayalá City, an upscale suburb of Guatemala City


Guatemala City is located in the mountainous regions of the country, between the Pacific coastal plain to the south and the northern lowlands of the Peten region.

The city's metropolitan area has recently grown very rapidly and has absorbed most of the neighboring municipalities of Villa Nueva, San Miguel Petapa, Mixco, San Juan Sacatepequez, San José Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula, Fraijanes, San Pedro Ayampuc, Amatitlán, Villa Canales, Palencia, and Chinautla, forming what is now known as the Guatemala City Metropolitan Area.

The city is subdivided into 22 zones ("Zonas") designed by the urban engineering of Raúl Aguilar Batres, each one with its own streets ("Calles"), avenues ("Avenidas") and, sometimes, "Diagonal" Streets, making it pretty easy to find addresses in the city. Zones are numbered 1–25, with Zones 20, 22 and 23 not existing as they would have fallen in two other municipalities' territory. [9] Addresses are assigned according to the street or avenue number, followed by a dash and the number of metres it is away from the intersection. [10]

For example, the INGUAT Office on "7a Av. 1-17, Zona 4" is a building which is located on Avenida 7, 17 meters away from the intersection with Calle 1, toward Calle 2 in zone 4.

7a Av. 1-17, Zona 4; and 7a Av. 1-17, Zona 10, are two radically different addresses.

Short streets/avenues do not get new sequenced number, for example, 6A Calle is a short street between 6a and 7a.

Some "avenidas" or "Calles" have a name in addition to their number, if it is very wide; for example, Avenida la Reforma is an avenue which separates Zone 9 and 10, and Calle Montúfar is Calle 12 in Zone 9.

Calle 1 Avenida 1 Zona 1 is the center of every city in Guatemala.

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.

Besides the parks, the city offers a portfolio of entertainment in the region, focused on the so-called Zona Viva and the Calzada Roosevelt, as well as four degrees North. Casino activity is considerable, with several located in different parts of the Zona Viva. The area around the East market is being redeveloped.

Within the financial district are the tallest buildings in the country, including: Club Premier, Tinttorento, Atlantis building, Atrium, Tikal Futura, Building of Finances, Towers Building Batteries, Torres Botticelli, Tadeus, building of the INTECAP, Royal Towers, Towers Geminis, Industrial Bank towers, Holiday Inn Hotel, Premier of the Americas, among many others to be used for offices, apartments, etc. Also included are projects such as Zona Pradera and Interamerica's World Financial Center.

One of the most outstanding mayors was the engineer Martin Prado Vélez, who took over in 1949, and ruled the city during the reformist Presidents Juan José Arévalo and Jacobo Arbenz Guzman, although he was not a member of the ruling party at the time and was elected due his well-known capabilities. Of cobanero origin, married with Marta Cobos, he studied at the University of San Carlos; under his tenure, among other modernist works of the city, infrastructure projects included El Incienso bridge, the construction of the Roosevelt Avenue, the main road axis from East to West of the city, the town hall building, and numerous road works which meant the widening of the colonial city, its order in the cardinal points and the generation of a ring road with the first cloverleaf interchange in the city. [11]

In an attempt to control the rapid growth of the city, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala), headed by longtime Mayor Álvaro Arzú, has implemented a plan to focus growth along important arterial roads and apply Transit-oriented development (TOD) characteristics. 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 moving away from such. It is also worth mentioning, that due to the airport being in the south of the city, height limits based on aeronautical considerations have been applied to the construction code. This limits the maximum height for a building, at 60 metres (200 feet) in Zone 10, up to 95 metres (312 feet) in Zone 1. [9]

Climate

Despite its location in the tropics, Guatemala City has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw) bordering humid subtropical climate (Cwa), due to its relatively high altitude which moderate the average temperatures. Guatemala City is generally very warm, almost springlike, throughout the course of the year.

It occasionally gets hot during the dry season, but not as hot and humid as in Central American cities at sea level. The hottest month is April. The rainy season extends from May to October, coinciding with the tropical storm and hurricane season in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, while the dry season extends from November to April. The city can at times be windy, which also leads to lower ambient temperatures.

The city's average annual temperature ranges are 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F) during the day and 12–17 °C (53.6–62.6 °F) at night; its average relative humidity is 82% in the morning and 58% in the evening; and its average dew point is 16 °C (60.8 °F). [12]

Climate data for Guatemala City (1990-2011)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)30.0
(86.0)
32.1
(89.8)
32.0
(89.6)
33.9
(93.0)
33.9
(93.0)
31.2
(88.2)
29.1
(84.4)
30.2
(86.4)
29.8
(85.6)
28.6
(83.5)
29.9
(85.8)
28.8
(83.8)
33.9
(93.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)24.3
(75.7)
25.8
(78.4)
26.8
(80.2)
27.8
(82.0)
27.1
(80.8)
25.8
(78.4)
25.4
(77.7)
25.5
(77.9)
25.1
(77.2)
24.7
(76.5)
24.2
(75.6)
23.9
(75.0)
25.5
(77.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)18.7
(65.7)
19.7
(67.5)
20.7
(69.3)
21.9
(71.4)
21.9
(71.4)
21.3
(70.3)
20.8
(69.4)
21.0
(69.8)
20.7
(69.3)
20.3
(68.5)
19.4
(66.9)
18.8
(65.8)
20.4
(68.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)13.2
(55.8)
13.6
(56.5)
14.6
(58.3)
16.0
(60.8)
16.8
(62.2)
16.8
(62.2)
16.3
(61.3)
16.5
(61.7)
16.4
(61.5)
16.0
(60.8)
14.7
(58.5)
13.7
(56.7)
15.4
(59.7)
Record low °C (°F)6.0
(42.8)
7.8
(46.0)
8.4
(47.1)
8.6
(47.5)
12.3
(54.1)
11.2
(52.2)
12.1
(53.8)
13.5
(56.3)
13.0
(55.4)
11.4
(52.5)
9.4
(48.9)
7.6
(45.7)
6.0
(42.8)
Average rainfall mm (inches)2.8
(0.11)
5.4
(0.21)
6.0
(0.24)
31.0
(1.22)
128.9
(5.07)
271.8
(10.70)
202.6
(7.98)
202.7
(7.98)
236.6
(9.31)
131.6
(5.18)
48.8
(1.92)
6.6
(0.26)
1,274.8
(50.18)
Average rainy days1.681.452.004.7312.3621.1418.5919.0420.8214.596.182.64125.22
Average relative humidity (%)74.373.473.274.377.382.480.880.984.582.079.276.077.8
Mean monthly sunshine hours 248.4236.2245.6237.9184.4155.3183.4191.8159.0178.0211.7209.22,440.9
Source: Instituto Nacional de Sismologia, Vulcanologia, Meteorologia, e Hidrologia [13]

Volcanic activity

Four stratovolcanoes are visible from the city, two of them active. The nearest and most active is Pacaya, which at times erupts a considerable amount of ash. [14] These volcanoes lie to the south of the Valle de la Ermita, providing a natural barrier between Guatemala City and the Pacific lowlands that define the southern regions of Guatemala. Agua, Fuego, Pacaya, and Acatenango comprise a line of 33 stratovolcanoes that stretches across the breadth of Guatemala, from the Salvadorian border to the Mexican border.

Earthquakes

Lying on the Ring of Fire, the Guatemalan highlands and the Valle de la Ermita are frequently shaken by large earthquakes. The last large tremor to hit the Guatemala City region occurred in the 1976, on the Motagua Fault, a left-lateral strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the North American Plate. The 1976 event registered 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale. Smaller, less severe tremors are frequently felt in Guatemala City and environs.

Mudslides

Torrential downpours, similar to the more famous monsoons, occur frequently in the Valle de la Ermita during the rainy season, leading to flash floods that sometimes inundate the city. Due to these heavy rainfalls, some of the slums perched on the steep edges of the canyons that criss-cross the Valle de la Ermita are washed away and buried under mudslides, as in October 2005. [15] Tropical waves, tropical storms and hurricanes sometimes strike the Guatemalan highlands, which also bring torrential rains to the Guatemala City region and trigger these deadly mudslides.

Piping pseudokarst

2007 Sinkhole Guatemala city sinkhole 2007 composite view.jpg
2007 Sinkhole
The 2010 sinkhole in Zona 2 Guatemala City 2010 sinkhole 1.jpg
The 2010 sinkhole in Zona 2

In February 2007, a very large, deep circular hole with vertical walls opened in northeastern Guatemala City ( 14°39′1.40″N90°29′25″W / 14.6503889°N 90.49028°W / 14.6503889; -90.49028 ), killing five people. This sinkhole, which is classified by geologists as either a "piping feature" or "piping pseudokarst", was 100 metres (330 ft) deep, and apparently was created by fluid from a sewer eroding the loose volcanic ash, limestone, and other pyroclastic deposits that underlie Guatemala City. [16] [17] As a result, one thousand people were evacuated from the area. [18] This piping feature has since been mitigated by City Hall by providing proper maintenance to the sewerage collection system, [19] and plans to develop the site have been proposed. However, critics believe municipal authorities have neglected needed maintenance on the city's aging sewerage system, and have speculated that more dangerous piping features are likely to develop unless action is taken. [20]

3 years later the 2010 Guatemala City sinkhole arose.

Demographics

Aerial view of Guatemala City Guatemala City Metropolitan Area Satellite view.jpg
Aerial view of Guatemala City

It is estimated that the population of Guatemala City urban area is about 3 million. [21] [22] [23] The growth of the city's population has been robust, abetted by the mass migration of Guatemalans from the rural hinterlands to the largest and most vibrant regional economy in Guatemala. [24] Among inhabitants of Guatemala City, those of Spanish and Mestizo descent are the most numerous. [24] Guatemala City also has sizable indigenous populations, divided among the 23 distinct Mayan groups present in Guatemala. The numerous Mayan languages are now spoken in certain quarters of Guatemala City, making the city a linguistically rich area. Foreigners and foreign immigrants comprise the final distinct group of Guatemala City inhabitants, representing a very small minority among the city's denizens. [24]

Due to mass migration from impoverished rural districts wracked with political instability, Guatemala City's population has exploded since the 1970s, severely straining the existing bureaucratic and physical infrastructure of the city. As a result, chronic traffic congestion, shortages of safe potable water in some areas of the city, and a sudden and prolonged surge in crime have become perennial problems. The infrastructure, although continuing to grow and improve in some areas, [25] is lagging in relation to the increasing population of rural migrants, who tend to be poorer. [26]

Communications

Guatemala City is headquarters to many communications and telecom companies, among them Tigo, Claro-Telgua, and Movistar-Telefónica. These companies also offer cable television, internet services and telephone access. Due to Guatemala City's large and concentrated consumer base in comparison to the rest of the country, these telecom and communications companies provide most of their services and offerings within the confines of the city. There are also seven local television channels, in addition to numerous international channels. The international channels range from children's programming, like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel, to more adult offerings, such as E! and HBO. While international programming is dominated by entertainment from the United States, domestic programming is dominated by shows from Mexico. Due to its small and relatively income-restricted domestic market, Guatemala City produces very little in the way of its own programming outside of local news and sports.

Economy and finance

Guatemala City, as the capital, is home to Guatemala's central bank, from which Guatemala's monetary and fiscal policies are formulated and promulgated. Guatemala City is also headquarters to numerous regional private banks, among them CitiBank, Banco Agromercantil, Banco Promerica, Banco Industrial, Banco GyT Continental, Banco de Antigua, Banco Reformador, Banrural, Grupo Financiero de Occidente, BAC Credomatic, and Banco Internacional.

By far the richest and most powerful regional economy within Guatemala, Guatemala City is the largest market for goods and services, which provides the greatest number of investment opportunities for public and private investors in all of Guatemala. Financing for these investments is provided by the regional private banks, as well as through foreign direct investment mostly coming from the United States. Guatemala City's ample consumer base and service sector is represented by the large department store chains present in the city, among them Siman, Hiper Paiz & Paiz (Walmart), Price Smart, ClubCo, Cemaco, Sears, and Office Depot.[ citation needed ]

Places of interest by zones

Guatemala City is divided into 22 zones in accordance with the urban layout plan designed by Raúl Aguilar Batres. Each zone has its own streets and avenues, facilitating navigation within the city. Zones are numbered 1 through 25. However, numbers 20, 22 and 23 have not been designated to zones, thus these zones do not exist within the city proper. [9]

ZoneMain placesPictures
Zone 1
Guatemala National Theater Teatro Nacional Guatemala.jpg
Guatemala National Theater
National cathedral Catedral Metropolitana - Guatemala City - Air View.jpg
National cathedral
Zone 2
Guatemala's relief map Maparelieve3.jpg
Guatemala's relief map
Cerveceria Centro Americana Foto aerea Cerveceria Centro Americana S.A..jpg
Cervecería Centro Americana
Zone 3
Guatemala City General Cemetery Tumbaagapitaguatemala 2014-07-16 15-05.jpg
Guatemala City General Cemetery
City dump Basurero de la zona 3 - Guatemala.jpg
City dump
Zone 4
  • Banco Industrial financial center
  • La Terminal Market
  • Cuatro Grados Norte borough
Banco Industrial
financial center Plaza de la Republica & Banco Industrial.jpg
Banco Industrial financial center
Zone 5
National Stadium Estadio Mateo Flores Guatemala.JPG
National Stadium
Zone 6
La Parroquia
church, before 1917 Parroquiavieja fotorex.jpg
La Parroquia church, before 1917
Zone 7
  • Kaminaljuyú Archeological Site
  • Erick Barrondo Sports Park
  • Peri-Roosevelt Mall
  • Megacentro Mall
Kaminal Juyu Kaminaljuyu 1979 - Cd Guatemala 06.jpg
Kaminal Juyu
Zone 8
  • Temple of the Divine Providence
    (Parroquia La Divina Providencia; Salesian catholic church)
Temple of the Divine Providence Parroquia La Divina Providencia.jpg
Temple of the Divine Providence
Zone 9
Torre del Reformador GT Ciudad de Guatemala 0411 001 (17069314159).jpg
Torre del Reformador
Plazuela espana Plazuela espana.jpg
Plazuela españa
Zone 10
Zona Viva at night Zona Viva, Guatemala City.jpg
Zona Viva at night
Francisco Marroquin
university Panoramica entrada Universidad Francisco Marroquin.jpg
Francisco Marroquin university
Zone 11
Calzada Roosevelt Ciudad de Guatemala, night.jpg
Calzada Roosevelt
Tikal Futura Grand Tikal Futura Hotel - 50805138293.jpg
Tikal Futura
Zone 12
University of San Carlos Central Campus Rectoria USAC.jpg
University of San Carlos Central Campus
Zone 13
La Aurora International Airport La Aurora International Airport Guatemala City 31.jpg
La Aurora International Airport
Museo Nacional de Arqueologia y Etnologia Museo Arqueologia1.jpg
Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología
Zone 14
  • Centro Recreativo Universitario Los Arcos
  • Avenida Las Américas
  • Europlaza
Europlaza Europlaza - Ciudad de Guatemala.jpg
Europlaza
Avenida Las Americas Avenida las Americas zona 14.jpg
Avenida Las Américas
Zone 15
Vista Hermosa, zona 15 Vista Hermosa zona 15 Guatemala City.jpg
Vista Hermosa, zona 15
Latter Day Saints Guatemala City Temple Guatemala City Temple by rkuhnau.jpg
Latter Day Saints Guatemala City Temple
Zone 16
Universidad Rafael Landivar Edificios URL.JPG
Universidad Rafael Landívar
Paseo Cayala upscale new district Cayala1.jpg
Paseo Cayalá upscale new district

Transportation

Transmetro Transmetro en Ciudad de Guatemala.jpg
Transmetro
Transurbano TRANSURBANO.JPG
Transurbano
La Aurora International Airport KLM CARGO GUATEMALA.jpg
La Aurora International Airport

Traditional buses are now required to discharge passengers at transfer 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 transit implementation in the city, there is also a prepaid bus card system called Transurbano that is being implemented in the metro area to limit cash handling for the transportation system. A new fleet of buses tailored for this system has been purchased from a Brazilian firm.

A light rail line known as Metro Riel is proposed.

Universities and schools

Guatemala City is home to ten universities, among them the oldest institution of higher education in Central America, the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. Founded in 1676, the Universidad de San Carlos is older than all North American universities except for Harvard University.

The other nine institutions of higher education to be found in Guatemala City include the Universidad Mariano Gálvez, the Universidad Panamericana, the Universidad Mesoamericana, the Universidad Rafael Landivar, the Universidad Francisco Marroquín, the Universidad del Valle, the Universidad del Istmo, Universidad Galileo, Universidad da Vinci, and the Universidad Rural. Whereas these nine named universities are private, the Universidad de San Carlos remains the only public institution of higher learning.

Sports

Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores Estadio Mateo Flores Guatemala.JPG
Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores

Guatemala City possesses several sportsgrounds and is home to many sports clubs. Football is the most popular sport, with CSD Municipal, Aurora F.C., and Comunicaciones being the main clubs.[ citation needed ]

The Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, located in the Zone 5 of the city, is the largest stadium in the country, followed in capacity by the Estadio Cementos Progreso, Estadio del Ejército, and Estadio El Trébol. An important multi-functional hall is the Domo Polideportivo de la CDAG.[ citation needed ]

The city has hosted several promotional functions and some international sports events: in 1950 it hosted the VI Central American and Caribbean Games, and in 2000 the FIFA Futsal World Championship. On 4 July 2007 the International Olympic Committee gathered in Guatemala City and voted Sochi to become the host for the 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. [29] In April 2010, it hosted the XIVth Pan-American Mountain Bike Championships. [30]

Guatemala City hosted the 2008 edition of the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, played at the Domo Polideportivo from 2 to 8 June 2008. [31]

The 2024 Senior Pan American Championships will be held in the city from June 7 to 9 at Gimnasio Nacional Teodoro Palacios Flores. [32]

Panoramic views of Guatemala City

1875

Panoramaguatemala1875.jpg
Guatemala City skyline in 1875, by Eadweard Muybridge

2020

Panoramica de la Ciudad de Guatemala..jpg
Panoramic view of Guatemala City
Skyline de la Zona 14 de la Ciudad de Guatemala..jpg
Skyline of the zone 14 or residential buildings zone

International relations

International organizations with headquarters in Guatemala City

Twin towns – sister cities

Guatemala City is twinned with:

CityJurisdictionCountryYear
Caracas Capital District Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela 1969
San Salvador San Salvador Flag of El Salvador.svg  El Salvador 1979
Madrid Madrid Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 1983 [33]
Hollywood Florida Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 1987 [34] [35]
Lima Lima Flag of Peru.svg  Peru 1987
Santiago de Chile Metropolitan Santiago Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 1991
Saltillo Coahuila Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico 1993
La Habana La Habana Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba 1997
Bogotá Distrito Capital Flag of Colombia.svg  Colombia 1997
San Pedro Sula Cortés Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras 1999
Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 2002
San José San José Flag of Costa Rica.svg  Costa Rica 2005
Ciudad de Panamá Panamá Flag of Panama.svg  Panama 2005
Taipei Northern Taiwan Flag of the Republic of China.svg  Republic of China 2007 [36]
Managua Managua Flag of Nicaragua.svg  Nicaragua 2008
Beijing Beijing Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg  China 2009
Providence Rhode Island Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States 2016 [37]

Notable residents

See also

Notes and references

  1. Landmark next to which was held the first council meeting in the newly founded Guatemala City in 1776

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Huehuetenango is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. It is located in the western highlands and shares the borders with the Mexican state of Chiapas in the north and west; with El Quiché in the east, and Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango and San Marcos in the south. The capital is the city of Huehuetenango.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quetzaltenango Department</span> Department of Guatemala

Quetzaltenango is a department in the western highlands of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in Guatemala. The department is divided up into 24 municipalities. The inhabitants include Spanish-speaking Ladinos and the Kʼicheʼ and Mam Maya groups, both with their own Maya language. The department consists of mountainous terrain, with its principal river being the Samalá River. the department is seismically active, suffering from both earthquakes and volcanic activity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Cristóbal Verapaz</span> Municipality in Alta Verapaz Department, Guatemala

San Cristóbal Verapaz is a town, with a population of 20,961, and a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. It is located approximately 29 km from Cobán, the capital of Alta Verapaz and about 210 km from Guatemala City. San Cristóbal belongs to the Pokimchi' linguistic area. Its main income source is the «Cobán» shoe factory, which specializes in industrial rubber boots, which are sold both locally and internationally.

Palín is a municipality in the Escuintla department of Guatemala. The town of Palín, which is the municipal seat, is located on the foothills of the Sierra Madre volcanic chain, south of Guatemala City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mixco</span> Place in Guatemala, Guatemala

Mixco is a city and municipality in the Guatemala department of Guatemala. It is next to the main Guatemala City municipality and has become part of the Guatemala City Metropolitan Area. Most of Mixco is separated from the City by canyons, for which a multitude of bridges have been created. It is the second largest city in Guatemala after Guatemala City, with a population of 475,777. Ciudad San Cristóbal is located within Mixco.

San Miguel Petapa also known as Petapa is a city and municipality in the Guatemala department of Guatemala, located south of Guatemala City. The city has a population of 129,124 according to the 2018 census.

Villa Canales is a city and municipality in the Guatemala department of Guatemala, situated 22 km south of the capital Guatemala City. As of the 2018 census, the city had a population of 124,680, making it the eleventh largest city in Guatemala.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villa Nueva, Guatemala</span> Place in Guatemala, Guatemala

Villa Nueva is a city in the Guatemala department of Guatemala. The city centre of Villa Nueva at Villa Nueva Central Park is located 16 kilometres (10 mi) south of Guatemala City. The city has a population of 618,397, making it the second largest in Guatemala Department, after Guatemala City. It was founded on 17 April 1763, long before Guatemala declared its independence from the Spanish Empire. The local economy largely depends on industry, with the municipality having some 100 factories that produce such products as textiles, metallurgical goods, and plastics. The area's agricultural products include rice, dairy, fruits, and vegetables.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala</span> Public university in Guatemala City, Guatemala

The Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala is the largest and oldest university of Guatemala; it is also the fourth founded in the Americas. Established in the Kingdom of Guatemala during the Spanish colony, it was the only university in Guatemala until 1954, although it continues to hold distinction as the only public university in the entire country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodolfo Abularach</span> Guatemalan painter and printmaker (1933–2020)

Rodolfo Abularach was a Guatemalan painter and printmaker of Palestinian descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clorindo Testa</span> Italian-Argentine architect

Clorindo Manuel José Testa was an Italian-Argentine architect and artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lachuá Lake</span> Karstic lake (cenote) in Cobán, Guatemala

Lachuá Lake is a karstic lake in Guatemala. It is located in the middle of a national park covered with tropical rain forest, northwest of Cobán, near the border between the departments of Alta Verapaz and El Quiché. The lake is near circular in shape and is probably a cenote or doline. The lake water has a slightly sulphurous smell, which may explain the origin of its name: "Lachuá" is derived from the Q'eqchi' words "la chu há" which means "the fetid water". The water contains a relatively high degree of calcite and tree branches fallen into the lake are quickly covered with a white calcite layer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arequipa</span> Region capital in Peru

Arequipa, also known by its nicknames of Ciudad Blanca and León del Sur, is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous province and department. It is the seat of the Constitutional Court of Peru and often dubbed the "legal capital of Peru". It is the second most populated city in Peru, after Lima, with an urban population of 1,296,278 inhabitants according to the 2017 national census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Bárbara de Heredia</span> District in Santa Bárbara canton, Heredia province, Costa Rica

Santa Bárbara is one of the six districts that make up the canton of Santa Bárbara, Costa Rica. The district of Santa Bárbara is commonly referred to as Santa Bárbara de Heredia, and is the seat of the municipality of Santa Bárbara, and therefore awarded the title of city. It is an important commercial and transportation hub, approximately seven miles from the provincial capital of Heredia and five miles from the provincial capital of Alajuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purabá</span> District in Santa Bárbara canton, Heredia province, Costa Rica

Purabá is a district of the Santa Bárbara canton, in the Heredia province of Costa Rica. The district consists of several large neighborhoods: San Bosco (Bosconia), Marías, Purabá, Lajas, and Calle Quirós.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francisca Fernández-Hall</span>

Francisca Fernández-Hall Zúñiga was a Guatemalan engineer and diplomat. She was the first woman to graduate from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, the first woman in all of Central America to earn an engineering degree, the first woman to be accepted and to attend the Instituto Militar de Engenharia of Brazil, and the first female ambassador for Guatemala.

The Amatitlán Department was one of the original departments of the Republic of Guatemala when it was created in 1839 as an independent district by governor Mariano Rivera Paz and then elevated to the category of department by conservative president Vicente Cerna y Cerna in 1866. It was abolished by general Jorge Ubico in 1935 and its municipalities were split between the Guatemala and Escuintla departments. It was formed by the modern municipalities of Amatitlán, Villa Nueva, Palín, Villa Canales and San Miguel Petapa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Guatemala City</span>

Human settlement on the present site of Guatemala City began with the Maya who built a city at Kaminaljuyu. The Spanish colonists established a small town, which was made a capital city in 1775. At this period the Central Square with the Cathedral and Royal Palace were constructed. After Central American independence from Spain the city became the capital of the United Provinces of Central America in 1821.

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