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(Opposite) Volcan Fuego erupted in February 2015, coating the city of Antigua in ash and forcing people to evacuate their homes. Guatemala is home to more than 30 volcanoes. (Right) Two people gaze up at a mas- sive Ceiba tree near Tikal. The Ceiba, which can grow taller than 100 feet (31 meters) is the national tree of Guatemala. 1

The Country of Eternal Spring

¡HOLA! ARE YOU DISCOVERING Guatemala? Welcome to the place known as the Country of Eternal Spring, where the ruins of ancient temples poke above jungle vegetation, where volcanoes cast a red glow at night, and where handsome examples of colonial Spanish buildings contrast with modern architecture in the capital, Guatemala City. This is a land of adventure, only recently at peace after nearly 36 years of civil war. A Jumble of Volcanoes and Jungle In total area, Guatemala is about the size of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Bounded by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize and the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast, Guatemala is Central America’s westernmost country.

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