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The Country of Eternal Spring

Quick Facts: The Geography of Guatemala

Location: Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize, and bordering the northern Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico. Geographic coordinates: 15’30”N, 90’15”W Area: (slightly smaller than Tennessee) total: 108,890 sq. km land: 108,430 sq. km water: 460 sq. km Borders: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km. Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and limestone plateaus.

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands. Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle (gum), hydropower. Land use: arable land: 13.22 percent permanent crops: 5.6 percent other: 82.82 percent Irrigated land: 1,300 sq. km

Source: CIA World Factbook 2015

square miles (800 sq km) of rainforest are cut down every year. The actual rate of deforestation may be even higher, due to illegal logging. Deforestation leads to soil erosion and threatens the existence of many endangered species, including Guatemala’s gorgeous national bird, the quetzál. Solid waste from the cities, as well as the heavy use of chemical soil fertilizers, contributes strongly to pollution. Guatemala’s largest city is Guatemala City, the largest city in Central America, which has a population of more than 1 million. Another 1.2 million people live in the city’s suburbs and nearby shantytowns. Other major cities include Mixco (population 384,428), Villa Nueva (pop. 301,947), Quetzaltenango (pop. 120,496), San Miguel Petapa (pop. 94,228), Escuintla (pop. 86,678), Chinautla (pop.