Guatemala+(Katie)

**Guatemala** = = ==

** __Geography__ ** Guatemala is located in Central America. The weather there is typically hot and tropical. It is cooler in the highlands and is warmer in the lowlands though. The terrain in the country  includes many mountains with some narrow coastal plains, and also has rolling limestone plateaus.  The geography itself affects the country in many ways. Even though the land is mostly mountainous,Guatemala is largely an agricultural country. Rich, fertile soils from volcanoes and the diverse climates make it perfect for the growing of crops such as corn and beans.

__General Information__
The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala. Population size is close to 14,655,000 people. The official languages of this country are Spanish (60%) and Amerindian (40%). Some of the Amerindian language includes Mam, Kekchi, and Garifuna. The official religions of Guatemala include Roman Catholic, Protestant, and indigenous Mayan beliefs. The currency that the Guatemalans use is called the quetzal, represent by (GTQ). The leading export in this country is coffee, along with cotton, bananas, and sugar. The number of births that occur per 1,000 people is about 27. Number of deaths per 1,000 people is about 5. Other demographics include: the life expectancy of the population as a whole is 70, the total fertility rate per woman is 3.27 children, and 69% of the population is literate.

__Brief History__
Before Guatemala was taken over by the Spanish, a flourishing Mayan civilization lived there. The civilization began to decline though after they were defeated by Pedro de Alvarado in 1524. The first colonial capital was Ciudad Vieja, which was destroyed by floods and earthquakes. The second capital, Antigua, was founded in 1543 and destroyed by two earthquakes in 1773. Finally, in 1776, Ciudad de Guatemala was founded and is still the current capital.

Guatemala gained its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821; the country then briefly became a part of the Mexican Empire. After that, it became a part of a federation called the United Provinces of Central America. From the mid 19th century to the mid-1980's, the country passed through a series of dictatorships, coups, insurgencies, and stretches of military rule with only occasional periods of representative government.

__Government and Political Position__
 Currently, Guatemala is a Constitutional Democratic Republic. Guatemala breaks their governement down into three branches, just like the United States, consisting of an Executuive, Judicial, and Legislative branch. General Otto Perez Molina is the most currently elected president of Guatemala. He came to power in 2011, winning 54% of the peoples' votes. In Guatemala, a president serves a four year term and elects a cabinet to help him. The legislative power lies in the hands of an 80 member unicameral National congress, also elected every four years.

Currently, Guatemala is going through a drought. The people there are performing what is known as cloud seeding in order to help bring rain. Cloud seeding is when you spray clouds and the air with certain chemicals in order to create synthetic rain. Studies don't have any or much proof that this method actually works, but the people in Guatemala seems to think it does. Even though it is supposedly helps to create rain, the chemicals used are extremely dangerous to humans and animals, and is frowned upon by many scientists. The connection between the drought in Guatemala and the economy is significant because Guatemala is the world's third largest exporter of coffee. If the dought lasts too long, the economy could suffer because nothing will grow, including other important foods such as bananas.

 Another current event in the country is its idea of a mining in a town in Guatemala. Many believe that the mine is a bad idea because of the pollution it will cause. Many locals say that the only one benefiting from the mine is the mayor. In the accord, which is non-binding, the industry agreed to increase its royalties from 1 to 4 percent for silver, from 1 to 5 percent for gold, and from 1 to 3 percent for other metals such as lead, zinc, and nickel. The amount of royalties will increase from 53 million to between 80 and 93 million dollars, which president Otto Perez Molina says is a major achievement, people still don't like the idea.

__Culture__

 * Food: **
 * Like many other latin countries, the Guatemalan diet consists of many things such as rice, beans, tortillas, and wheat in he form of bread or pasta. Depending on the degree of the influence, some people will eat chicken, pork, and beef. If you live near the coast, you can add shelllfish and fish to the list. The country has long been known for its coffee, avocados, beets, onion, sweet potatoes, and many other foods.

**Clothing:** media type="youtube" key="ugcqZpDka6U" height="283" width="378" align="center"
 * Because many of the people descended from the Maya, many of the poeple hold onto their Mayan beliefs and culture. For example, women in villages will wear traditional, hand woven huipil. They are bright, colorful, and each one made is unique. It tells others whether a woman is married, what her religious beliefs are, wealth, and personality. If it is woven well, a huipil can last anywhere between 20 and 30 years!

__Holidays/ Celebrations:__

 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: 23px;">In Antigua, Guatemala, they are famous for their colorful, elaborate religious festivals during Antigua Semana Santa, or Holy Week. It is a festival that occurs the week leading up to Easter. Thousands of people from all over come to watch the costumed processions, reenactments of the crucifixion, and other ceremonies. Probably the best part of this festival are the brilliant alfombras, or carpets. The people use sand or sawdust to level the cobble stone streets. They then put dyes down and interweave bright flowers or other plants to make beautiful, intricate designs.

__Tourism__
**__Lake Atitlan__** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: right;">This has been described as the "the most beautiful lake in the world". It is located in the scenic highlands of Guatemala, formed when a volcano's lid blew off during an explosion. A massive Mayan population live near the lake and sell handicrafts such as tortillas and traditional costumes. The lake is also surrounded by <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">three volcanoes that you can hike up.



**__Antigua__**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">It is one of the best preserved colonial towns in Guatemala. It is an hour away from the airport in Guatemala city, so it is fairly easy to get to. Antigua also is surrounded by three volcanoes, one of which that gives off puffs of smoke daily. It is one of the easiest towns in Guatemala to explore on foot. While Antigua may be your first stop in Guatemala, it is also nice to go there just to relax and experience some of the great food and budget hotels.

**__ Tikal __**

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px;">There are many breath-taking Mayan ruins in Guatemala, Tikal being one of them. They are often described as being some of the greatest and most important ruins in Central America. Tikal is spread out across more than 2.5 square kilometers, offering tourists and visitors some of the highest towering ruins of the entire Maya world. Even if you aren't a big fan of hiking up these temples, once you get to the top, it is always fun to see how many howling monkeys you can here from the forests below. These temples won't disappoint!

__Current Event Sources:__

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 * __ Sources Used: __**
 * Realidades Classroom Textbook
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 * [|http://www.google.com/imgresq=lake+atitlan&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=]
 * [|http://www.google.com/imgresq=Antigua+tourism+guatemala&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=]
 * [|[[http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/visit-guatemala/]