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CountryOnlineFind.com > Reception >
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Guatemala (GT) |
| Continent: |
North America |
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| Surface: |
108.890 km ² |
| Inhabitants: |
12.293.545 |
| Capital: |
Guatemala |
International banking code (ISO Codes): |
WP |
| Official language: |
Spaniard |
Code: |
+502 |
| Currency: |
Quetzal |
Number plate: |
GCA |
| Routes of Guatemala: |
289 |
Routes towards Guatemala: |
360 |
| Preferred airports: |
Flora (FRS), Guatemala (GUA) |
| Principal cities: |
Guatemala, Mixco, Villa Nueva, Petapa, San Juan Sacatepéquez, Quezaltenango, Villa Canales, Escuintla, Chinautla, Chimaltenango, Chichicastenango, Huehuetenango, Amatitlán, Totonicapán, Santa Catarina Pinula |
| Airline company based in Guatemala: |
Tikal Jets, AVIATECA, DHL of Guatemala |
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Tourist guide Guatemala (North America) |
The Republic of Guatemala is a country of Central America having common borders with Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and the Belize. Moreover the country has a small coastal strip in the Gulf of Honduras and a coast of a size much more significant on the Pacific Ocean.
Geography and climate: on the geographical and climatic level, Guatemala is divided into three zones: in the part north-eastern, the area of Petèn, covered with tropical forest and thus not very favourable with human colonization, the central part, dominated by top-plates over which lives most of the population of the country, bored all the same by volcanos and two large mountainous solid masses, the Sierra Veined and the cordillera of Cuchumantanes, and finally fertile coastal plains over the edges of the Pacific.
Relief and river: more the high summit is the Tajumulco volcano which reaches the altitude of 4.220 m and the longest river is Rio Motagua which traverses the country on 240 km. More the big lake of the country is the lake Izabal which extends on 595 km ².
Official languages and spoken languages: the official language is Spanish, but the indigenous population largely has recourse to the Maya languages. One does not count any less than 23. English also is spoken and included/understood in the big cities and the tourist places.
Health and vaccinations: generally one advises with the travellers to be made vaccinate against hepatitis has, typhus, the polio, the diphteria and tetanus. To prevent the viral diseases transmitted by the insects and the mosquitos, it is in general enough to cover well and apply products anti-insects available on the spot. In Guatemala, the risk to contract paludism exists, in particular in the rural areas. A consultation near a doctor thus is essential to consider an effective preventive strategy. The health system is in addition satisfactory only in the big cities and the very tourist places. This is why it is highly advised to contract a insurance-voyage including/understanding a insurance-repatriation for the most serious cases. For more safety and to avoid risks of infection, it is recommended to consume only bottled water, to peel the fruits well and to make cook vegetables before consuming them. Lastly, think of providing you with a first-aid kit of voyage.
Conditions of entry on the territory: for one duration of stay of less than three months, the French nationals must only provide themselves with a valid passport. Obtaining a visa is not necessary. The minor travellers must be provided with an individual passport.
For further information concerning vaccinations, the conditions of entry and safety, you can for example consult the site of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Travel and transport: several airline companies serve the airport of Guatemala City (GUA) of Paris (CDG) and Paris (ORY). One can, as example, to quote American Airlines (AA), Continental Airlines (CO) and Iberia (IB).
The capital: Guatemala City shelters 5 million inhabitants roughly. The city, at the time called Kaminaljuyu, was founded approximately 2.000 years ago by the Maya. Still today, one can visit the vestiges of this ancient city in a park of the downtown area. The colonial capital of Antigua-Guatemala having been largely destroyed by a violent one earthquake in 1773, the Spanish colonists built on its ruins the new capital which since developed until becoming at the present time more the big city of South America. The museums of Ixchell and Popol lodge true treasures inherited the old indigenous cultures, the Maya ruins pre-Colombians of Kaminaljuyu and an iron construction a 75 m height, “the torre of Reformador”, which was to become a counterpart of the Eiffel tower. The museum of archeology and ethnology exposes many Maya objects and a large model of the site of Tikal.
Tourist sites and places of bathe: the town of Antigua-Guatemala was founded in 1543 and was, until its partial destruction by an earthquake in 1773, the capital of the Spanish colonies in Central America. The city, classified by UNESCO with the world heritage, carries still today the scars of this earthquake, but always allured by its splendid colonial architecture. City one can also admire with far the three volcanos from Agua, Acatenango and Fuego.
After having visited the Maya sites located in the area, one can go to Lago de Atitlàn. The lake since 1995 is classified natural reserve and rests between three volcanos. Because of its beauty, the lake constitutes a tourist destination appraisal and one finds many hotels and pensions there held by natives.
Guatemala is also famous for its picturesque markets disseminated in all the countries. One of most interesting is held Thursday in the town of Chichicastenango. They is largest of all the Central America and it as well attracts local salesmen and visitors that a crowd of tourists.
With not missing: the greatest tourist attraction of the country is without question the Maya city of Tikal, located in the area of El Petèn, an area covered with tropical forest of the north of Guatemala. Tikal is today one of the Maya sites best studied, but in 1956, when the ruins of the city were discovered, they still rested under a thick layer of tropical forest. Today, Tikal is the greatest archeological site of the American continent. With its apogee, the city sheltered to 75.000 inhabitants and its many temples, palates and terraces carry testimony of the importance and the radiation which were them his. The city has also the largest Maya pyramid of the world which rises up to 65 Mr. the government declared all the area of Tikal, in a perimeter of 576km ², national park. This magic site is very easily accessible thanks to a road at the beginning from the town of Flora. The area has a good tourist infrastructure and offers multiple possibilities of lodging, hotels all categories while passing by a camp-site. One can thus envisage to spend several days there in order to really enjoy this site enchanter in all his extent. If one with the chance to be on the spot for a period of full moon, a night visit of the site asserts oneself. Indeed, the nights of full moon, the place exerts a fascination even larger on its visitors and the local government, showing a generous tolerance, authorizes the visitors residents in the surrounding hotels and pensions to penetrate on the site of night. The area of Petèn conceals other Maya sites. One can quote Aguateca, Cival, Dos Crushed, El Mirador, Corona, and Nabké.
Religion: the Guatemalan population is made up to 60% of descendants of the Maya and 35% of mongrel. The remainder of the population being composed people of European or Asian origin. The majority of the population is of confession catholic, to 65%. There exists also a large Protestant community, approximately 25% of the population and finally a community of followers of traditional worships.
Big cities and possibilities of lodging: Guatemala City, Mixco, Nueva Villa, Quetzaltenango, Escuintla, Amatitla and Chinautla.
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Flights expensive not preferred towards and of Guatemala/WP
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