- 20 curious facts about Guatemala
- 1- The anthem of Guatemala was not written by a Guatemalan
- 2- In Guatemala 21 indigenous languages are spoken
- 3- It is one of the countries with the greatest biological diversity
- 4- Its coin has a bird's name
- 5- Instant coffee was invented in Guatemala
- 6- A country with a high concentration of ozone
- 7- Guatemala, the "Land of Trees"
- 8- Diet full of flavors
- 9- "Topado", a striking typical dish
- 10- Its capital is called Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción
- 11- Lake Atitlán is the deepest in Central America
- 12- There are more than 30 volcanoes in Guatemala
- 13- The highest volcanoes in Central America are in Guatemala
- 14- Agriculture is still important to your economy
- 15- It is one of the main jade producing countries
- 16- In Pacaya you can see the lava running
- 17- Shots of joy for Christmas
- 18- Maximón, a popular saint
- 19- The Great Hole in 2010
- 20- Famous people born in Guatemala
- References
The curiosities of Guatemala come from the diverse cultural influences that this country has received since the beginning of time. Guatemala is a Central American country with a great cultural mix. Its origins are strongly marked by the Mayan and Spanish culture, which was installed since the time of the conquest.
Most of the most curious data of this country are related to the Guatemalan cultural identity, such as the hymn or the language. In this article you will see in more detail what these curiosities are.
Ruins of ancient Guatemala
20 curious facts about Guatemala
1- The anthem of Guatemala was not written by a Guatemalan
The national anthem of Guatemala was written by a Cuban poet named José Joaquín Palma, who made it in 1887 after a national call to create a Guatemalan anthem and officially proclaimed in 1897 with the music of the master composer Rafael Álvarez Ovalle.
The authorship of the letter was signed as "anonymous" until Palma, in 1910, confessed to having made it (National Anthems Info, nd).
2- In Guatemala 21 indigenous languages are spoken
The official language of Guatemala is Spanish, followed by English due to the phenomena of globalization, however, there are still 21 indigenous languages inherited from the Mayan communities of Guatemala and two dialects, Xinca and Garifuna.
In fact, a foundation called the Francisco Marroquis Linguistic Project was created, dedicated to the study, preservation and defense of Mayan languages and cultural identity throughout the territory (Spain Exchange, nd).
3- It is one of the countries with the greatest biological diversity
Orchid, one of the most typical flowers of Guatemala
Guatemala, as well as the rest of the Latin American countries, has a high index of biodiversity and natural resources. Only in the Sierra las Minas Biosphere Reserve and the Bocas del Polochichabitan Wildlife Refuge there are more than 800 species (DW, 2017).
The quetzal is its national bird, a small bird with bright red and green plumage, while the White Monja orchid (Lycaste skinneri) is its national flower (Markussen, 2005).
4- Its coin has a bird's name
The quetzal is the official currency of Guatemala and refers directly to its national bird. This is because the Mayan ancestors used quetzal feathers as currency.
5- Instant coffee was invented in Guatemala
English chemist George Washington was the inventor of the first process to make instant coffee in 1906. And in 1909, while living in Guatemala, he founded and promoted his brand “Red E Coffee” (Casey, 2009).
6- A country with a high concentration of ozone
In 2007, it was considered the second country with the highest concentration of ozone in the world, according to studies by The Economist World.
7- Guatemala, the "Land of Trees"
According to the ancient Toltec culture, the word “Guatemala” means “Land of Trees”.
8- Diet full of flavors
Guatemalans have a very varied and colorful gastronomy. They consume large amounts of corn, grains, and rice with meat and fish. Their diet also includes several servings of fruits, especially mangoes, papayas, bananas, pineapples, and starfruit.
9- "Topado", a striking typical dish
The topado is a spicy stew made from fish, coriander, coconut and banana. This is the most identifying dish of Guatemalan gastronomy.
10- Its capital is called Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción
Better known as Guatemala City. Its name comes from the Nahuatl word and from the Virgin of the Assumption. It is one of the most populated capitals in Central America: in 2015, 1,578 people per square kilometer were counted in the Department of Guatemala.
11- Lake Atitlán is the deepest in Central America
Lake Atitlán, located in the Sierra Madre mountain range near the Atitlán volcano, is one of the most attractive sources of tourism in Guatemala. It has a maximum depth of 340 meters, which makes it the deepest lake in the entire region. Its very strong midday wind called Xocomil (Turansa, nd) is also recognized.
12- There are more than 30 volcanoes in Guatemala
The geography of Guatemala is rich in volcanoes, which are part of the Central American Volcanic Arc, but only 3 of them are currently active.
These are some of the Guatemalan volcanoes: Suchitan, Ixtepeque, Acatenango, Atitlan, Moyuta, Agua, Cerro Santiago, Tajumulco, Chingo, Quezaltepeque, Chiquimula, Cuilapa-Barbarena, Flores, Fuego (active), Ipala Volc Field, Santa Maria (active), Tacaná, Almolonga, Santo Tomas, Tahual, Pacaya (active), Tecuamburro and Toliman.
13- The highest volcanoes in Central America are in Guatemala
The Tajumulco and the Tacaná are considered the highest volcanoes in all of Central America since their height exceeds 4,000 meters. (Volcano Discovery, nd)
14- Agriculture is still important to your economy
Although services continue to be the main activity that contributes to Guatemala's GDP, the primary sector through agriculture is still important for the Guatemalan economy. The items that stand out the most are bananas, cardamom, and coffee, followed by corn, grains, mango, sesame, and tobacco (World Bank, 2014).
15- It is one of the main jade producing countries
Guatemala's diverse economy also positions it as one of the leading nations in the production of jadeite, the finest and most expensive variant of this ornamental rock (Brendecke, nd).
16- In Pacaya you can see the lava running
Pacaya is one of the active volcanoes in Guatemala. Currently it is a national park of great tourist attraction and the favorite of those visitors who want to see and photograph the lava. Its volcanic activity is frequent and, occasionally, it makes eruptions of great force.
17- Shots of joy for Christmas
Every year Guatemalans shoot into the air during Christmas celebrations. It is a deep-rooted tradition in the country, despite the fact that each year at least 5 deaths from stray bullets are registered after the holiday.
18- Maximón, a popular saint
Maximón is worshiped by Mayan peoples of the western highlands of Guatemala, even during processions during Holy Week.
The legend says that Maximón took advantage of the absence of the men, regarding his work in the fields, to enter the city and sleep with all his wives. It also represents a man addicted to alcohol and tobacco (Atlas Obscura, nd).
19- The Great Hole in 2010
On May 30, 2010, something incredible happened: a large hole 60 feet wide and 30 stories deep was created in Guatemala City that engulfed a three-story building and a house. This is believed to be due to the vulnerability of the Guatemalan soil: volcano pumice (Than, 2010).
20- Famous people born in Guatemala
The scientist Ricardo Malla
Some of the most recognized Guatemalan personalities in America and the rest of the world are the following:
Miguel Ángel Asturias (writer and Nobel laureate), Oscar Isaac (actor), Ricardo Arjona (singer), Marco Pappa (soccer player), Rigoberta Menchu (novelist), Soluna Somay (rock singer), Cash Luna (religious leader) and Hector-Neri Castaneda (philosopher).
References
- Atlas Obscura. (sf). Maximón. Recovered from Atlas Obscura website: atlasobscura.com.
- Brendecke, FC (nd). Guatemalan Jadeite. Retrieved from Mineral Town website: mineraltown.com.
- Casey, W. (2009). Firsts: Origins of Everyday Things That Changed the World. London: Penguin Group.
- (2017, January 31). Guatemala: land of many trees. Retrieved from dw.com website.
- Markussen, M. (2005). Valuation and Conservation of Biodiversity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Convention on Biological Diversity. Berlin: Springer Science & Business Media.
- National Anthems Info. (Nd). Guatemala. Retrieved from National Anthems Info website: nationalanthems.info.
- Spain Exchange. (sf). The Languages spoken in Guatemala. Retrieved from Business School Spain Exchange website: Retrieved from studycountry.com.
- Than, K. (2010, June 1). Sinkhole in Guatemala: Giant Could Get Even Bigger. Retrieved from National Geographic website: nationalgeographic.com.
- Turansa. (sf). Lake Atitlan. Recovered from Turansa website: turansa.com.
- Volcano Discovery. (sf). Volcanoes of Guatemala. Retrieved from Volcano Discovery website: volcanodiscovery.com.
- World Bank. (2014, September 10). Guatemala economic DNA: harnessing growth with a special focus on jobs. Retrieved from the World Bank website: documents.worldbank.org.