- Main geographical features of Guatemala
- 1- The Mayan mountains
- 2- The Sierra de los Cuchumatanes
- 3- The Sierra Madre de Chiapas
- 4- Tajumulc Volcano
- 5- Tacaná Volcano
- 6- Fire Volcano
- 7- Lake Amatitlán
- 8- The Sierra de Lacandón
- 9- Polochic River Valley
- 10- Motagua River Valley
- References
The most prominent geographical features of Guatemala are the various mountain systems, mountain ranges and volcanoes. Guatemala is a country that has a privileged geography.
It is located in Central America and borders Mexico, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The Guatemalan territory is made up of coasts on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Volcano Fuego and Acatenago
The country is divided into three regions: the coastal plain, the altiplano region, and the Petén department, which is a lowland region with plains. Guatemala is considered a land of volcanoes. It is formed around a mountain range with extensive slopes.
To know the characteristics of the natural environment of this Central American region, it is essential to study its physiography, which you will learn about below.
Main geographical features of Guatemala
1- The Mayan mountains
This area is located in the department of Petén and its extension is 123,685 hectares. Due to the different heights that can be found in these mountains, the growth of flora species typical of the temperate regions and the tropical forest is possible.
In addition, this area is the habitat of the pine forest, the subtropical forest and also the highland forest. In these mountains the climate is hot and humid. The seasons are well differentiated. The rainy one that goes from June to December and the dry one, from January to May. This region is elongated from north to south, but narrow from east to west.
2- The Sierra de los Cuchumatanes
The Sierra de los Cuchumatanes is the highest non-volcanic mountain range in Central America. It is a large mountain range located in the west of the country. Its length is approximately 400 kilometers.
It is part of the crystalline highlands of Guatemala, an area that extends in the central part of the Guatemalan territory. These lands are characterized by being composed of igneous rocks.
3- The Sierra Madre de Chiapas
Known in Guatemala as Sierra Madre, this is a mountain range that runs through southeastern Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, and part of Honduras. It is an extensive mountain system considered the largest mountain range in Central America.
The highest points of this mountain range reach 4,000 meters above sea level. Most of the volcanoes found in Guatemala are part of it.
4- Tajumulc Volcano
This is the highest volcano in the country and in all of Central America at 4,220 meters. It is located in the Sierra Madre, at 15 ° 02 '33 "north latitude and 91 ° 54' 14" west longitude. Its constitution is rocky and has no activity.
However, despite this, in the past the Tajumulco Volcano has had several reports of volcanic eruptions. However, none have been confirmed as a true eruption. In 1956 this volcano was declared a protected area.
5- Tacaná Volcano
This volcano is the second highest peak in Guatemala. It is located in the department of San Marcos on the border with Mexico.
The summit of the Tacaná volcano is formed by a lava capsule and the crater at the top has a diameter of 400 meters. The summit of this volcano is symmetrical and its base has a diameter of 10 kilometers.
On the other hand, the Tacaná volcano has quite high places with alpine vegetation. In it are pine forests, water sources, flocks of sheep, shepherds, green countryside, open fields, high sun, cold at night and icy wind.
6- Fire Volcano
The Fuego volcano is one of the few active volcanoes. In the country there are 37 volcanoes and only a few reach more than 3,000 meters in height. Among them is the Fire, which has a height of 3,763 meters.
It is a stratovolcano that is located between the departments of Sacatepéquez, Escuintla and Chimaltenango. It is one of the most impressive volcanoes in Central America.
Its eruptions are usually violent and its most recent activity was registered in January 2017. These explosions were classified as constant, moderate and strong.
7- Lake Amatitlán
This is a crater lake located about 25 kilometers from Guatemala City at an altitude of 1,186 meters above sea level. It has an area of 15.2 km², as well as 12 km long and 3 km wide. The maximum depth of this lake is 33 meters and its average depth is 18 meters.
The formation of Lake Amatitlán was due to the tecto-volcanic movements that occurred in the area due to the activity of the Fuego, Pacaya, Agua and Acatenango volcanoes.
8- The Sierra de Lacandón
The Sierra de Lacandón is located in the calcareous highlands of Guatemala. It is a mountainous area characterized by a broken relief and by having shallow soils, easy to erode.
The peaks of this mountain range reach 636 meters above sea level. It is also made up of folded limestone ridges and dolomite hills, which rise above the plain of the Petén basin.
9- Polochic River Valley
The Polochic River is one of the most important and runs on one of the largest geological faults in the country. Its mouth is located in Lake Izabal and is born in Alta and Baja Cerapaz.
The lands that make up the Polochic river valley are suitable for agriculture, but only in the areas that are not flooded. Little by little the Polochic river increases its flow. This is due to the food of the rivers that come from the mountains.
10- Motagua River Valley
This is the area that extends to the south of the Sierra de Las Minas. In the middle of the valley, the Motagua River (one of the longest) drains into the Atlantic Ocean.
Below this river is the Motagua fault, which is the longest geological fault in this Central American country. The lands of the Motagua river valley are characterized by being semi-arid, but with fertile soils when they can be irrigated.
References
- Paiz, G. (2007). Environmental degradation and disasters in Guatemala. Environmental education for adolescents. Module 1. Guatemala. Recovered from pami-guatemala.org.
- Acevedo, L. (2012). Mechanical stabilization of cohesive soils through the use of pyroclastic material from the Pacaya volcano. University of San Carlos of Guatemala. Recovered from library.usac.edu.gt.
- Carrillo, Julio. (2014). Geographical accidents of Guatemala. Recovered from slideshare.net.