Guatemala, one of the most well-known countries in Central America; It borders Mexico to the north, Belize and Honduras to the east, and El Salvador to the south. The Pacific Ocean is located in the west of the country and the Caribbean Sea is in the east. The country’s surface area is 110,000 km2 and its population is approximately 15 million people. There are two main groups in Guatemala; Mayan natives called INDIO and Spanish-native hybrids called LADINO. More than 50% of the population is Indio, an American-Native American mix. The other group is the Mestizos, or Ladinos, who are a mixture of Spanish and Native Americans. Even though the Ladinos are much smaller in population than the Indios, they are in control. Indios are very divided among themselves. Traces of the Mayan Civilization They struggle for supremacy among themselves and collectively against the Ladinos. The origin of the real people dates back to the Mayans. In fact, the original indigenous people here, called Indians, still maintain some Mayan traditions. Because in ancient times, Guatemala was the center of the Mayan Civilization, and therefore it still bears traces of the Mayans. In fact, it contains many artifacts and ancient cities belonging to the Mayan Civilization that have survived to this day intact. The most important among these are Tikal and Quirigua. Both ancient cities are protected by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage. The World Yeast Congress in 2006 was also held in Guatemala. Guatemala, one of the countries with the most important archaeological artifacts among Latin American Civilizations, also hosts many historical artifacts from the Spanish Empire period. Antigua, the former capital of Guatemala, is the most important colonial city in Central America. The majority of the people are Catholic due to the Spanish who had a say in these places at the time. Also, the official language of the country is Spanish. However, Guatemalan Spanish has its own characteristics. In addition to Spanish, 21 different Mayan languages ​​are spoken in the country. So, when did the Spanish come to Guatemala? After Christopher Columbus discovered America, a Spanish sailor named Pedro de Alvarado came to Guatemala in 1524 and included it among the Spanish colonies. The Spanish began to urbanize as soon as they came here. For this reason, Spanish architecture dominates almost all of the buildings in Guatemala today. The Spanish stayed in the region for about 300 years. Guatemala, like other Central American countries, declared its independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. However, it was immediately connected to Mexico. It soon left Mexico and became a member of the Federation of Central American States. The dictatorship regime implemented by Francisco Monoza, who came to power in 1829, caused turmoil in the country. Following civil war and a coup, the Federation of Central American States collapsed in 1838. These civil wars lasted 36 years and resulted in the death of 250 thousand people. Immediately after these events, Guatemala gained full independence. However, Rafael Carrea, who came to power this time, ruled the country as a dictator again until 1865. Jorge Ubico, the last dictator in Guatemala. In 1944, the government of Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a large popular movement. In the elections held in 1950, Jose Arbenz Gurman, a young officer, was elected. Although a group of officers called “Young Turks”, who opposed this administration in the 1950s, tried to take over the administration, they were unsuccessful. As soon as Jose Arbenz Gurman came to power, he made 100 thousand Indians landowners. However, this move was made by the landowner American United Co., the main landowner in the country. He pissed off his company. Therefore, after this incident, America planned a coup. By the way, it should not be forgotten that the first of the Latin American coups supported by the CIA was also carried out here. On July 3, 1954, Colonel Castillo Armas came to Guatemala on the private plane of the US ambassador and staged a coup there. As soon as he took over the management, he forcibly took back the lands from the Indians, whom Jose Arbenz Gurman had made landowners, and founded the American United Co. He returned it to his company. In 1966, the constitution was accepted and a parliamentary regime was established. But the parliamentary system was very short-lived and the dictatorship regime was implemented again. Military rule in the country, which went through turbulent times, ended in 1985 and a new constitution was adopted in 1986. In Guatemala, which experienced economic and political problems and frequent military coups, there were coup attempts two years in a row, in 1988 and 1989. Jerge Serrano Elias won the presidential elections held in January 1991. Even though the new government resolved some issues and established peace, economic and political problems still continue today. In addition to political instability, this also brings economic instability and human rights violations. The name Guatemala, the Land of Forests and Trees, comes from the Mayan word “Guauhtemallan”. Its meaning is the Land of Forests or the Land of Trees. Another definition is “alma de la tierra”, which means the soul of the earth. The reason why it got this name is the large amount of rain forests it has. Being in a tropical climate zone also has a big impact on this. More than half of the country’s surface area is covered with rainforests. The country’s terrain is very rugged. There are two seasons in the country: dry and rainy. The dry season lasts from November to the end of April, and the rainy season lasts from May to the end of October. However, due to many reasons such as the very rugged terrain and the influence of the oceans, there is a wide diversity of ecological life in Guatemala. It is the richest country in Central America in terms of geographical diversity. One of the most important features of Guatemala is that, due to its geographical location, it is at the transition point between North America and South America. Located at a strategic point, Guatemala is the country with the largest and strongest economy in Central America. The national income per capita here is 4,800 USD. This figure is quite high compared to neighboring countries. For this reason, Guatemala is one of the countries that receive the most immigration among Central American countries. A Visa Exemption agreement was signed between Guatemala and Türkiye in September 2004. Since that day, Guatemala has not required visas from Turkish citizens. You can go here and stay in the country for up to 3 months without needing a visa. There are many Spanish schools throughout the country. Guatemala is actually a very attractive option for students who want to study Spanish. Schools, rent, food and beverage, transportation, all are cheap… Therefore, it is among the favorite choices of many Europeans who want to learn Spanish. Its capital, Guatemala City, also has the same name as the country. Places to visit and see in Guatemala, where you can find different beauties in every corner, include Antiqua, which reflects the colonial period, Tikal, one of the important cities of the Mayans, Flores, Lake Atitlan and its surroundings, Rio Dulce, Quetzaltenango and Chichicastenango. I recommend that you include Guatemala, one of the most well-known routes in Central America, in your travel plans without wasting time. Recent History of Guatemala The dominance of the Mayans in the region ended with the arrival of the Spanish in the region in 1502. Spanish colonialists plundered not only the Mayans in this region, but also all the Aztec, Mayan and Inca civilizations they encountered in Central and South America. For a long time, the Spanish dominated the region and enslaved the indigenous people in their own lands. When the 20th century began, Guatemala ceased to be a country. It literally turns into a multinational company. In those years, Guatemala was the world’s largest banana producer. However, it is also one of the countries where poverty and political oppression are most intense. Because at that time, dictator Manuel Estreda Caberra, who made an agreement with the United Fruit Company, an agricultural company based in the USA, forced citizens to work for this company at no cost. Again, at the beginning of the 20th century, 70% of the country’s land was in the hands of only 2% of the population, and while the upper crust was constantly growing, the poor continued to become poorer. Eventually, the people become tired of this oppression and poverty and organize. The organized people overthrew dictator Jorge Ubico in 1944. Immediately afterwards, the first elections are held. This election goes down as the first free elections in the history of the country. The winner of the elections was Jose Arevalo Bermejo, born in 1904, who was accused of being a communist by the deposed government. In the next elections, the winner will be a socialist party again. Jacoba Arbenz, who received 65% of the total votes, comes to power. Especially during this period, many reforms were made in the country. Left-wing democratic Prime Minister Arbenez first begins to carry out reforms to make landless Mayan villagers landowners. First of all, they enable strikes and union organizing. They take measures to solve the injustice of income distribution and the education system. They bring new regulations in agriculture and impose taxes on foreign trade. However, the government’s new attitude towards agriculture and foreign trade disturbs US-based agricultural monopolies. At the request of the United Fruit Company, the CIA, which supported agricultural monopolies to get rid of President Arbenez, ended the government with a military coup in 1954 and Arbenez was dismissed. Arbenez left the country the same year and went to Mexico. This situation brings together the masses defending democracy, and guerrilla units are formed. Over time, these guerrilla units begin to arm themselves and rebel against the government. This time, state terrorism begins to suppress the guerrilla movement. In the civil war that lasted for 36 years between 1962 and 1998, 250 thousand people lost their lives and nearly 500 thousand people disappeared. It was revealed as a result of investigations conducted by the new government that thousands of children were kidnapped or given up for adoption by the junta during the Guatemalan civil war. A country that has struggled with so many civil wars has also produced writers who received the Lenin peace prize and the Nobel peace prize. Asturias, whose mother was a Mayan native, received the Lenin peace prize in 1966 and the Nobel Prize in literature in 1967. Some of his works are Hurricane, Green Pope, Those Who Go With Their Eyes Open, Mr. President. Another Nobel laureate is Rigoberta Menchu, a Mayan female leader. There is a fact that in Guatemala, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992, female candidates also competed in active politics, especially in the presidential elections held after 1995. However, before every election and elections, there were protests in various parts of the country. Today, the president of the country, which is still governed by a presidential system, is Otto Perez Molina, a retired Brigadier General. Mavimore Turizm is a travel agency registered with TÜRSAB. Document number: A-8307