Guatemala City

Guatemala City (Spanish: Ciudad de Guatemala), is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, as well as the country’s economic and cultural center. It sits at an elevation of 1,480 meters, covers an area of 996 square kilometers, and has a population of 3.53 million. Located in a valley in central Guatemala, it enjoys spring-like weather year-round, earning it the nickname “Land of Eternal Spring.” As the largest city in Central America, it was founded in 1524. After being repeatedly damaged by earthquakes, the city was relocated to its current site in 1776. The location of Guatemala City was home to Kaminaljuyu, a major ancient Maya city, more than 2,000 years ago, leaving behind many ancient structures. In the early days of Spanish colonial rule, Guatemala City was a small town. It began to grow significantly after the earthquake of 1775 destroyed the former capital, Antigua Guatemala, making this city the capital of Spanish Central America.

AboutGuatemalaThe origin of the name “Guatemala” is debated: ① It comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word *quauhtemellan*, meaning “land of the eagle people,” with the eagle being a totem worshipped by local tribes. The name Guatemala is a Spanish adaptation of the original Aztec place name. ② It is the Spanish translation of an indigenous term (possibly the K’iche’ word *Uhatzmalha*), meaning “mountain spewing water,” referring to the Agua Volcano. The volcano’s lava flows were said to have flooded the old city like a torrential flood (Guatemala City has been built three times: the first was destroyed by a volcanic eruption, the second by an earthquake, and the current city is the third iteration). ③ It derives from the native name *Cuah temallan* or *cu auh*, originally meaning “rotten wood,” later interpreted as “land of forests” or “country of forests.” This is attributed to the fact that forests once covered two-thirds of the country’s land area, or because many trees around the capital, referred to locally in the Nahuatl-derived language as “rotten wood,” gave the area its name. Guatemala is one of the regions where the ancient Maya people lived, and it retains many remnants of Maya culture. The country’s name originates from that of its capital.