Guatemala Capital

The capital city of Guatemala is Guatemala City. It is located in the southern region of the country in Valle de la Ermita. Guatemala City was made the capital city in 1776 after Antigua Guatemala was destroyed by earthquakes in 1773. Guatemala City is the most populous city in Central America and has a vibrant economy which has grown rapidly over the years.

The city area has 2,400,000 people while the seven municipalities that make up the metropolitan area have 2,700,000 residents. People are attracted to the city because of what it offers economically. Since the 1970s, the population of Guatemala City has grown exponentially because of rural urban migration straining severely the existing physical infrastructure. As a result, there are shortages of safe water, chronic traffic congestion, and a surge in crime rates among other social evils.

The city of Guatemala is filled with several hot spots for tourists to visit from the rich Mayan culture, good gourmet restaurants, and great colonial architecture still standing today. The most popular places to visit are Museo Popol Vuh Museum which has the culture of the Mayan people displayed room after room. The museum also has displayed painting, carved wooden mask among other artifacts of the Mayan culture. Another palace to visit is the presidential palace, which is built with a mix of Spanish styles (from neoclassical to Renaissance). While visiting the palace, it is advisable to find a balcony to see two huge hands that symbolize the peace accord signed in 1996.

Although Guatemala City lies in the tropics, it is relatively in the high altitudes with moderate temperatures. Guatemala City experiences two climatic seasons: the dry season and the wet season. The months of November to April experience the dry season while the rains start from May to October. The rainy season renders some roads impassable. The temperatures in Guatemala City are on averages of 22 to 28 degree Celsius during the day and between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius at nighttime.