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Guatemala City
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Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. It is also the capital city of the local Guatemala Department and the largest city in Central America.
As of the 2006 census, the city had a population of 1,202,536 although it has grown in great amounts through the last two years. The city is located at , in a mountain valley in the south central part of the country.
current population estimates for Guatemala City are about 7,156,000 in the greater metropolitan region.
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Encyclopedia
Guatemala City (in full, La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. It is also the capital city of the local Guatemala Department and the largest city in Central America.
As of the 2006 census, the city had a population of 1,202,536 although it has grown in great amounts through the last two years. The city is located at , in a mountain valley in the south central part of the country.
Population
The current population estimates for Guatemala City are about 7,156,000 in the greater metropolitan region. Guatemalans have a diversity of origins, with Spanish and Mestizo descent being the most common. There are also important Indigenous communities and smaller German, Jewish, and Korean communities.
Guatemala City's population continues to increase with the influx of predominantly indigenous immigrants.
History
Within the confines of modern Guatemala City is the ancient Maya city of Kaminaljuyu. Kaminaljuyu dates back some 9,000 years and is one of the Americas' most notable archaeological sites. The center of Kaminaljuyu was located a short distance from the oldest part of Guatemala City. However, in the late 20th century, the city grew around the ruins, and, in some cases, over some of the outlying ruins before they were protected. Many of the several hundred temple mounds have been built over with freeways, shopping centers, commerce, luxury hotels and residential areas. The central ceremonial center of Kaminaljuyu was protected by the Guatemalan government and is now a park within the city. Even so, there are some ruins still alive that are protected by the government.
In Spanish colonial times, Guatemala City was a small town. It had a monastery called 'El Carmen', founded in 1629. The capital of Spanish colonial Central America was moved here after a series of earthquakes that began on July 29th 1773 destroyed the old capital, Antigua Guatemala. On September 27, 1775 King Charles III of Spain officialized the moving of the capital. This resulted in a great potential for expansion of the city.
The city was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, and became the capital of the United Provinces of Central America in 1821.
Today
Guatemala City is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic, and it functions as the main port of entry into the country, with the country's largest international airport, La Aurora International Airport. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops, the city has a wide variety of art galleries and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and continually offers an increasing amount of cultural activities.
Structure and growth
Guatemala City is subdivided into 25 zones desigend by the urban engenieering of Raúl Aguilar Batres, each one with its own streets and avenues, making it very easy to find addresses in the city. Zones 20, 22, and 23 don't exist as they fall on the jurisdiction of neighbor municipalities. The city metro area has grown so fast in the past years that it has absorbed most of the neighboring municipalities, including Villa Nueva, Santa Catarina Pinula, Mixco, and the suburban area of Carretera a El Salvador, currently a big commercial and residential focal point of the city's metro area.
Zone One is the amazing Historic Center, (Centro Histórico), lying in the very heart of the city, the location of many important historic buildings including the Palacio Nacional (National Palace), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Congress, the Casa Presidencial (Presidential House), the National Library and Central Park. Efforts to revitalize this important part of the city have been undertaken by the municipal government and have been very successful thus far.
In an attempt to control rapid growth of the city, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala) headed by long time Mayor Álvaro Arzú, has implemented a plan to control its growth based on its important arterial roads. This plan denominated POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial) aims to allow taller building structures of mixed uses to be built next to large arterial roads and gradually decline in height and density as you move away from such.
Places of interest by zones
Zone 1
- Railway Museum
- Centro Histórico
- National Palace (Guatemala) and Metropolitan Cathedral
- Mercado Central (central market)
- Biblioteca Nacional (national library)
Zone 2
- Mapa en Relieve (giant map of Guatemala) and surrounding parks
Zone 4
Zone 7
Zone 9
Zone 10
- Museo Ixchel del Traje Indígena (Mayan dress museum)
- Museo Popol Vuh
- Zona Viva entertainment district
- Botanical garden
Zone 13
Transportation
- The newly renovated and expanded La Aurora International Airport lies in the southern part of the city and is the main gateway to the country.
- Urban public transportation is provided solely by bus. Guatemala City does not have an efficient public transportation service, despite the many proposals and projects for the construction of a mass transit system. Although the construction of freeways and underpasses by the municipal government, as well as the establishment of the Department of Metropolitan Transit Police, PMT, has helped traffic flow in the city, the Guatemalan metropolitan area faces a growing transportation problem. However, a new BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) system called Transmetro, consisting of special-purpose lanes for high-capacity buses, began operating in 2007 and aims to improve traffic flow in the city. The first line (Eje Sur) is proving to be a success and work is due to begin soon on the second line (Eje Norte).
Universities
There are 10 universities, Universidad Mariano Gálvez, Universidad Panamericana, Universidad Mesoamericana, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Universidad del Valle, Universidad del Istmo, Universidad Galileo, Universidad Rural and Universidad de San Carlos, the only public one and third oldest university in America.
Sports
Guatemala City possesses several sportsgrounds and is home to many sports clubs. Football is the most popular sport, with Comunicaciones, CSD Municipal, and Aurora FC being the main clubs. The Estadio Mateo Flores, located in the Zone 5 of the city, is the largest stadium in the country, followed in capacity by the Estadio Cementos Progreso and the Estadio del Ejército. An important multi-functional hall is the Domo Polideportivo de la CDAG.
The city has hosted several international sports events: in 1950 it hosted the VI Central American and Caribbean Games, and in 2000 the FIFA Futsal World Championship. On July 4, 2007 the International Olympic Committee gathered in Guatemala City and voted Sochi to become the host for the 2014 Winter Olympics.
Guatemala City was announced in November 2007 to host the 2008 edition of the CONCACAF Futsal Championship, played at the Domo Polideportivo from June 2 to June 8 2008.
Natural disasters
Earthquakes
Guatemala City has been affected several times by earthquakes. The worst quakes were registered in 1917/1918 and 1976.
Volcanic activity
Four volcanoes are visible from the city, two of them active. The nearest and most active is Pacaya, which at times expels a considerable amount of ash, resulting in the closure of La Aurora International Airport and subsequent flight delays.
Mudslides
Due to heavy rainfalls some of the humble neighborhoods built at the edge of steep valleys are frequently washed away and buried under mudslides, as in October 2005 .
Sinkhole
In February 2007 a large sinkhole opened in a poor neighborhood in northeast Guatemala city, killing three people. The sinkhole was 100.5 m (330 ft) deep, and apparently was created by fluid from a sewer dissolving the rock underneath. As a result,one thousand people have been evacuated from the area. The sink hole has since been mitagated and plans to develop on the site have been proposed.
Zona Ten and Zona Viva
Zone Ten along with being the financial district of the city is among the most popular areas for pop culture, shopping and entertainment. A district within zone ten, known as zona viva, contains many of the city's most popular hotels, restaurants, bars, discotheques, and other entertainment venues. Also, many of the embassies are located in Zone Ten.
Sister Cities
Sons and daughters of the city
- Miguel Ángel Asturias, writer and diplomat. Nobel Prize Winner.
- Carlos Mérida, painter.
- Carlos Ruíz, soccer player.
- Shery, singer / songwriter.
- Carlos Peña (singer), singer, Winner of Latin American Idol 2007.
- Fabiola Rodas, 2nd Place in The Last Generation of La Academia.
- Jaime Viñals, Mountaineer (Scaled seven highest peaks in the world)
- Raúl Aguilar Batres, Engineer, creator of Guatemala City's system of avenue/street notation.
- Rodolfo Robles, Physician, discovered onchocercosis "Robles' Disease"
See also
External links
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