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98-653: Juayúa is a Pre-Columbian Pipil town. By the year 1550, its population was estimated at about 300 inhabitants; by 1577, it was a catechizing town for the Franciscans priests living in Sonsonate. Towards the end of the 16th century, the religious planted an image similar to the Black Christ of Esquipulas, and it was there that they erected the first hermitage of what would become the Church of Santa Lucía. The town's central plaza faces

196-575: A hippodrome and many new public buildings were constructed in the period. This was highlighted by the design and construction of the monumental National Palace (built 1939–1943, as an official residence and offices for the President of the Republic, renovated 2010 and now known as the National Palace of Culture, and used as a national museum). Although slums that had formed with the major displacement of

294-476: A humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ), due to its relatively high altitude which moderate the average temperatures. Guatemala City is generally very warm, almost springlike, throughout the course of the year. It occasionally gets hot during the dry season, but not as hot and humid as in Central American cities at sea level. The hottest month is April. The rainy season extends from May to October, coinciding with

392-445: A sewer eroding the loose volcanic ash , limestone , and other pyroclastic deposits that underlie Guatemala City. As a result, one thousand people were evacuated from the area. This piping feature has since been mitigated by City Hall by providing proper maintenance to the sewerage collection system, and plans to develop the site have been proposed. However, critics believe municipal authorities have neglected needed maintenance on

490-675: A Brazilian firm. A light rail line known as Metro Riel is proposed. Guatemala City is home to ten universities, among them the oldest institution of higher education in Central America, the University of San Carlos of Guatemala . Founded in 1676, the Universidad de San Carlos is older than all North American universities except for Harvard University . The other nine institutions of higher education to be found in Guatemala City include

588-531: A decade before Guatemala's repeated disaster and tragedy. Today, the national capital of Guatemala City is the political, cultural, religious and economic center of the Republic of Guatemala and exerts a wider significant financial, commercial / business influence plus as a cultural center for the Central America region and beyond, throughout Latin America . Guatemala City ( Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala )

686-430: A more modern architectural landscape appearance with structures constructed on a more logical pattern of wider street grids and lay-out for the national capital. These substantial improvements were inspired by the historical experience and monumental architecture of post- 18th century designs of trained architects in other famous national capital cities of the world, notably Paris, France and Washington, D.C. . Along with

784-505: A neoclassical style, and it was destroyed by a fire.  The third church was built on the same location as the first, and second, construction was completed in 1957.  The town has become a tourist attraction locally and internationally due to its scenic views, events, and for being part of the La Ruta de Las Flores tourist route. The Juayua food festival (Feria Gastronomica) (7) attracts hundreds of national and international tourists; it

882-461: A tourist and religious center, the population of Esquipulas is dedicated mostly to that trade, although there is also a strong coffee industry which produces some of the best varieties available. Currently, religious tourism and hospitality industry has boomed, fueled by the large number of pilgrims visiting the sacred image of the Black Christ of Esquipulas. Tourism in Esquipulas grew gradually, since

980-418: A very large, deep circular hole with vertical walls opened in northeastern Guatemala City ( 14°39′1.40″N 90°29′25″W  /  14.6503889°N 90.49028°W  / 14.6503889; -90.49028 ), killing five people. This sinkhole, which is classified by geologists as either a " piping feature " or " piping pseudokarst ", was 100 metres (330 ft) deep, and apparently was created by fluid from

1078-422: A visit to Esquipulas to supervise the construction of the sanctuary and was buried in the basilica of Esquipulas, according to his last will. He was replaced by Francisco de Figueredo y Victoria, who continued the construction of the basilica, which was completed at the end of 1758. On November 4 of that year he decreed the solemn dedication of the new sanctuary, which was inaugurated on January 4, 1759. The image of

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1176-521: Is 180 days, the dates may vary, the most common are from 18 January to 12 October (10 months) and a total of 90 days or 3 months off. 70% (12.393) study in private institutions that are several in Esquipulas, while only 30% (5.311) study in the public institutions of government. Esquipulas has stood massively in youth participation in National Science Olympiad in Guatemala, which is in charge of

1274-516: Is 82% in the morning and 58% in the evening; and its average dew point is 16 °C (60.8 °F). Four stratovolcanoes are visible from the city, two of them active. The nearest and most active is Pacaya , which at times erupts a considerable amount of ash. These volcanoes lie to the south of the Valle de la Ermita, providing a natural barrier between Guatemala City and the Pacific lowlands that define

1372-780: Is a coffee museum nearby. The surrounding area of Juayua contains several coffee farms, including the Larin finca farm. The patron saint festivities of the City of Juayúa in Honor of the Black Christ are from January 1 to the 15th. During this time, just like in Esquipulas, many people of faith visit to give thanks for the blessings received during the previous year. 13°50′36″N 89°44′47″W  /  13.8432°N 89.7465°W  / 13.8432; -89.7465 Esquipulas Esquipulas ( Nahuatl : Isquitzuchil, "place where flowers abound"), officially Municipality of Esquipulas, whose original name

1470-510: Is a short street between 6a and 7a. Some "avenidas" or "Calles" have a name in addition to their number, if it is very wide; for example, Avenida la Reforma is an avenue which separates Zone 9 and 10, and Calle Montúfar is Calle 12 in Zone 9. Calle 1 Avenida 1 Zona 1 is the center of every city in Guatemala. Zone One is the Historic Center (Centro Histórico), lying in the very heart of the city,

1568-424: Is also headquarters to numerous regional private banks, among them CitiBank, Banco Agromercantil, Banco Promerica, Banco Industrial, Banco GyT Continental, Banco de Antigua, Banco Reformador, Banrural, Grupo Financiero de Occidente, BAC Credomatic, and Banco Internacional. By far the richest and most powerful regional economy within Guatemala, Guatemala City is the largest market for goods and services, which provides

1666-416: Is also worth mentioning, that due to the airport being in the south of the city, height limits based on aeronautical considerations have been applied to the construction code. This limits the maximum height for a building, at 60 metres (200 feet) in Zone 10, up to 95 metres (312 feet) in Zone 1. Despite its location in the tropics , Guatemala City has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw ) bordering on

1764-423: Is divided into 22 zones in accordance with the urban layout plan designed by Raúl Aguilar Batres . Each zone has its own streets and avenues, facilitating navigation within the city. Zones are numbered 1 through 25. However, numbers 20, 22 and 23 have not been designated to zones, thus these zones do not exist within the city proper. Traditional buses are now required to discharge passengers at transfer stations at

1862-506: Is dominated by entertainment from the United States, domestic programming is dominated by shows from Mexico. Due to its small and relatively income-restricted domestic market, Guatemala City produces very little in the way of its own programming outside of local news and sports. Guatemala City, as the capital, is home to Guatemala's central bank, from which Guatemala's monetary and fiscal policies are formulated and promulgated. Guatemala City

1960-470: Is held outdoors in the Juayúa central square. Local restaurants offer traditional dishes, including chicken soup, pupusas, yuca with pork, tamales, and seafood. The Los Chorros de La Calera waterfall is a popular tourist attraction, it is located outside the city. It is a popular hike that takes you through coffee farms. Juayúa has well preserved colonial architecture and art displays in its streets. The walls of

2058-589: Is known colloquially by Guatemalans as La Capital or Guate. Its formal name is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (New Guatemala of the Assumption). The latter name is derived from the fact that it was a new Guatemala after the old one ( La Antigua ) was ruined by an earthquake. Also, Assumption is in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption , whose festivity is 15 August, the city's feast day . Human settlement on

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2156-517: Is located in the mountainous regions of the country, between the Pacific coastal plain to the south and the northern lowlands of the Peten region. The city's metropolitan area has recently grown very rapidly and has absorbed most of the neighboring municipalities of Villa Nueva, San Miguel Petapa, Mixco , San Juan Sacatepequez, San José Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula, Fraijanes, San Pedro Ayampuc, Amatitlán , Villa Canales, Palencia, and Chinautla, forming what

2254-556: Is now known as the Guatemala City Metropolitan Area . The city is subdivided into 22 zones ("Zonas") designed by the urban engineering of Raúl Aguilar Batres , each one with its own streets ("Calles"), avenues ("Avenidas") and, sometimes, "Diagonal" Streets, making it pretty easy to find addresses in the city. Zones are numbered 1–25, with Zones 20, 22 and 23 not existing as they would have fallen in two other municipalities' territory. Addresses are assigned according to

2352-435: Is the only one that has been erected in Central America. These two stones, one on top of the other in strange balance, have stood the test of time as well as historical earthquakes. They are not small at all: the upper stone is about the size of a regular sedan and together they reach a height of about three meters and a calculated weight of 50 tons. A legend in Esquipulas says that two friends became "compadres" (godfathers to

2450-531: Is the site of the native Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu , founded around 3,500 years ago around 1500 B.C. in Pre-Columbian America / Mesoamerica . Following a substantial devastating earthquake in the nearby city and then Imperial Spanish colonial second capital city of La Antigua on the 29 July 1773, with aftershocks continuing through the rest of that year to December . Because of the massive devastation of this "Santa Marta Earthquake of 1773" , and

2548-587: The Atlantic Ocean , and its worldwide Spanish Empire and especially in the Americas ( Western Hemisphere ). It was ratified and enacted on the 15th September 1821 , (now celebrated annually as the Dias Patrios (Guatemalan Independence Day) ). After this long-awaited historical event, the city then became the federation capital for the next several decades of the newly established and independent local government of

2646-555: The Guatemalan Revolution of 1944 , a democratic pivotal event in the nation's history that is still celebrated annually 80 years later in the country, alongside the earlier September 15 Independence Day of Central America from 1821. In the subsequent 1930s decade with the worldwide Great Depression affecting many nations' economies and commerce / trade during the Ubico dictatorship era, however using public works projects such as

2744-556: The National Museum of Guatemalan Art . A half-century later, after the ratification / enactment of the Act of Independence of Central America declaration, the city became the capital of the independent newly organized United Provinces of Central America in September 1821 . The subsequent decades in the 19th century saw the construction of some significant structures in the town, such as

2842-596: The Pre-Columbian American civilizations in Mesoamerica . Kaminaljuyu then mysteriously collapsed around A.D. 300 for as yet unknown historical causes. A series of devastating earthquakes in 1773 had left the old second Royal Spanish colonial / provincial capital city of La Antigua Guatemala , and surrounding area in ruins and unusable to the Imperial Spanish colonial authorities. During this period of

2940-499: The Spanish conquest these were gradually disappearing from the municipality and moved to other municipality such as Camotan , Chiquimula and Jocotan , although they reached the Valley of Esquipulas, this culture is developed more in the villages Timushan and Chanmagua . Another ethnic group who lived in this municipality was ethnically Payaqui. The priest Topiltzín Axcitl or Nacxit was

3038-607: The United Provinces of Central America (later reorganized / renamed as the Federal Republic of Central America , 1821–1847). A quarter-century (26 years) later in August 1847 , Guatemala declared itself an independent republic , separate from the larger federation of the former Federal Republic of Central America, with Guatemala City proclaimed as its continued national capital city. Guatemala City and surrounding region

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3136-576: The University of San Carlos de Guatemala , taking several gold medals, silver and bronze as well as awards for part of the young participants. Esquipulan winners in the National Olympiad of Science (ONC) are various and Esquipulas has the largest share and the highest number of awards won. Participants go to various materials and are: mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, chemistry, physics and biology major, degrees from 1° to 3° basic or secondary and diversified. Because of its importance as

3234-585: The 1976, on the Motagua Fault , a left-lateral strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the North American Plate . The 1976 event registered 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale . Smaller, less severe tremors are frequently felt in Guatemala City and environs. Torrential downpours, similar to the more famous monsoons, occur frequently in the Valle de la Ermita during

3332-601: The 495 km , the smallest city visited by Pope John Paul II in 1996 which entitled him recognition as Capital Central to the Faith, whose recognition is currently known as to this city, which was also visited by Teresa of Calcutta , hosted the Esquipulas Peace Accords during the mid-1980s. The Basilica of Esquipulas headquarters in Central Catholic Faith is the first wonder of Guatemala competition held by

3430-648: The Benedictine Abbey of San José, located in Louisiana, USA. The order sent three monks in 1959 with the mission of founding the Benedictine Monastery of Esquipulas which is responsible for the care of the Basilica in the 21st century. In 1961, Archbishop Rossell sent a request to Pope John XXIII, who, based in religious, cultural and historic shrine of Esquipulas raised to the rank of Minor Basilica. This Basilica

3528-485: The Black Christon October 4, 1594, as established in the initial contract. The image was collected by the inhabitants of Esquipulas and taken to their small town, arriving on March 9, 1595, and initially installed in a small shrine in a monastic hermitage just outside of the town. The inhabitants of that time called the sculpture "miraculous", which drew the attention of the surrounding Catholic populations. By 1650

3626-667: The Castilian arms, in the words of the Chief. Between 1550 and 1560 the town of Yzquipulas (later Esquipulas) was founded in this region by Juan Pérez Dardón. Dardón brought with him slaves of Mayan-Chortí and Mayan-Payaquí origin from other regions of the Province of Chiquimula de la Sierra. The main street in town was laid out, running from the main Iglesia de Santiago in the South, to the town's aqueduct in

3724-477: The Christ of Esquipulas was transferred to the new basilica on Saturday January 6, 1759. El Ciracil, El Sillón, Tizaquín and Vuelta Grande 52% (27.664 inh.) of the population is made up young people within 0 and 25 years of age, of which 64% (17.705) of that 52% (27.664) of young scholars. Education quality is high active Esquipulas, +89.0, the best quality education across the east. The Esquipulas educational calendar

3822-623: The INTECAP, Royal Towers, Towers Geminis, Industrial Bank towers, Holiday Inn Hotel, Premier of the Americas, among many others to be used for offices, apartments, etc. Also included are projects such as Zona Pradera and Interamerica's World Financial Center. One of the most outstanding mayors was the engineer Martin Prado Vélez, who took over in 1949, and ruled the city during the reformist Presidents Juan José Arévalo and Jacobo Arbenz Guzman , although he

3920-562: The Industrial Bank on November 26, 2008. In 1987 the Trifinio Biosphere Reserve was created to protect the unique flora and fauna in the region. The territory comprises an area of 495 km , distributed in 20 villages, 123 sub villages, one town and two villas which are Timushán and Chanmagua, with a total population of 53,556 (2018 census); with the town of Esquipulas having a population of 18,667 which represents 35% of

4018-476: The North. The city plan eventually grew to include two city plazas, now known as "Parque de la Basilica," in the South and in the North, adjacent to the older parish church "Iglesia de Santiago,"is the "Parque Centroamerica" plaza. In the early 1700s Esquipulas was one of the most populous Spanish communities in the area. According to the town's baptismal registry, it then had a population of 198 people. A century later,

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4116-572: The Prelature nullius for the Black Christ and established by the municipality of Esquipulas and the Santuario de Esquipulas Cathedral as its venue. The Archbishop of Guatemala, Monsignor Mariano Rossell y Arellano, was appointed the First Prelate of Esquipulas; one of the first concerns of Rossell y Arellano was to seek a religious order to take over the care of the sanctuary. Finally, he found support from

4214-483: The United States, Mexico, Europe and other Central American countries flock to pay homage to the dark wooden image of the crucified Christ, the most revered Catholic shrine in the region. El Santuario de Chimayo , a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage site in Chimayó , New Mexico , United States, is closely linked with Esquipulas. Esquipulas is famous for its Tierra Santa (Holy Earth) clay tablets that are purchased by

4312-945: The Universidad Mariano Gálvez, the Universidad Panamericana, the Universidad Mesoamericana, the Universidad Rafael Landivar, the Universidad Francisco Marroquín , the Universidad del Valle , the Universidad del Istmo , Universidad Galileo , Universidad da Vinci, and the Universidad Rural. Whereas these nine named universities are private, the Universidad de San Carlos remains the only public institution of higher learning. Guatemala City possesses several sportsgrounds and

4410-419: The area is a very attractive destination due to its natural resources and its colonial history, along with its culture expressed in its customs and cuisine. There is a strong interest of visitors on religious colonial places like the Basilica of Esquipulas, which was built in 1740 under the sponsorship of Monsignor Pedro Pardo de Figueroa (first Metropolitan Archbishop of Guatemala appoint in 1744) in order to meet

4508-679: The best quality coffee and the richest of Guatemala. There are three farms, Finca Finca Cloud, and the Cascajal, that have won contests for "The Best Coffee in Guatemala and the World" according to the National Coffee Association. The cathedral at Esquipulas was proclaimed a basilica in 1961 by Pope John XXIII , and in 1995, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the shrine, Pope John Paul II proclaimed it "the spiritual center of Central America." Every year, thousands of pilgrims from Guatemala ,

4606-543: The capital had been moved away to the current city in Emmita Valley . The old monumental palace served then as the headquarters for the colonial government regional jurisdiction of the Captaincy General of Guatemala , from its organization in 1542 to independence in 1821. Today it serves as the site for several current national government offices, national police, several tourism agencies along with galleries / exhibits of

4704-515: The city and region's population after the 1917 - 1918 series of earthquakes , continued to grow and spread around the edges of the capital city with the lack of civilized normal basic amenities and public services / utilities, such as fresh water piping, sewer drainage systems / filtration plants, electric power lines with paved / lighted streets and highways, etc. Guatemala City continues to be subject to an unusual amount of natural and climate-related disasters, (especially recurring earthquakes) with

4802-520: The city is home to many art galleries, theaters, sports venues and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and provides a growing number of cultural offerings. Guatemala City not only possesses a history and culture unique to the Central American region, it also furnishes all the modern amenities of a world class city, ranging from an IMAX Theater to the Ícaro film festival ( Festival Ícaro ), where independent films produced in Guatemala and Central America are debuted. Guatemala City

4900-458: The city right next to the Basilica and one kilometer away from the road leading to Honduras, there are some hills which one was drilled in a cross lying north to south in the more margins of the Rio Chacalapa or Miracles. It is said that many went through all these places in search of a mine that salvation was to finance the work of the Basilica, but finally, up and down and doing tests, the savior

4998-414: The city's aging sewerage system, and have speculated that more dangerous piping features are likely to develop unless action is taken. 3 years later the 2010 Guatemala City sinkhole arose. It is estimated that the population of Guatemala City urban area is about 3 million. The growth of the city's population has been robust, abetted by the mass migration of Guatemalans from the rural hinterlands to

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5096-404: The city's cafés, restaurants, and shops are covered with murals painted by local artists. These range from surrealist works to realistic portraits. One of Juayúa's most well-known works is La Ruta de Flores ("the route of flowers"). This is a route wherein many walls, posts, and signs lining the streets are painted with murals, mostly of flowers. The city has activities on the weekends, and there

5194-461: The city's edge to board the Transmetro. This is being implemented as new Transmetro lines become established. In conjunction with the new mass transit implementation in the city, there is also a prepaid bus card system called Transurbano that is being implemented in the metro area to limit cash handling for the transportation system. A new fleet of buses tailored for this system has been purchased from

5292-552: The city, and a sudden and prolonged surge in crime have become perennial problems. The infrastructure, although continuing to grow and improve in some areas, is lagging in relation to the increasing population of rural migrants, who tend to be poorer. Guatemala City is headquarters to many communications and telecom companies, among them Tigo, Claro-Telgua, and Movistar-Telefónica. These companies also offer cable television, internet services and telephone access. Due to Guatemala City's large and concentrated consumer base in comparison to

5390-502: The conquerors and as a result, Don Francisco de Orduña ordered the captains Pedro de Amalina and Hernando de Chávez that they leave from Mitlan to "pacify" the region, who departed along with 60 Marines, 400 Allied Indians and 30 horses. The region was well defended and hindered the entry of the Spanish army. After fighting for 3 days, the inhabitants of the region finally surrendered, mostly for peace and public tranquility, and also for fear of

5488-538: The country and one that has had the most economic and cultural growth. In 2002, it was registered on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list. The city is a tourist attraction due to its ecological and religious importance. It is the most visited city and town across eastern Guatemala and the second most visited in the country, surpassed only by the City of Guatemala, visited annually by approximately four to five million tourists and devout Catholics, this due to its important and varied religious resorts and distributed in

5586-497: The ever-growing pilgrimages dedicated to the Christ of Esquipulas and in gratitude for the healing of a disease, commissioned the construction of a larger basilica to the architect Felipe José de Porres, son of Diego de Porres and grandson of José de Porres, renowned senior architects of the capital city of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, Santiago de los Caballeros. Fray Pedro Pardo de Figueroa died on February 2, 1751, during

5684-446: The final distinct group of Guatemala City inhabitants, representing a very small minority among the city's denizens. Due to mass migration from impoverished rural districts wracked with political instability, Guatemala City's population has exploded since the 1970s, severely straining the existing bureaucratic and physical infrastructure of the city. As a result, chronic traffic congestion, shortages of safe potable water in some areas of

5782-449: The founder of the Kingdom of Payaqui. The origin of this town, is located in the depths of the mystery of the cultura maya (the name Isquitzuchil´ appears in the history from the earliest times in 1000 BC). In 1524 Spanish forces first established themselves in the area now known as Guatemala with the settling of the area's first municipality at Tecpan . By 1525 Spanish forces had reached

5880-517: The greatest number of investment opportunities for public and private investors in all of Guatemala. Financing for these investments is provided by the regional private banks, as well as through foreign direct investment mostly coming from the United States. Guatemala City's ample consumer base and service sector is represented by the large department store chains present in the city, among them Siman, Hiper Paiz & Paiz ( Walmart ), Price Smart, ClubCo, Cemaco, Sears , and Office Depot . Guatemala City

5978-399: The iconic Santa Lucia church that features a statue of black Christ; this is a sister statue to that of the revered Basilica of Esquipulas in Guatemala. The statue was carved by Quirio Cantaño in the late 16th century. Over its existence, the church has had three different buildings. The first was built with Colonial Adobe and was destroyed by an earthquake. The second was built with wood in

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6076-527: The image was burilado by the architect in Antigua Guatemala Quirio Catano, however many indigenous pilgrims from the West, with a mixture of Christian faith and traditions or beliefs, come to visit these caves, performing their own rituals, burn pon and candles, even money left within them. The caves are within private land whose owner have taken advantage of the touristic value that they have, given

6174-437: The increasingly growing pilgrimages dedicated to the Black Christ of Esquipulas. Pardo de Figueroa commissioned the construction of a temple to Philip José de Porres, the son of Diego de Porres and grandson of Joseph de Porres, renowned architects from the capital city Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala and the funding came from the cotton fields owners. Interesting tourist destinations are: In 1956, Pope Pius XII erected

6272-521: The influx of pilgrims and the river that runs through the place. They installed the "Cuevas de las Minas" Ecological Park, which has a zoo with more than 25 species, and several modern amenities. Chatun is an Adventure and Fun Park, where all features are intended to show the diversity of our natural resources and our customs and traditions, based on two pillars: adventure and nature. It also has advantages in agriculture, because its coffee, Sertamenes Esquipulas, has won several national and international as

6370-451: The largest and most vibrant regional economy in Guatemala. Among inhabitants of Guatemala City, those of Spanish and Mestizo descent are the most numerous. Guatemala City also has sizable indigenous populations, divided among the 23 distinct Mayan groups present in Guatemala. The numerous Mayan languages are now spoken in certain quarters of Guatemala City, making the city a linguistically rich area. Foreigners and foreign immigrants comprise

6468-458: The late 18th century after the move three years later in 1776 to the current site of modern Guatemala City, that the central plaza in the new town, with its premier landmark neo-classical style architecture of the immense Metropolitan Cathedral (officially named: Catedral Primada Metropolitana de Santiago), built 1782–1815, completed / dedicated 1871. Its the center of the country's Roman Catholic Church and its Archdiocese of Guatemala and

6566-545: The latest being the two disasters that struck simultaneously in May 2010: the eruption of the Pacaya volcano and, two days later, the torrential downpours from Tropical Storm Agatha of 2010 . Guatemala City serves as the economic, governmental, and cultural epicenter of the nation of Guatemala. The city also functions as Guatemala's main transportation hub, hosting an international airport, La Aurora International Airport , and serving as

6664-425: The limited resources and technology of that late 18th century period, the Spanish colonial capital of the region was moved from the ruined settlement of La Antigua three years later in 1776 to the current site and gradually rebuilt new town with the beginnings of modern Guatemala City and was made the third Royal capital of the surrounding Captaincy General of Guatemala of the larger Viceroyalty of New Spain of

6762-730: The location of many important historic buildings, including the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura (National Palace of Culture), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Congress, the Casa Presidencial (Presidential House), the National Library, and Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Plaza, old Central Park). Efforts to revitalize this important part of the city have been undertaken by the municipal government. Besides

6860-446: The monumental Carrera Theater in the 1850s , and the modern-day historic executive residence of the Casa Presidencial de Guatemala|Casa Presidencial de Guatemala (Presidential Palace of Guatemala) in the 1890s for the former and still occupied by the current President of the Republic . At this time, the capital city was expanding around the 30 de Junio Boulevard and elsewhere, unfortunately displacing native / indigenous peoples in

6958-416: The nickname as Guate ), is the national capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala . It is also a municipality capital of the Guatemala Department and the most populous urban metropolitan area in the region of Central America . The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nestled in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita (English: Hermitage Valley ). Guatemala City

7056-445: The offspring of the other), but in spite of this sacred pact, one of them was carried away by desire and seduced the other's wife. They were turned into stone as punishment for their sins, left for all to see their forbidden desire for each other, among the whispering wind and swaying trees. On the other hand, traditional communities believe that the stones are a manifestation of divine powers, or materialization of divine will; therefore,

7154-401: The origination or end points for most of Guatemala's major highways. The city, with its robust economy, attracts hundreds of thousands of rural migrants from Guatemala's interior hinterlands and serves as the main entry point for most foreign immigrants seeking to settle in Guatemala. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, shops, and a modern BRT transport system ( Transmetro ),

7252-714: The parks, the city offers a portfolio of entertainment in the region, focused on the so-called Zona Viva and the Calzada Roosevelt, as well as four degrees North. Casino activity is considerable, with several located in different parts of the Zona Viva. The area around the East market is being redeveloped. Within the financial district are the tallest buildings in the country, including: Club Premier , Tinttorento, Atlantis building, Atrium , Tikal Futura , Building of Finances, Towers Building Batteries, Torres Botticelli, Tadeus, building of

7350-478: The pilgrims during church festivals. The clay from the local deposits is cleaned and pressed into small cakes. Such clay is also known as tierra bendita , or Tierra del Santo . The popularity of this clay is attested by the many names (for example, akipula, cipula, askipula, kipula ) that are used for such medicinal clay tablets all around Central America. Pilgrims sometimes eat the supposedly curative clay, or they rub themselves with it. Similar customs prevail at

7448-407: The place is scene of sacred rituals, prayers, sacrifices and penances. The stones are blackened by the rituals performed there, often including a sacrificed, beheaded cock placed between candles. The oral tradition dictates that it was in this place where Christ reveals the image of the famous sculptor Quirio Black Catano, creator of the famous statue venerated in Esquipulas. Are located south of

7546-536: The present site of Guatemala City began with the native indigenous Maya people, who built a large ceremonial center at Kaminaljuyu . This large Maya settlement, the biggest outside the Maya lowlands in the Yucatán Peninsula , of southeast Mexico , rose to prominence around 2,300 years ago, about 300 B.C. due to an increase in mining and trading of obsidian , a valuable commodity of volcanic glass ( Igneous rock ) for

7644-418: The previous nearby Royal Spanish and colonial / provincial capital city of La Antigua Guatemala (now a historic site with preserved ruins). A decade later, under former military General, then elected 21st President (later unfortunately becoming an authoritarian dictator ) of Jorge Ubico (1878–1946, ruled 1931–1944). General / President Ubico after clinging to power for 13 years, was later overthrown in

7742-583: The rainy season, leading to flash floods that sometimes inundate the city. Due to these heavy rainfalls, some of the slums perched on the steep edges of the canyons that criss-cross the Valle de la Ermita are washed away and buried under mudslides, as in October 2005. Tropical waves, tropical storms and hurricanes sometimes strike the Guatemalan highlands, which also bring torrential rains to the Guatemala City region and trigger these deadly mudslides. In February 2007,

7840-550: The records reflected that the community had reached 851 inhabitants, representing 30% of the total population of the department of Chiquimula. Apparently settlers were attracted to the region by the great fertility of its valleys. In 1594, the villagers asked the Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño to sculpt a crucified Christ with a dark complexion. The Portuguese sculptor, who resided in Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, delivered

7938-537: The region South of the Valley of Monte Christo, this region then being inhabited by the Chorti Indians. In 1525, the captains Juan Pérez Dardón, Sancho de Barahona and Bartolomé Becerra under the command of Pedro de Alvarado conquered the province of Chiquimula, and as a result the Catholic religion was imposed upon the conquered peoples. In April 1530 the locals led by chieftains Copantl and Galel again revolted against

8036-485: The rest of the country, these telecom and communications companies provide most of their services and offerings within the confines of the city. There are also seven local television channels, in addition to numerous international channels. The international channels range from children's programming, like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel , to more adult offerings, such as E! and HBO . While international programming

8134-464: The seat (chair) for the serving current Archbishop of Guatemala . Also erected in that post-1773 Santa Marta Earthquake was the massive regional colonial Royal Spanish government's Palace of the Captain-General , were constructed in the old second capital of the 1700s , now semi-ruined town Antigua Guatemala and preserved historic site, which later was partially repaired and maintained, even though

8232-463: The settlements on the peripheries of the growing city. The early 20th century series of earthquakes during the years of 1917 - 1918 destroyed many historic structures from the era of the late 18th and following 19th centuries of the first period of Guatemala City capital history, erected during the 144 years since the previous devastating tremors in the infamous Santa Marta Earthquake of 1773 , (referred to previously further above), which destroyed

8330-614: The sister shrine El Santuario de Chimayo in the US. The maximum beauty event in Esquipulas is "Miss Beauty of Esquipulas", formerly "Señorita Esquipulas", followed by the National Queen of the Independence Party. These events are the second most important beauty contests in the country after only "Miss Universe Guatemala". Guatemala City Guatemala City ( Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala , also known nationally colloquially by

8428-559: The southern regions of Guatemala. Agua , Fuego , Pacaya , and Acatenango comprise a line of 33 stratovolcanoes that stretches across the breadth of Guatemala, from the Salvadorian border to the Mexican border. Lying on the Ring of Fire , the Guatemalan highlands and the Valle de la Ermita are frequently shaken by large earthquakes. The last large tremor to hit the Guatemala City region occurred in

8526-510: The street or avenue number, followed by a dash and the number of metres it is away from the intersection. For example, the INGUAT Office on "7a Av. 1-17, Zona 4" is a building which is located on Avenida 7, 17 meters away from the intersection with Calle 1, toward Calle 2 in zone 4. 7a Av. 1–17, Zona 4; and 7a Av. 1–17, Zona 10, are two radically different addresses. Short streets/avenues do not get new sequenced number, for example, 6A Calle

8624-460: The then 275 year old Spanish Empire in the twin continents of the Americas ( Western Hemisphere ). In the beginning of the next 19th century , in September 1821 , Guatemala City was the scene of the famous Act of Independence of Central America , the adopted legislative document of the declaration of independence of the region from the Kingdom of Spain on the far off continent of Europe , across

8722-446: The total population of the municipality. Esquipulas is located 222 kilometers from Guatemala City , 9.5 kilometers from the border with the Republic of Honduras and 45 kilometers from the city of Chiquimula , bordering the municipalities of Olopa, Jocotán and the department Camotán Chiquimula to the north and the municipality of Metapan, El Salvador to the south. To the east it meets the departments of Copán and Ocotepeque, Honduras and to

8820-477: The town was one of the most important Catholic sites of the captaincy general since it was visited by people from the provinces of El Salvador and Comayagua. In 1680, the construction of the Santiago Church began, which was completed in 1682, the year in which the sculpture of the Black Christ was moved from the hermitage. In 1740 the fifteenth bishop of Guatemala, fray Pedro Pardo de Figueroa, in order to attend

8918-402: The tropical storm and hurricane season in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, while the dry season extends from November to April. The city can at times be windy, which also leads to lower ambient temperatures . The city's average annual temperature ranges are 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F) during the day and 12–17 °C (53.6–62.6 °F) at night; its average relative humidity

9016-631: The use of the beginnings of more earthquake-resistant scientific construction materials, methods and techniques of building new structures and buildings similar to that which was also previously learned a thousand miles further north along the same geological faults / strata of the Pacific Ocean coastline in the United States after their famous but equally devastating Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of April 1906 , in San Francisco, California ,

9114-841: The west, the municipality of Concepción Las Minas and the Resume Chiquimula department. The northern region and center of Esquipulas is located within the geographical area known as Region Ch'orti' people of Guatemala. Chorti culture and the Kingdom Payaki or Payaqui which was notable for leaving some of their old architectures developed within this municipality. The first settlers were descendants from Maya people of Copán (archaeological site) Copán , Honduras who came to these lands, shortly after they were forming groups or ethnic groups including ethnic Ch'orti ' , these moved Esquipulas after leaving or moving of its ancient cities, this culture achievement develop for several years, even after of

9212-669: The widening of the colonial city, its order in the cardinal points and the generation of a ring road with the first cloverleaf interchange in the city. In an attempt to control the rapid growth of the city, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala), headed by longtime Mayor Álvaro Arzú , has implemented a plan to focus growth along important arterial roads and apply Transit-oriented development (TOD) characteristics. 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 moving away from such. It

9310-405: Was Yzquipulas, is a town, with a population of 18,667 (2018 census), and a municipality located in the department of Chiquimula , in eastern Guatemala . Esquipulas' main attraction is the beautiful Black Christ  [ es ] located in the Basilica of Esquipulas, making the town an important place of Catholic pilgrimage for Central America. It is also one of the most important towns of

9408-417: Was almost completely destroyed a century later by a second massive damaging series of earthquakes to hit the region in the modern era of the early 20th century with the 1917–1918 Guatemala earthquakes , which like in 1773, lasted for several Following months of continued aftershocks. Reconstructions in subsequent decades following these 1917-18 massive continued tremors / earthquakes which have now resulted in

9506-403: Was found, began drilling and operating silver mine that was a fact, when they needed was more like a miracle those deluded savior. These caves were like a memory of that silver mine, which by its geographical location near the Basilica, they found there has been attributed to the miraculous Christ of Esquipulas, which is not true because the documents were later found which consists reliable that

9604-512: Was not a member of the ruling party at the time and was elected due his well-known capabilities. Of cobanero origin, married with Marta Cobos, he studied at the University of San Carlos ; under his tenure, among other modernist works of the city, infrastructure projects included El Incienso bridge, the construction of the Roosevelt Avenue, the main road axis from East to West of the city, the town hall building, and numerous road works which meant

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