Guatemala History, Language and Culture

People have lived in present-day Guatemala for thousands of years. The earliest inhabitants were hunter-gatherers. Farming communities developed later, and early Maya culture began to take shape by around 2000 BC. Over time, the Maya built one of the great civilisations of the ancient Americas, with advanced systems of writing, mathematics, astronomy, calendars and government.

Large cities such as Tikal, El Mirador and Yaxhá grew across the northern lowlands. Many declined after about AD 900, possibly because of warfare, drought, political instability and pressure on natural resources. Maya civilisation did not disappear, and strong kingdoms continued elsewhere in the region.

Spanish forces led by Pedro de Alvarado entered Guatemala in 1524. European weapons, local alliances and diseases helped them defeat several Maya kingdoms, although resistance continued in remote areas for generations. Guatemala later became the centre of Spain's government in Central America.

Guatemala declared independence from Spain in 1821. It briefly joined the Mexican Empire and later became part of the United Provinces of Central America. After that federation collapsed, Guatemala became an independent republic in 1847.

Coffee became an important export during the late 19th century. Governments supported large plantations, but many Indigenous communities lost their land. Wealth and political power became concentrated among a small number of landowners.

A popular uprising ended the dictatorship of Jorge Ubico in 1944. The following decade brought democratic elections and social reforms. In 1954, however, a force supported by the United States Central Intelligence Agency removed President Jacobo Árbenz after his land reforms affected powerful landowners and the US-based United Fruit Company.

Civil war began in 1960 between government forces and left-wing guerrilla groups. The conflict lasted 36 years and left around 200,000 people dead or missing. Most victims were Indigenous Maya civilians, and a later United Nations-backed investigation found that acts of genocide had been committed against several Maya communities.

Peace agreements signed in 1996 ended the war and promised political reform and greater Indigenous rights. Guatemala has since held regular elections, but corruption, organised crime, and inequality remain serious problems.

Did you know?

• The ancient Maya developed the concept of zero independently, using a shell-shaped symbol to represent it.
• Guatemala's currency is named after the resplendent quetzal, the country's national bird and an ancient Maya symbol of freedom.
• The Maya temples of Tikal appeared as the rebel base on Yavin 4 in the original Star Wars film.