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Guatemala

Guatemala’s land has been described as a “mountainous and forested jumble of volcanoes and jungle.” One-third of the country is mountainous and a nearly equal amount is covered by thick tropical forests. The highlands are a chain of mountains running east to west across Guatemala. The high plateau and mountain systems in this region include the Sierra Madre, Sierra de Chaucus, Sierra de las Minas, Montanas del Mico, Sierra de los Chuchumatanes, and the Sierra de Chama. The highlands provide coffee- and corn-growing farmland, and it is also where most Guatemalans live, including the country’s Indians. The highlands are dotted by the blackened cones of more than 30 volcanoes. The highest of these is Volcan Tajumulco, which at 13,816 feet (4,211 meters) is also the highest mountain in Central America. Several volcanoes have erupted with smoke and lava in recent years. One of these is Fuego, which belched smoke and ash into the sky in 2012 and 2015. The eruptions forced many people to evacuate their homes. Guatemala is also regularly shaken by earthquakes. The most destruc-

Words to Understand in this Chapter

continental divide— a massive area of high ground in the interior of a continent, from either side of which a continent’s river systems flow in different directions.

lagoons— shallow ponds leading to larger bodies of water. plateau— a flat area of land raised above the surrounding land. savanna— tropical grassland having no trees.