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Guatemala

Thick rain forest dominates the interior lowland of El Petén, a rolling limestone plateau occupying part of the Yucatán Peninsula, where the deep, rich soil yields dinosaur bones and nourishes enormous banana plantations. Ancient Mayan cities, such as Tikal, can be found here, too. The Guatemalan jungle is home to rare creatures—jaguar, ocelot, puma, jaguarundi, and margay—in addition to the more commonly seen deer, pec- cary, tapir, and monkey. There are more than 900 species of birds in Guatemala, 204 species of reptiles, and 8,000 species of plants. The Pacific Lowland coast features lagoons and a tropical savanna plain, which is intensively farmed. Rivers and streams flowing through the Pacific Lowland make it ideal for sugar cane and cotton plantations, cattle ranches, and farms that grow corn and beans. The Pacific coastline itself is a winding ribbon of mostly rather rough black-sand beaches. The tiny Caribbean coastline in the Bay of Honduras lacks beaches, but culturally it has much to offer. The Continental Divide and Caribbean Lowlands contain three deep river valleys—the Motagua, Polochic, and Sarstun. Overall, 18 short rivers flow through Guatemala from the high plateaus to the Pacific Ocean. There are also four major lakes: Lake Atitlán, Lake Amatitlán, Lake Petén Itza, and Lake Izabel, the country’s largest lake at

228 square miles (591 sq. km). Environmental Challenges

Deforestation, poor water use, and pollution are serious problems affecting Guatemala. Since 1890, over 55 percent of the forests that once covered Guatemala have been destroyed. According to official figures, around 309