Guatemala: Physical Geography

Guatemala lies in Central America, bordered by Mexico to the north and west, Belize and the Caribbean's Gulf of Honduras to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Covering about 108,889 square kilometers (42,042 square miles), the country is largely mountainous except for its southern coastal plain and the low, forested lowlands of the Peten region in the north. Two mountain chains run roughly west to east, dividing Guatemala into three distinct zones: the volcanic highlands, the narrow Pacific coastal plain to the south, and the limestone Peten plateau to the north.

The southern highlands contain a chain of volcanic peaks, including Tajumulco, which at 4,220 meters (13,845 feet) is the highest point in both Guatemala and Central America. Several of the country's roughly 37 volcanoes remain active, among them Fuego, Pacaya, and Santiaguito. North of the volcanic belt, the rugged Cuchumatanes and other sierras form a barrier before the terrain descends into the sparsely populated, limestone lowlands of Peten, which borders Mexico and Belize. The Motagua River, Guatemala's longest at about 486 kilometers (302 miles), drains the central valley eastward toward the Caribbean, while other rivers flow north into the Gulf of Mexico or south into the Pacific.

Guatemala's climate varies sharply with elevation and region: hot and humid along the Pacific coast and in the Peten lowlands, cooler and more temperate in the highlands, and occasionally freezing at the highest elevations of the Cuchumatanes. The country lies in the path of Atlantic and Pacific hurricanes, such as Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and Hurricane Stan in 2005, which caused extensive flooding and landslides. Frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes, including a severe 1976 quake that killed more than 23,000 people, add to the country's exposure to natural hazards.