--- title: Guatemala City — English Wikipedia · full text with trees description: Wikipedia's «Guatemala City», whole, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics, CC BY-SA 4.0. It begins: Guatemala City (Ciudad de Guatemala), also known colloquially by the nickname Guate, is the national capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Guatemala_City/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/) / [en](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/) / Guatemala City # Guatemala City From Wikipedia, [«Guatemala City»](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_City), revision of the 2026-09-01 dump, [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). The trees and pragmatics of these pages, Mova's parse of that text, are CC BY-SA 4.0 too. The English Wikipedia article «Guatemala City», whole: 32 sections, 326 sentences and 5033 words, its 55 notes at the end. The marks in brackets «[n]» are Wikipedia's own, each leading to its note and source; the small number after every sentence leads to the sentence's own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Guatemala_City/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Guatemala_City/page/3/) | Facts | | | --- | --- | | | **Guatemala City · Ciudad de Guatemala** | | | **[Capital city](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city)** | | | Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; New Guatemala of the Assumption | | | Flag Coat of arms | | | Mottoes: "Todos somos la ciudad" (We are all the city), "Tú eres la ciudad" (You are the city). s | | | Coordinates: | | [Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Departments_of_Guatemala) | [Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_Department) | | Founded | 1524 | | As capital[\[1\]](page/3/#ref-1 "note 1") | 1776 | | **Government** | | | • Type | Municipality | | • Mayor | [Ricardo Quiñónez Lemus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricardo_Quiñónez_Lemus) ([Unionist](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unionist_Party_%28Guatemala%29)) | | **Area** | | | • [Capital city](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city) | 228.7 km² (88.3 sq mi) | | Elevation | 1,500 m (4,921 ft) | | **Population (2023 projection)[\[2\]](page/3/#ref-2 "note 2")[\[3\]](page/3/#ref-3 "note 3")** | | | • [Capital city](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city) | 1,221,739 | | • Rank | [1st in Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_places_in_Guatemala); [2nd in Central America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_cities_in_Central_America) | | • Density | 5,342.1/km² (13,836.0/sq mi) | | • [Metro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolitan_area) | 3,230,000[\[4\]](page/3/#ref-4 "note 4") | | Demonyms | capitalino, guatemaltecos | | **Ethnicity [\[5\]](page/3/#ref-5 "note 5")** | | | • [Ladino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladino_people) | 91.3% | | • [Mayan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_peoples) | 7.1% | | • Other | 1.6% | | **GDP (metro)[\[6\]](page/3/#ref-6 "note 6")** | | | • Urban | US$24 billion (2023) | | • Per capita | US$7,700 (2023) | | [Time zone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_zone) | [UTC−06:00](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC−06:00) ([CST](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Standard_Time)) | | [Climate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Köppen_climate_classification)[\[7\]](page/3/#ref-7 "note 7") | [Tropical savanna climate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_savanna_climate) (Aw) | Guatemala City (Ciudad de Guatemala), also known colloquially by the nickname Guate, is the [national capital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_city) and largest city of the [Republic of Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala) [corpus](../Guatemala/ "in our corpus").[\[8\]](page/3/#ref-8 "note 8")[1](1/ "tree and pragmatics") It serves as the [municipal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Municipalities_of_Guatemala) capital of the surrounding [Guatemala Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_Department).[2](2/ "tree and pragmatics") [Its metropolitan area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_City_metropolitan_area) is also the [largest in Central America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_in_Central_America).[3](3/ "tree and pragmatics") The city is located in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita (Hermitage Valley) in the south-central part of the country.[4](4/ "tree and pragmatics") Guatemala City is the site of the native [Mayan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization) city of [Kaminaljuyu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaminaljuyu) in [Mesoamerica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerica), which was occupied primarily between 1500 BCE and 1200 CE.[5](5/ "tree and pragmatics") The present city was founded by the Spanish after their colonial capital, now called [Antigua Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala), was destroyed by the devastating [1773 Santa Marta earthquake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1773_Guatemala_earthquake) and its aftershocks.[\[9\]](page/3/#ref-9 "note 9")[6](6/ "tree and pragmatics") It became the third royal capital of the surrounding [Captaincy General of Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captaincy_General_of_Guatemala); which itself was part of the larger [Viceroyalty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroyalty) of [New Spain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Spain) in imperial [Spanish America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_America) and remained under colonial rule until the nineteenth century.[7](7/ "tree and pragmatics") In September 1821, Guatemala City was the site of the famous [Act of Independence of Central America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Independence_of_Central_America), which declared the independence of the region from the [Spanish Empire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Empire).[8](8/ "tree and pragmatics") It was ratified and enacted on 15 September, now celebrated annually as Guatemala's independence day and called the [Dias Patrios](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dias_Patrios_%28Guatemala%29).[9](9/ "tree and pragmatics") For the next several decades, Guatemala City was the federation capital of the newly established and independent government of the United Provinces of Central America, which was later reorganized and renamed the [Federal Republic of Central America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Republic_of_Central_America).[\[10\]](page/3/#ref-10 "note 10")[10](10/ "tree and pragmatics") In August 1847, [Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Guatemala) declared itself an independent republic, separate from the larger federation, and Guatemala City became its [national capital](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_capital).[\[11\]](page/3/#ref-11 "note 11")[11](11/ "tree and pragmatics") Guatemala City and the surrounding region were almost completely destroyed by the [1917–1918 Guatemala earthquakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_Guatemala_earthquake) and months of continued aftershocks.[12](12/ "tree and pragmatics") Reconstructions since have resulted in a more modern architectural landscape, including wider streets and a grid lay-out for new developments, inspired by post-18th century designs of architects in other national capital cities such as Paris, France and Washington, D.C.[13](13/ "tree and pragmatics") Today, Guatemala City is the political, cultural, religious and economic center of the Republic of Guatemala and exerts a wide financial, commercial, and cultural influence on the Central America region and beyond, throughout Latin America.[14](14/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Names Guatemala City (Ciudad de Guatemala) is known colloquially by Guatemalans as La Capital or Guate.[15](15/ "tree and pragmatics") Its formal name is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción[\[12\]](page/3/#ref-12 "note 12") (New Guatemala of the Assumption).[16](16/ "tree and pragmatics") 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.[17](17/ "tree and pragmatics") Also, Assumption is in honor of the [Virgin of the Assumption](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assumption_of_Mary), whose festivity is 15 August, the [city's feast day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendar_of_saints).[18](18/ "tree and pragmatics") ## History Main article: [History of Guatemala City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Guatemala_City) ### Early history See also: [Timeline of Guatemala City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Guatemala_City) Human settlement on the present site of Guatemala City began with the native indigenous [Maya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_people) people, who built a large ceremonial center at [Kaminaljuyu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaminaljuyu).[19](19/ "tree and pragmatics") This large Maya settlement, the biggest outside the [Maya lowlands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_lowlands) in the [Yucatán Peninsula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucatán_Peninsula) of southeast [Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico) [corpus](../Mexico/ "in our corpus"), rose to prominence around 2,300 years ago, in about 300 B.C. due to an increase in mining and trading of [obsidian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsidian), a valuable commodity of volcanic glass ([igneous rock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Igneous_rock)) for the [Pre-Columbian American](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian_America) civilizations in [Mesoamerica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerica).[\[13\]](page/3/#ref-13 "note 13")[20](20/ "tree and pragmatics") Kaminaljuyu then mysteriously collapsed around A.D.[21](21/ "tree and pragmatics") 300 for as yet unknown historical causes.[\[14\]](page/3/#ref-14 "note 14")[22](22/ "tree and pragmatics") More recent research, however, indicates that Kaminaljuyu’s economic and political decline occurred during the Late Classic period (AD 550–800), and that its ultimate collapse, driven by agricultural and political instability, severe droughts, and the diminishing lake, took place in the Terminal Classic period (AD 800–900).[\[15\]](page/3/#ref-15 "note 15")[23](23/ "tree and pragmatics") The ceremoninal center of Kaminaljuyu was located a short distance from the oldest part of Guatemala City.[24](24/ "tree and pragmatics") It is now a park within the city.[25](25/ "tree and pragmatics") During the early Spanish colonial period, it was a small town with a monastery called El Carmen, founded in 1620, some time after the [Spanish conquest](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_Guatemala) of the territory.[26](26/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Colonial history A series of [devastating earthquakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1773_Guatemala_earthquake) in 1773 had left the old provincial capital [Antigua Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigua_Guatemala) in ruins.[\[16\]](page/3/#ref-16 "note 16")[27](27/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the third earthquake the city experienced, after the [1717 earthquake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1717_Guatemala_earthquake) and the [1751 earthquake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1751_Guatemala_earthquake).[28](28/ "tree and pragmatics") Thus, the Spanish decided to relocate the capital to somewhere safer.[29](29/ "tree and pragmatics") In 1776, the seat of government was moved to the current location of Guatemala City, located in a valley less prone to earthquakes.[30](30/ "tree and pragmatics") In the new capital, the central plaza became the sight of the city due to its premier landmark, the immense [neo-classical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo-classical_architecture) [Metropolitan Cathedral](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Guatemala_City),[\[17\]](page/3/#ref-17 "note 17") which was mostly built between 1782–1815 and completed in 1871.[31](31/ "tree and pragmatics") It serves as the center of the country's [Roman Catholic Church](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church), the cathedral of the [Archdiocese of Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Guatemala), and the residence of the current [Archbishop of Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archbishop_of_Guatemala).[32](32/ "tree and pragmatics") Meanwhile, in Antigua Guatemala, work was done to rebuild structures like the [Palace of the Captain-General](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_los_Capitanes_Generales,_Antigua_Guatemala) that were heavily damaged.[33](33/ "tree and pragmatics") This was the palace that then served as the headquarters for the colonial government of the [Captaincy General of Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captaincy_General_of_Guatemala), from 1542 to independence in 1821.[34](34/ "tree and pragmatics") Today it serves as the site for several national government offices, police, tourism agencies, along with museum exhibits, including the [National Museum of Guatemalan Art](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Guatemalan_Art).[35](35/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Independent history A half-century later, after the ratification of the [Act of Independence of Central America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_of_Independence_of_Central_America), the city became the capital of the newly organized independent [United Provinces of Central America](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Provinces_of_Central_America) in September 1821.[36](36/ "tree and pragmatics") The subsequent decades in the 19th century saw the construction of some significant structures in the town, such as the monumental [Carrera Theater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrera_Theater_%28Guatemala%29) in the 1850s, and the modern-day Presidential Palace of Guatemala in the 1890s, which is still occupied by the [president of Guatemala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Guatemala).[37](37/ "tree and pragmatics") At this time, the capital city was expanding around the 30 de Junio Boulevard and elsewhere, unfortunately displacing [indigenous peoples](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_in_Guatemala) in the settlements on the peripheries of the city.[38](38/ "tree and pragmatics") The [1917-1918 earthquakes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_Guatemala_earthquakes) destroyed many structures in Guatemala City built during the late 18th and 19th centuries, during its 144 years after the previous devastating tremors of the [Santa Marta Earthquake of 1773](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1773_Guatemala_earthquake).[39](39/ "tree and pragmatics") Despite this, the [slums](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slum) that had formed following the 1917–1918 series of earthquakes continued to grow and spread, bringing with them the lack of basic infrastructure such as [potable water](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drinking_water), [sewage treatment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewage_treatment), [power lines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_line), and paved and illuminated roads.[40](40/ "tree and pragmatics") A decade later, under former military general and [president](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Guatemala) [Jorge Ubico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Ubico), who consolidated power into an authoritarian [dictatorship](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictatorship), Guatemala entered into a period of centralized control.[41](41/ "tree and pragmatics") During the 1930s, amidst the [Great Depression](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Depression) that was affecting many nations' economies, Ubico's government began pursuing extensive public works such as a [hippodrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodrome) and new buildings.[42](42/ "tree and pragmatics") This included the design and construction of the [National Palace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Palace_%28Guatemala%29), built 1939–1943 as an official residence and headquarters for the President of the Republic.[43](43/ "tree and pragmatics") After 13 years in power, Ubico was overthrown in the [Guatemalan Revolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemalan_Revolution) of 1944, a democratic movement that still remains annually celebrated in the country, alongside the Independence Day of Central America.[44](44/ "tree and pragmatics") ### Contemporary history Guatemala City serves as the economic, governmental, and cultural center of the nation of Guatemala.[45](45/ "tree and pragmatics") The city also functions as Guatemala's main transportation hub, hosting an international airport, [La Aurora International Airport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Aurora_International_Airport), and serving as the origination or end points for most of Guatemala's major highways.[46](46/ "tree and pragmatics") 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.[47](47/ "tree and pragmatics") In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, shops, and a modern [BRT](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit) transport system ([Transmetro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transmetro)), the city is home to many art galleries, theaters, sports venues and museums (including some fine collections of [Pre-Columbian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre-Columbian) art) and provides a growing number of cultural offerings.[48](48/ "tree and pragmatics") 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAX_Theater) to the Ícaro film festival ([Festival Ícaro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_Ícaro)), where independent films produced in Guatemala and Central America are debuted.[49](49/ "tree and pragmatics") Guatemala City continues to be subject to an unusual amount of natural and climate-related disasters, (especially recurring earthquakes) with the latest being the two disasters that struck simultaneously in May 2010: the eruption of the [Pacaya](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacaya) volcano and, two days later, the torrential downpours from [Tropical Storm Agatha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_Storm_Agatha_%282010%29) of 2010.[50](50/ "tree and pragmatics") ## Structure and growth Guatemala City is located[\[18\]](page/3/#ref-18 "note 18") in the mountainous regions of the country, between the Pacific coastal plain to the south and the northern lowlands of the Peten region.[51](51/ "tree and pragmatics") 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](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixco), San Juan Sacatepequez, San José Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula, Fraijanes, San Pedro Ayampuc, [Amatitlán](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amatitlán_Department), Villa Canales, Palencia, and Chinautla, forming what is now known as the [Guatemala City Metropolitan Area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala_City_Metropolitan_Area).[52](52/ "tree and pragmatics") The city is subdivided into 22 zones ("Zonas") designed by the urban engineering of [Raúl Aguilar Batres](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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.[53](53/ "tree and pragmatics") Zones are numbered 1–25, with Zones 20, 22 and 23 not existing as they would have fallen in two other municipalities' territory.[\[19\]](page/3/#ref-19 "note 19")[54](54/ "tree and pragmatics") Addresses are assigned according to the street or avenue number, followed by a dash and the number of metres it is away from the intersection.[\[20\]](page/3/#ref-20 "note 20")[55](55/ "tree and pragmatics") For example, the INGUAT Office on "7a Av.[56](56/ "tree and pragmatics") 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.[57](57/ "tree and pragmatics") 7a Av.[58](58/ "tree and pragmatics") 1–17, Zona 4; and 7a Av.[59](59/ "tree and pragmatics") 1–17, Zona 10, are two radically different addresses.[60](60/ "tree and pragmatics") Short streets/avenues do not get new sequenced number, for example, 6A Calle is a short street between 6a and 7a.[61](61/ "tree and pragmatics") 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.[62](62/ "tree and pragmatics") Calle 1 Avenida 1 Zona 1 is the center of every city in Guatemala.[63](63/ "tree and pragmatics") **1** [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Guatemala_City/page/2/) [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Guatemala_City/page/3/) - next →: [page 2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/Guatemala_City/page/2/) - ↑ back to [English Wikipedia](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/wikipedia/en/)