HISTORY

GUATEMALA GOES THROUGH THREE DISTINCT STAGES WHICH ARE THE MAYAN INDIGENOUS, SPANISH COLONIAL, AND MODERN REPUBLICAN. THE MAYAN CIVILIZATION WILL TAKE YOU BACK TO THE INCEPTION, WHICH IS THE YEAR 300 B.C. THEY DEVELOPED ARCHITECTURE, PAINTING, SCULPTURE, MUSIC, MATHEMATICS (INCLUDING NUMBER ZERO), 395-DAY CALENDER, ROADS, AND EXTENSIVE TRADE. FROM 1524 THROUGH 1821, GUATEMALA RAN FROM YUCATAN (WHICH IS PART OF MEXICO) TO PANAMA. IN THE YEAR 1821, GUATEMALA WON ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN.

AT FIRST GUATEMALA ALONG WITH PRESENT DAY COSTA RICA, EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, AND NICARAGUA WERE PART OF THE UNITED PROVINCES OF CENTRAL AMERICA. IN OTHER WORDS TODAY'S CENTRAL AMERICA WAS ONCE ONLY ONE COUNTRY. TODAY THERE'S SEVEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND ONE OF THEM IS BELIZE WHICH HAS ENGLISH AS THEIR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE.