Guatemala Trivia

1. Guatemala is an independent country in Central America bordered by four countries. Which of those countries shares the longest border with Guatemala?

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Mexico

Guatemala is bordered by Mexico towards the north and west, Belize and Honduras to the east, and El Salvador to the south. The longest border is with Mexico, measuring 541 miles. The other three are considerably less; Belize-165 miles, Honduras-164 miles and El Salvador-142 miles. Guatemala also touches both the Gulf of Honduras and the Pacific Ocean.

From Quiz Viva Guatemala!

Answer: Ixtepeque Volcano

Prized by pre-Hispanic civilizations as a raw material for weapons, utensils and jewelry, the Ixtepeque obsidian is believed to have been traded throughout Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About Guatemala?

Answer: Central America

Guatemala is located in Central America, bordering the Caribbean Sea between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean between El Salvador and Mexico.

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: September 15th

Guatemala obtained independence on September 15th 1821.

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Third

Guatemala is the third largest country in Central America occupying 108,890 square kilometres. The largest is Nicaragua(130,700) followed by Honduras(112,490). The smallest country by area is El Salvador, about one-fifth of the size of Guatemala.

From Quiz Gallivanting through Guatemala!

Answer: Antigua

Antigua was the capital of Guatemala from 1541 until it was largely destroyed by earthquakes in the 1770s. The Spanish colonial buildings that survived the quakes have been maintained in their original condition, making the city a tourist destination, and in 1979, it was declared a World Heritage site. Although Guatemala received its independence from Spain in 1821, legitimate elections were not held until Juan José Arévalo was elected president in 1944. He was committed to social reforms; he established social security, public hospitals and worked to integrate the indigenous population into mainstream society.

From Quiz Viva Guatemala!

Answer: Tajumulco Volcano

Tajumulco Volcano, in the western department of San Marcos, stands 4,200 m. high and is one of two places in Mesoamerica where the nearly-extinct horned guan survives.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About Guatemala?

Answer: Quetzal

The exchange rate in 2013 was approximately 7.88 quetzales per US dollar.

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: Mayas

Most of them were killed during the conquista by Pedro de Alvarado, which was an easy thing to do since the Mayas were having internal wars and other problems.

From Quiz Gallivanting through Guatemala!

Answer: Mayan

Located in a jungle in northern Guatemala, Tikal National Park has some of the best examples of pre-Columbian Mayan architecture in the world, some of which have been dated back to the 4th century B.C.E. Tikal was declared a World Heritage Site in 1979. Miguel Ángel Asturias Rosales won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1967. His most famous novels were "El Señor Presidente" and "Hombres de Maiz" (Men of Maize), the latter being a defense of Mayan culture.

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: Pedro de Alvarado

Don Pedro de Alvarado was really a nobody in Spain and came looking for some new lands. After conquering "Guatemala", the Spanish crown gave him the title of "El Adelantado" as an honor.

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Spanish

Spanish is the primary language of a vast majority of Guatemalans. It is the mother tongue of about ten million people and an essential second language to the rest of the population. Other than Spanish there are many Mayan languages spoken as a first language, mainly within the rural regions.

From Quiz Gallivanting through Guatemala!

Answer: A volcano

Besides being the highest peak in Guatemala, Volcán Tajumulco is also the highest point in Central America at 13,845 ft/4,220 meters. Located in western Guatemala, the volcano is dormant, with its last recorded eruption occurring in 1863. Jaime Viñals was the first Central American to climb Mount Everest and the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each of the seven continents). He first attempted Everest in 1994 and was successful in 2001 on his third attempt.

From Quiz Viva Guatemala!

Answer: 1776

The expanse of Guatemala City lies nestled in one of the largest valleys in the country.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About Guatemala?

Answer: Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitalan is located about 80 miles west of the capital. Three volcanoes tower over the southern shore, villages fringe the shores and eighteen islands dot the surface. The main tourist center is the small town of Panajachel, within easy walking distance of the several hotels in town. Its streets are lined with stalls overflowing with textiles, clothes and handicrafts, and there is a good selection of restaurants and bars or discos. A Motorlaunch excursion takes you to the small villages along the lake's shores. Panajachel is often the base for exploring the highlands, especially when accommodation in Chichi is sold out. At the top of the valley before descending to the lake shores is Solola, with a traditional market on Tuesday and Friday that is well worth a visit.

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: Alfonso Portillo

In 2010 Alfonso Portillo, the former Guatemalan president, was charged by a US grand jury with embezzling tens of millions of dollars.

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Motagua River

The source of the Motagua River is in the Quiche region of Guatemala at an elevation of 1,800 metres, and it runs eastward for nearly 500 kilometres gradually descending into the Gulf of Honduras at Puerto Barrios. The river is notably the only known source of jade in Central America.

From Quiz Gallivanting through Guatemala!

Answer: Pacific Ocean

Guatemala has coastlines on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The 150 mile Pacific coastline has black sand beaches, mangrove swamps and is popular for water sports, including surfing. Carlos Mérida was a native Guatemalan artist who lived from 1891 to 1984. He mainly worked with murals and mosaics in Mexico and his native Guatemala, and he collaborated with Diego Rivera during the 1920s. His style was largely abstract, incorporating Mayan and other indigenous techniques.

From Quiz Viva Guatemala!

Answer: El Peten

The park was declared a national treasure in 1955 and opened to the world two years later.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About Guatemala?

Answer: Miguel Angel Asturias

Miguel Angel Asturias (1899-1974) was born in Guatemala and spent his childhood and adolescence in his native country. He studied for his baccalaureate at a state high school and later took a law degree at the University of San Carlos. His thesis on "The Social Problem of the Indian" was published in 1923. After he finished his law studies, he founded with fellow students the Popular University of Guatemala, whose aim was to offer courses to those who could not afford to attend the national university. He recieved the Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1967 for his vivid literary work, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America. His work includes "The President", "The Mirror of Lida Sal: Tales Based on Mayan Myths and Guatemalan Legends (Discoveries) ", and "Men of Maize".

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: Guatemala & Guatemala City

Guatemala City was originally founded in the Caqchiquel territorry of "Iximché" but they had problems with the Caqchiqueles (descendants of the Mayas). The city was moved to "Almolonga" (Antigua Guatemal) but it was destroyed by floods that came from the Volcán de Agua. The city was rebuilt in the "valle de Panchoy", where it stayed for 230 years, but it was destroyed by earthquakes. The city was rebuilt in "el valle de la Ermita", which is its current location, and was then named "Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción" instead of "Santiago de Guatemala" which had been the name of the previous three cities.

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Lago Atitlan

Lago Atitlan is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and is a major tourist attraction in Guatemala. It has a maximum depth of 340 metres. Lago Izabal is the largest by surface area but not very deep. Lago de Guija is actually deeper than Atitlan but it shares waters with El Salvador.

From Quiz Gallivanting through Guatemala!

Answer: Blizzard

Ciudad Vieja was destroyed when a crater lake collapsed and flooded the city with water and mud, reportedly due to an earthquake, although some sources claim the rumbling was due to the gushing water. Guatemala has numerous volcanoes and has a history of destructive earthquakes. It is also susceptible to hurricanes, mainly from the Caribbean. Although Guatemala is mainly mountainous and can get snow at the higher elevations, blizzards would be an unlikely occurrence. Rodolfo Robles lived from 1878 to 1939. He was the first to identify Robles Disease, also known as River Blindness. The disease, caused by the larva of the blackfly, can lead to tissue destruction and eventual blindness.

From Quiz Viva Guatemala!

Answer: Lake Izabal

Lake Izabal measures 30 miles in length and 12 miles width.

From Quiz How Much Do You Know About Guatemala?

Answer: Mayan

The Mayans developed astronomy, calendrical systems and hieroglyphic writing. They were also noted for elaborate and highly decorated ceremonial architecture, including temple-pyramids, palaces and observatories, all built without metal tools.

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: Belize

It was given to Britain in exchange for some highways (which were never built).

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Mitch

Hurricane Mitch was one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes of all time causing an estimated eleven thousand fatalities in Central America including several hundred in Guatemala. The bulk of the devastation left behind was the flooding that ensued leaving many missing or homeless.

From Quiz Viva Guatemala!

Answer: Quirio Catano

Some historians say Catano received orders to make a religious image with a dark skin tone by Spanish priests intent on converting Guatemala's dark-skinned inhabitants.

From Quiz Guatemala

Answer: José Joaquín Palma

He was Cuban! Ha actually submited the lyrics signed "Anonimous" and before he died he declared he had written them.

From Quiz A Trip to Guatemala

Answer: Maya

Maya is a large nature reserve in Guatemala that encompasses an area in excess of 21,000 square kilometres. It was created in 1990 to protect the tropical rain forests contained within the region, some of the few remaining north of the Amazon. The reserve is home to many different types of flora and fauna.

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Last Updated Nov 01 2025 5:49 AM

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