Guatemala
Abstract
Guatemala is a small country that is located in Central America. The climate there is warmer in the low lands and cooler in the high lands. There are three distinct terrains the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of the mountains, and the vast northern Peten low lands. Guatemala has one of the youngest populations in Latin America and has roughly 11 million people. The country is rich in its history with influences from the Mayan Empire that are still relevant today. While Spanish is the official language that is spoken there, there are several other languages that are spoken as well. Most of the population follows the Roman Catholic Church; however, other religions are represented throughout the country. When working with Guatemalan people it is important to remember that health care is not always easily accessed, and it is a family affair with the women being the most influential when medical decisions need to be made. Therefore, it is important as medical professionals to respect their culture when providing care.
Geography
Guatemala is a country located in Central America. It borders the Caribbean between Belize and Honduras and is also located on the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and El Salvador. The country itself is a little smaller than the state of Tennessee at about 42,000 square miles (Guatemala). Guatemala offers many beautiful natural tourist spots as well as some of the best Mayan ruins in Latin America (Guatemala). The climate is warm throughout the year averaging around 75 degrees Fahrenheit (Guatemala). The typical climate in Guatemala is tropical, hot and humid in the low lands and cooler in the high lands (The World Factbook 2018). The terrain for Guatemala consists of two east-west trending mountain chains that divide the country into three regions the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of the mountains, and the vast northern Peten low lands (The World Factbook 2018). Some of the natural hazards that Guatemala experiences are numerous volcanoes in the mountains, occasional violent earthquake, and the Caribbean coast is extremely susceptible to hurricanes (The World Factbook 2018). Guatemala has had some significant volcanic activity. This includes activity in the Sierra Madre range, which has been deemed a decade volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s interior and is worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations (The World Factbook 2018). Another active volcano is named Pacava, which erupted in May 2010 causing ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations and is one of the country’s most active volcanoes with frequent eruptions since 1965 (The World Factbook 2018).
