Guatemalan Highlands



The Guatemalan Highlands is an upland region in southern Guatemala, lying between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the south and the Petén lowlands to the north.

Geographic description
The highlands lie between 6360 ft and 13780 ft are made up of a series of high valleys enclosed by mountains and dominated by volcanoes that are both active and extinct. The local name for the region is Altos, meaning "highlands."

The relief of the mountainous country which lies north of the Highlands and drains into the Atlantic is varied by terraces, ridges and underfalls; but its general configuration is compared by E. Reclus with the appearance of "a stormy sea breaking into parallel billows".

A range called the Sierra de Chamá, strikes eastward towards Belize, and is connected by low hills with the Cockscomb Mountains. Another similar range, the Sierra de Santa Cruz, continues east to Cape Cocoli between the Polochic and the Sarstoon. A third, the Sierra de las Minas or, in its eastern portion, Sierra del Mico, stretches between the Polochic and the Motagua rivers. Between Honduras and Guatemala, the frontier is formed by the Sierra de Merendón.

A few of the streams of the Pacific slope actually rise in the highlands, and force a way through the Sierra Madre at the bottom of deep ravines. One large river, the Chixoy or Salinas River, escapes northwards towards the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to the streams which break through to the Pacific, a number of larger streams which drain to the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea have their sources in the highlands. The Motagua River, whose principal head stream is called the Rio Grande, has a course of about 250 mi, and is navigable to within 90 mi of Guatemala City, which is situated on one of its confluents, the Rio de las Vacas. It empties in the Gulf of Honduras, an arm of the Caribbean. Of similar importance is the Polochic River, which is about 180 mi in length, and navigable about 20 mi above the river-port of Telemán. A vast number of streams, among which are the Chixoy, Lacantún, and Ixcán, unite to form the Usumacinta River, which passes along the Mexican frontier, and flowing on through Chiapas and Tabasco, falls into the Bay of Campeche. The Grijalva and its tributaries the Cuilco and San Miguel rivers drain west into the Chiapas Depression, and from there into the Gulf of Mexico. Lake Atitlan is a land-locked basin encompassed with lofty mountains. About 9 mi south of Guatemala City lies Lake Amatitlan with the town Amatitlán.

Climate
The Highlands have a more temperate climate compared to the surrounding lowlands and Pacific coastal plains. Their annual temperatures fall between 15° and 25°C. In this climate, there are typically pronounced rainy and dry seasons. The rainy season lasts from May to November, with the heaviest rainfall happening in June and October.

The Maya in the Highlands
One of the prevalent groups that has been present in the Guatemalan Highlands is the Maya civilization. Their rise was around A.D. 250, and their decline began around A.D. 850.

Farming and Agriculture
The Guatemalan Highlands were a significant source of raw materials for the Maya society, and as such, farming and agriculture dominated this region. The highlands provided the Maya with various minerals that were culturally important, such as jade and serpentine. In addition to these minerals, fertile landscapes were created by large amounts of rainfall during the rainy season of the Guatemalan Highlands(May-December). Canals were built and maintained to use a raised field system of agriculture that took advantage of the ecology of the landscape. Households would also grow their own food in open areas, and the surplus of these agricultural products would be traded in community markets.

In the Highlands, various fruits, vegetables, flowers and coffee were traded throughout the Maya society. The Maya had maize fields that were called milpas, which grew different types of maize in addition to squashes, beans, and manioc. The lowlands are often considered the center of the Maya society, but it is important to recognize that the Guatemalan Highlands also provided a vital source of agricultural products that sustained the growing Mayan population.

Cultural significance
An important Pre-Maya site located in the Highlands is Kaminaljuyu. This was a huge settlement, complete with big structures, organization, and cities.

The Highlands were significant to the Maya for a variety of reasons. For one, at one point, there was only one Mayan language, Proto-Mayan, which likely originated in the Highlands. Over time, various dialects broke off and spread across the rest of the Maya area. They were also significant because of their big lakes, or more specifically, the Maya cave sites near these lakes, which sometimes acted as ritual pilgrimage places for the Maya. These lakes were also popular sites to settle near, as they made water more accessible to the Maya. The Highlands were also where many birds were trapped by the Maya for their feathers. These feathers were then traded and used in headdresses, crests, and capes and to decorate shields, spears, scepters, canopies, fans, and clothing, as they were a sign elite status.