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99-398: Pacaya is a popular tourist attraction. It is even the home to the popular Guatemala Impact Marathon which pioneered the use of a running route across the lava field created by the 2010 eruption and supports the local communities through runners endeavouring to complete the challenge . It lies 30 kilometers (19 miles) southwest of Guatemala City and close to Antigua . The volcano sits inside

198-592: A hippodrome and many new public buildings were constructed in the period. This was highlighted by the design and construction of the monumental National Palace (built 1939–1943, as an official residence and offices for the President of the Republic, renovated 2010 and now known as the National Palace of Culture, and used as a national museum). Although slums that had formed with the major displacement of

297-484: A humid subtropical climate ( Cwa ), due to its relatively high altitude which moderate the average temperatures. Guatemala City is generally very warm, almost springlike, throughout the course of the year. It occasionally gets hot during the dry season, but not as hot and humid as in Central American cities at sea level. The hottest month is April. The rainy season extends from May to October, coinciding with

396-445: A sewer eroding the loose volcanic ash , limestone , and other pyroclastic deposits that underlie Guatemala City. As a result, one thousand people were evacuated from the area. This piping feature has since been mitigated by City Hall by providing proper maintenance to the sewerage collection system, and plans to develop the site have been proposed. However, critics believe municipal authorities have neglected needed maintenance on

495-701: A Brazilian firm. A light rail line known as Metro Riel is proposed. Guatemala City is home to ten universities, among them the oldest institution of higher education in Central America, the University of San Carlos of Guatemala . Founded in 1676, the Universidad de San Carlos is older than all North American universities except for Harvard University . The other nine institutions of higher education to be found in Guatemala City include

594-543: A decade before Guatemala's repeated disaster and tragedy. Today, the national capital of Guatemala City is the political, cultural, religious and economic center of the Republic of Guatemala and exerts a wider significant financial, commercial / business influence plus as a cultural center for the Central America region and beyond, throughout Latin America . Guatemala City ( Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala )

693-471: A further 300 residents in danger. A three-story house and telephone poles were also swallowed, along with a security guard. The sinkhole was formed due to sewage pipes leaking, and flooding from Agatha only exacerbated the problem. Throughout southern Mexico, Agatha produced strong winds and heavy rain, as well as high waves, estimated between 2 and 4 m (6.6 and 13.1 ft) high. At least 120 families were evacuated from southeastern Chiapas , near where

792-474: A height of 1,500 m (4,900 ft) to 5,000 m (16,000 ft). The ash fall affected nearby cities including Guatemala city and La Aurora International Airport . During 2006, a slight increase in Pacaya's volcanic activity brought about the creation of several lava rivers that slowly flowed down its slope. Word about these phenomena spread, and local tourism increased significantly. On May 27, 2010,

891-549: A lot of tropical storm force winds on shore. The system weakened quickly after coming on shore, dropping its winds to 25 mph (20 knots, 40 km/h) and its pressure to 1007 mbar ( hPa ; 29.74 inHg ) before dissipating. A burst of convection re-emerged east of Belize , in the Atlantic basin, on May 31. On June 1, the National Hurricane Center stated that the remnants of Tropical Storm Agatha had only

990-483: A low chance of regeneration in the western Caribbean Sea. Upon the formation of Tropical Depression One-E on May 29, the Government of Guatemala declared a tropical storm warning for the entire Pacific coastline. Due to the system's proximity to land, tropical storm force winds were expected to reach the coast by the evening hours, making outdoor preparations difficult. Additionally, the depression's slow movement

1089-430: A more modern architectural landscape appearance with structures constructed on a more logical pattern of wider street grids and lay-out for the national capital. These substantial improvements were inspired by the historical experience and monumental architecture of post- 18th century designs of trained architects in other famous national capital cities of the world, notably Paris, France and Washington, D.C. . Along with

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1188-521: A red alert for the communities near the volcano and recommended the evacuation of some of them. Noti7 reporter Anibal Archila, one of the first to cover the event, was reportedly killed by volcanic debris. President Álvaro Colom declared a state of calamity in the region adjacent to the volcano, and the Ministry of Education closed the schools in the departments of Guatemala, Escuintla, and Sacatepequez. Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Agatha worsened

1287-425: A result of the storm. Some areas recorded the heaviest rainfall in over 60 years, measuring more than 36 in (910 mm). This also ranks Agatha as the wettest known tropical cyclone to ever strike the country, surpassing Hurricane Mitch. By the next day, the death toll had risen to 92, with another 95 people injured. In Guatemala City , a sinkhole 30 stories deep collapsed, killing 15 people and placing

1386-445: A state of emergency for their respective countries. In El Salvador, widespread flooding took place as heavy rains fell across the country. Throughout San Salvador and five other cities threatened by flooding, emergency officials urged residents to evacuate to shelters. A total of 140 landslides occurred. The highest known rainfall total in the country was 400 mm (15.7 in); however, further rains have fallen since this total

1485-467: A substantial devastating earthquake in the nearby city and then Imperial Spanish colonial second capital city of La Antigua on the 29 July 1773, with aftershocks continuing through the rest of that year to December . Because of the massive devastation of this "Santa Marta Earthquake of 1773" , and the limited resources and technology of that late 18th century period, the Spanish colonial capital of

1584-418: A very large, deep circular hole with vertical walls opened in northeastern Guatemala City ( 14°39′1.40″N 90°29′25″W  /  14.6503889°N 90.49028°W  / 14.6503889; -90.49028 ), killing five people. This sinkhole, which is classified by geologists as either a " piping feature " or " piping pseudokarst ", was 100 metres (330 ft) deep, and apparently was created by fluid from

1683-525: Is 82% in the morning and 58% in the evening; and its average dew point is 16 °C (60.8 °F). Four stratovolcanoes are visible from the city, two of them active. The nearest and most active is Pacaya , which at times erupts a considerable amount of ash. These volcanoes lie to the south of the Valle de la Ermita, providing a natural barrier between Guatemala City and the Pacific lowlands that define

1782-578: Is a short street between 6a and 7a. 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. Calle 1 Avenida 1 Zona 1 is the center of every city in Guatemala. Zone One is the Historic Center (Centro Histórico), lying in the very heart of the city,

1881-424: Is also headquarters to numerous regional private banks, among them CitiBank, Banco Agromercantil, Banco Promerica, Banco Industrial, Banco GyT Continental, Banco de Antigua, Banco Reformador, Banrural, Grupo Financiero de Occidente, BAC Credomatic, and Banco Internacional. By far the richest and most powerful regional economy within Guatemala, Guatemala City is the largest market for goods and services, which provides

1980-416: Is also worth mentioning, that due to the airport being in the south of the city, height limits based on aeronautical considerations have been applied to the construction code. This limits the maximum height for a building, at 60 metres (200 feet) in Zone 10, up to 95 metres (312 feet) in Zone 1. Despite its location in the tropics , Guatemala City has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen Aw ) bordering on

2079-423: Is divided into 22 zones in accordance with the urban layout plan designed by Raúl Aguilar Batres . Each zone has its own streets and avenues, facilitating navigation within the city. Zones are numbered 1 through 25. However, numbers 20, 22 and 23 have not been designated to zones, thus these zones do not exist within the city proper. Traditional buses are now required to discharge passengers at transfer stations at

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2178-513: Is dominated by entertainment from the United States, domestic programming is dominated by shows from Mexico. Due to its small and relatively income-restricted domestic market, Guatemala City produces very little in the way of its own programming outside of local news and sports. Guatemala City, as the capital, is home to Guatemala's central bank, from which Guatemala's monetary and fiscal policies are formulated and promulgated. Guatemala City

2277-472: Is easily accessible from Guatemala City and from Antigua. Pacaya and the surrounding area now lie within the Pacaya National Park , which was created to supervise and protect tourism in this region. The Pacaya Park generates its income from tour groups who are charged a fee of about100 Quetzales to enter the park. In 1998, several explosive eruptions emitted lava, debris and ash columns with

2376-457: Is home to many sports clubs. Football is the most popular sport, with CSD Municipal , Aurora F.C. , and Comunicaciones being the main clubs. Tropical Storm Agatha (2010) Tropical Storm Agatha was a weak but deadly tropical cyclone that brought widespread floods to much of Central America, and was the deadliest storm in the eastern Pacific tropical cyclone basin since Hurricane Pauline in 1997 . The first named storm of

2475-605: Is known colloquially by Guatemalans as La Capital or Guate. Its formal name is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción (New Guatemala of the Assumption). 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. Also, Assumption is in honor of the Virgin of the Assumption , whose festivity is 15 August, the city's feast day . Human settlement on

2574-521: Is located in the mountainous regions of the country, between the Pacific coastal plain to the south and the northern lowlands of the Peten region. 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 , San Juan Sacatepequez, San José Pinula, Santa Catarina Pinula, Fraijanes, San Pedro Ayampuc, Amatitlán , Villa Canales, Palencia, and Chinautla, forming what

2673-569: Is now known as the Guatemala City Metropolitan Area . The city is subdivided into 22 zones ("Zonas") designed by the urban engineering of 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. Zones are numbered 1–25, with Zones 20, 22 and 23 not existing as they would have fallen in two other municipalities' territory. Addresses are assigned according to

2772-553: The 2010 Pacific hurricane season , Agatha originated from the Intertropical Convergence Zone , a region of thunderstorms across the tropics. It developed into a tropical depression on May 29 and tropical storm later, it was dissipated on May 30, reaching top winds of 45 mph ( 75 km/h) and a lowest pressure of 1000 mbar ( hPa ; 29.53 inHg ). It made landfall near the Guatemala–Mexico border on

2871-674: The Cocos Tectonic Plate beneath the Caribbean Plate . Pacaya lies on the southern edge of a sizable volcanic caldera formed in the Pleistocene age which contains Lago de Amatitlán . This caldera has been the source of at least nine very large explosions over the past 300,000 years, erupting a total of about 70 cubic kilometres (17 cu mi) of magma . After the last caldera-forming eruption 23,000 years ago, several smaller vents within and around

2970-685: The Escuintla Department . Volcano Boarding is also practiced on the craters of Pacaya. Villagers near Pacaya ignored an evacuation request as the volcano threw ash into the air in March 2021. The Pacaya volcano is a part of the Central American Volcanic Arc , a chain of volcanoes stretching from the northwest to the southeast along the Pacific coast of Central America , formed by the tectonic subduction of

3069-568: The Guatemalan Revolution of 1944 , a democratic pivotal event in the nation's history that is still celebrated annually 80 years later in the country, alongside the earlier September 15 Independence Day of Central America from 1821. In the subsequent 1930s decade with the worldwide Great Depression affecting many nations' economies and commerce / trade during the Ubico dictatorship era, however using public works projects such as

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3168-622: The Intertropical Convergence Zone . The system drifted northwestward, and conditions favored further development . On May 25, the convection became more concentrated, and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted the potential for a tropical depression to develop. The next day, it briefly became disorganized, as its circulation was broad and elongated; however, the disturbance was in a very moist environment, and multiple low level centers gradually organized into one. The low continued to get better organized; however, there

3267-571: The National Museum of Guatemalan Art . A half-century later, after the ratification / enactment of the Act of Independence of Central America declaration, the city became the capital of the independent newly organized United Provinces of Central America in September 1821 . The subsequent decades in the 19th century saw the construction of some significant structures in the town, such as

3366-620: The Pre-Columbian American civilizations in Mesoamerica . Kaminaljuyu then mysteriously collapsed around A.D. 300 for as yet unknown historical causes. A series of devastating earthquakes in 1773 had left the old second Royal Spanish colonial / provincial capital city of La Antigua Guatemala , and surrounding area in ruins and unusable to the Imperial Spanish colonial authorities. During this period of

3465-701: The Republic of Guatemala . It is also a municipality capital of the Guatemala Department and the most populous urban metropolitan area in the region of Central America . The city is located in the south-central part of the country, nestled in a mountain valley called Valle de la Ermita (English: Hermitage Valley ). Guatemala City is the site of the native Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu , founded around 3,500 years ago around 1500 B.C. in Pre-Columbian America / Mesoamerica . Following

3564-606: The United States Southern Command were to be deployed in the region. By June 1, the European Union had sent $ 3.7 million in aid to Guatemala as well as Honduras and El Salvador. The Save the Children organization began distributing hygiene kits and other relief supplies on June 4. Over the following weeks, they planned to provide 46 metric tons of supplies. Extensive losses of

3663-544: The 1976, on the Motagua Fault , a left-lateral strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between the Caribbean Plate and the North American Plate . The 1976 event registered 7.5 on the moment magnitude scale . Smaller, less severe tremors are frequently felt in Guatemala City and environs. Torrential downpours, similar to the more famous monsoons, occur frequently in the Valle de la Ermita during

3762-639: The INTECAP, Royal Towers, Towers Geminis, Industrial Bank towers, Holiday Inn Hotel, Premier of the Americas, among many others to be used for offices, apartments, etc. Also included are projects such as Zona Pradera and Interamerica's World Financial Center. One of the most outstanding mayors was the engineer Martin Prado Vélez, who took over in 1949, and ruled the city during the reformist Presidents Juan José Arévalo and Jacobo Arbenz Guzman , although he

3861-441: The Pacaya volcano erupted, followed by several tremors. At approximately 20:00 hours there was a strong eruption ejecting debris and ash columns up to 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). Ash rained down in many Guatemalan cities to the northwest of the volcano, including Guatemala City. The volcanic ash fall pelted Guatemala City, and the international airport , La Aurora . The National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction (CONRED) declared

3960-523: The Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development provided roughly $ 185,000 in general humanitarian aid; and the IFRC and UNFPA planned donate $ 50,000 each. The United States provided immediate funds of GTQ 900,000 (US$ 112,000); USAID also planned to deploy relief teams with food and emergency supplies to bring to those affected by the storm. Additionally, several helicopters from

4059-474: The United Nations for roughly $ 100 million in international assistance to deal with damage wrought by Agatha. On June 14, President Colom stated that it would take at least five years to recover from Tropical Storm Agatha due to the widespread nature of the catastrophe. To obtain the necessary resources to recover from the storm, Colom implemented a substantial tax increase. His goal was to increase

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4158-1015: The Universidad Mariano Gálvez, the Universidad Panamericana, the Universidad Mesoamericana, the Universidad Rafael Landivar, the Universidad Francisco Marroquín , the Universidad del Valle , the Universidad del Istmo , Universidad Galileo , Universidad da Vinci, and the Universidad Rural. Whereas these nine named universities are private, the Universidad de San Carlos remains the only public institution of higher learning. Guatemala City possesses several sportsgrounds and

4257-591: The beginning of the next 19th century , in September 1821 , Guatemala City was the scene of the famous Act of Independence of Central America , the adopted legislative document of the declaration of independence of the region from the Kingdom of Spain on the far off continent of Europe , across the Atlantic Ocean , and its worldwide Spanish Empire and especially in the Americas ( Western Hemisphere ). It

4356-502: The caldera have seen eruptive activity. Pacaya is the largest post-caldera volcano, and has been one of Central America's most active volcanoes over the last 500 years. It has erupted at least 23 times since the Spanish conquest , producing basalt and basaltic andesite . About 1,100  years ago the volcano's edifice collapsed, causing a huge landslide . Deposits from the landslide travelled about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from

4455-558: The capital had been moved away to the current city in Emmita Valley . The old monumental palace served then as the headquarters for the colonial government regional jurisdiction of the Captaincy General of Guatemala , from its organization in 1542 to independence in 1821. Today it serves as the site for several current national government offices, national police, several tourism agencies along with galleries / exhibits of

4554-406: The catastrophic damage in Guatemala, along with a high fatality rate, Agatha was not retired, and therefore was used again in the 2016 season . Tropical Storm Agatha originated from an area of convection , or thunderstorms, that developed on May 24, off the west coast of Costa Rica. At the time, there was a trough in the region that extended into the southwestern Caribbean Sea , associated with

4653-515: The city and region's population after the 1917 - 1918 series of earthquakes , continued to grow and spread around the edges of the capital city with the lack of civilized normal basic amenities and public services / utilities, such as fresh water piping, sewer drainage systems / filtration plants, electric power lines with paved / lighted streets and highways, etc. Guatemala City continues to be subject to an unusual amount of natural and climate-related disasters, (especially recurring earthquakes) with

4752-520: The city is home to many art galleries, theaters, sports venues and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and provides a growing number of cultural offerings. 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 to the Ícaro film festival ( Festival Ícaro ), where independent films produced in Guatemala and Central America are debuted. Guatemala City

4851-414: The city's aging sewerage system, and have speculated that more dangerous piping features are likely to develop unless action is taken. 3 years later the 2010 Guatemala City sinkhole arose. It is estimated that the population of Guatemala City urban area is about 3 million. The growth of the city's population has been robust, abetted by the mass migration of Guatemalans from the rural hinterlands to

4950-467: The city's edge to board the Transmetro. This is being implemented as new Transmetro lines become established. In conjunction with the new mass transit implementation in the city, there is also a prepaid bus card system called Transurbano that is being implemented in the metro area to limit cash handling for the transportation system. A new fleet of buses tailored for this system has been purchased from

5049-552: The city, and a sudden and prolonged surge in crime have become perennial problems. The infrastructure, although continuing to grow and improve in some areas, is lagging in relation to the increasing population of rural migrants, who tend to be poorer. Guatemala City is headquarters to many communications and telecom companies, among them Tigo, Claro-Telgua, and Movistar-Telefónica. These companies also offer cable television, internet services and telephone access. Due to Guatemala City's large and concentrated consumer base in comparison to

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5148-703: The countries suffering from the disaster and pledged to send emergency humanitarian aid to the region. This was eventually followed up by June 14 when the French embassy in Guatemala provided $ 50,000 in relief supplies. The initial response from the World Food Programme was to allocate $ 500,000 to feed 10,000 over a period of 15 days. Other United Nations departments provided much assistance to Guatemala within two days of Agatha's landfall. UNICEF donated roughly $ 50,000 to support water and sanitation; UNDP allocated $ 50,000 for assessments and early recovery;

5247-614: The country declared a state of emergency during the afternoon of May 29 as conditions worsened. Many rivers in the country were already swollen and close to over-topping their banks. Many other homes were destroyed in widespread floods and dozens of emergency rescues had to be made. By the afternoon of May 30, reports from the region stated that 15 people had been killed and 22 others were missing throughout Guatemala. Preliminary damage assessments showed that at least 3,500 homes were damaged. A total of 112,000 people were evacuated. Additionally, at least 20,000 people have been left homeless as

5346-468: The country's food supply left tens of thousands of residents without sustenance, leading to fears of widespread hunger in the nation. In attempts to lessen the severity of the hunger outbreak, the WFP set up over 200 shelters across the country and was estimated to be serving 50,000 people a day by June 9. On June 11, the United Nations made an appeal to supply Guatemala with $ 14.5 million to aid survivors of

5445-589: The country, hindering traffic. Following the storm, a three-story building was swallowed by a 30-meter (100-ft) diameter sinkhole caused by Agatha's rainfall. A mudslide coming down the Agua volcano left 9 deaths and 12 disappeared in the town of San Miguel Escobar. In the town of Almolonga , department of Quetzaltenango , a mudslide triggered by the storm killed four people after destroying their home, and in total twelve people were killed in Guatemala, while another landslide left 11 people missing. Officials in

5544-553: The death of one person after she was swept away by a swollen river. Many homes and bridges were destroyed across the country. In Estelí Department , the Nicaraguan Air Force had to rescue 24 people trapped in their homes. Two days before landfall, on May 27 the Pacaya volcano, roughly 25 mi (40 km) south of Guatemala City , erupted, killing one person and forcing over 2,000 people to evacuate, and causing

5643-421: The emergency situation, causing lahars , landslides and widespread flooding across the country. However, people working in coffee fields considered the rain brought by the storm to be helpful, removing ash from their trees. Guatemala City Guatemala City ( Spanish : Ciudad de Guatemala , also known nationally colloquially by the nickname as Guate ), is the national capital and largest city of

5742-656: The evening of May 29. Agatha produced torrential rain all across Central America, which resulted in the death of one person in Nicaragua. In Guatemala, 152 people were killed and 100 left missing by landslides. Thirteen deaths also occurred in El Salvador. Agatha soon dissipated over Guatemala . As of June 15, officials in Guatemala have stated that 165 people were killed and 113 others are missing. In all, Agatha caused at least 204 fatalities, and roughly $ 1.1 billion in damage throughout Central America. Despite

5841-446: The final distinct group of Guatemala City inhabitants, representing a very small minority among the city's denizens. Due to mass migration from impoverished rural districts wracked with political instability, Guatemala City's population has exploded since the 1970s, severely straining the existing bureaucratic and physical infrastructure of the city. As a result, chronic traffic congestion, shortages of safe potable water in some areas of

5940-517: The greatest number of investment opportunities for public and private investors in all of Guatemala. Financing for these investments is provided by the regional private banks, as well as through foreign direct investment mostly coming from the United States. Guatemala City's ample consumer base and service sector is represented by the large department store chains present in the city, among them Siman, Hiper Paiz & Paiz ( Walmart ), Price Smart, ClubCo, Cemaco, Sears , and Office Depot . Guatemala City

6039-606: The larger federation of the former Federal Republic of Central America, with Guatemala City proclaimed as its continued national capital city. Guatemala City and surrounding region was almost completely destroyed a century later by a second massive damaging series of earthquakes to hit the region in the modern era of the early 20th century with the 1917–1918 Guatemala earthquakes , which like in 1773, lasted for several Following months of continued aftershocks. Reconstructions in subsequent decades following these 1917-18 massive continued tremors / earthquakes which have now resulted in

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6138-451: The largest and most vibrant regional economy in Guatemala. Among inhabitants of Guatemala City, those of Spanish and Mestizo descent are the most numerous. Guatemala City also has sizable indigenous populations, divided among the 23 distinct Mayan groups present in Guatemala. The numerous Mayan languages are now spoken in certain quarters of Guatemala City, making the city a linguistically rich area. Foreigners and foreign immigrants comprise

6237-458: The late 18th century after the move three years later in 1776 to the current site of modern Guatemala City, that the central plaza in the new town, with its premier landmark neo-classical style architecture of the immense Metropolitan Cathedral (officially named: Catedral Primada Metropolitana de Santiago), built 1782–1815, completed / dedicated 1871. Its the center of the country's Roman Catholic Church and its Archdiocese of Guatemala and

6336-529: The late morning of May 29, Guatemalan officials placed all hospitals on high alert and declared a state of calamity. President Álvaro Colom also began to use some of the $ 85 million allocated as emergency funds by the World Bank. After the storm moved over land and weakened to a tropical depression, the tropical storm warnings along the coast were discontinued. Throughout El Salvador and Nicaragua, emergency officials evacuated about 2,000 residents due to

6435-500: The latest being the two disasters that struck simultaneously in May 2010: the eruption of the Pacaya volcano and, two days later, the torrential downpours from Tropical Storm Agatha of 2010 . Guatemala City serves as the economic, governmental, and cultural epicenter of the nation of Guatemala. The city also functions as Guatemala's main transportation hub, hosting an international airport, La Aurora International Airport , and serving as

6534-772: The location of many important historic buildings, including the Palacio Nacional de la Cultura (National Palace of Culture), the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Congress, the Casa Presidencial (Presidential House), the National Library, and Plaza de la Constitución (Constitution Plaza, old Central Park). Efforts to revitalize this important part of the city have been undertaken by the municipal government. Besides

6633-446: The monumental Carrera Theater in the 1850s , and the modern-day historic executive residence of the Casa Presidencial de Guatemala|Casa Presidencial de Guatemala (Presidential Palace of Guatemala) in the 1890s for the former and still occupied by the current President of the Republic . At this time, the capital city was expanding around the 30 de Junio Boulevard and elsewhere, unfortunately displacing native / indigenous peoples in

6732-401: The origination or end points for most of Guatemala's major highways. 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. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels, shops, and a modern BRT transport system ( Transmetro ),

6831-731: The parks, the city offers a portfolio of entertainment in the region, focused on the so-called Zona Viva and the Calzada Roosevelt, as well as four degrees North. Casino activity is considerable, with several located in different parts of the Zona Viva. The area around the East market is being redeveloped. Within the financial district are the tallest buildings in the country, including: Club Premier , Tinttorento, Atlantis building, Atrium , Tikal Futura , Building of Finances, Towers Building Batteries, Torres Botticelli, Tadeus, building of

6930-548: The present site of Guatemala City began with the native indigenous Maya people, who built a large ceremonial center at Kaminaljuyu . This large Maya settlement, the biggest outside the Maya lowlands in the Yucatán Peninsula , of southeast Mexico , rose to prominence around 2,300 years ago, about 300 B.C. due to an increase in mining and trading of obsidian , a valuable commodity of volcanic glass ( Igneous rock ) for

7029-418: The previous nearby Royal Spanish and colonial / provincial capital city of La Antigua Guatemala (now a historic site with preserved ruins). A decade later, under former military General, then elected 21st President (later unfortunately becoming an authoritarian dictator ) of Jorge Ubico (1878–1946, ruled 1931–1944). General / President Ubico after clinging to power for 13 years, was later overthrown in

7128-594: The rainy season, leading to flash floods that sometimes inundate the city. Due to these heavy rainfalls, some of the slums perched on the steep edges of the canyons that criss-cross the Valle de la Ermita are washed away and buried under mudslides, as in October 2005. Tropical waves, tropical storms and hurricanes sometimes strike the Guatemalan highlands, which also bring torrential rains to the Guatemala City region and trigger these deadly mudslides. In February 2007,

7227-429: The region was moved from the ruined settlement of La Antigua three years later in 1776 to the current site and gradually rebuilt new town with the beginnings of modern Guatemala City and was made the third Royal capital of the surrounding Captaincy General of Guatemala of the larger Viceroyalty of New Spain of the then 275 year old Spanish Empire in the twin continents of the Americas ( Western Hemisphere ). In

7326-492: The rest of the country, these telecom and communications companies provide most of their services and offerings within the confines of the city. There are also seven local television channels, in addition to numerous international channels. The international channels range from children's programming, like Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel , to more adult offerings, such as E! and HBO . While international programming

7425-445: The revenue from taxes in the country to 9.8% of the gross domestic product. Throughout the country, roughly 392,600 people were left in need of humanitarian assistance in the wake of Agatha. Most of these people live in rural areas which became isolated from surrounding areas after flood waters washed out roads and destroyed bridges. As Agatha dissipated over Guatemala, the Government of Mexico expressed their sincere condolences to

7524-471: The seat (chair) for the serving current Archbishop of Guatemala . Also erected in that post-1773 Santa Marta Earthquake was the massive regional colonial Royal Spanish government's Palace of the Captain-General , were constructed in the old second capital of the 1700s , now semi-ruined town Antigua Guatemala and preserved historic site, which later was partially repaired and maintained, even though

7623-463: The settlements on the peripheries of the growing city. The early 20th century series of earthquakes during the years of 1917 - 1918 destroyed many historic structures from the era of the late 18th and following 19th centuries of the first period of Guatemala City capital history, erected during the 144 years since the previous devastating tremors in the infamous Santa Marta Earthquake of 1773 , (referred to previously further above), which destroyed

7722-574: The southern regions of Guatemala. Agua , Fuego , Pacaya , and Acatenango comprise a line of 33 stratovolcanoes that stretches across the breadth of Guatemala, from the Salvadorian border to the Mexican border. Lying on the Ring of Fire , the Guatemalan highlands and the Valle de la Ermita are frequently shaken by large earthquakes. The last large tremor to hit the Guatemala City region occurred in

7821-418: The storm made landfall. A yellow alert was also declared for the state as significant flooding was anticipated. After moving inland over Guatemala and Mexico, torrential rains from the remnants of Agatha triggered flash flooding and landslides in parts of Honduras. At least 45 homes have been destroyed and one person was killed in the country. On May 31, the presidents of both El Salvador and Honduras declared

7920-616: The storm were opened across the country. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), schools in Guatemala were to be closed until at least June 4. However, due to the large number of severely damaged or destroyed schools, few buildings can actually allow for classes to take place and 144 of the schools that are intact are being used as shelters. By June 1, the Government of Guatemala sent an appeal to

8019-403: The storm. This appeal followed a $ 34 million request for the country prior to the storm for malnutrition incidents. By June 14, the Government of Japan had provided roughly $ 220,000 worth of equipment and building materials. Around the same time, ACT Development announced that it planned to assist roughly 2,000 families with all basic life necessities for a month. To start this operation,

8118-517: The street or avenue number, followed by a dash and the number of metres it is away from the intersection. For example, the INGUAT Office on "7a Av. 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. 7a Av. 1–17, Zona 4; and 7a Av. 1–17, Zona 10, are two radically different addresses. Short streets/avenues do not get new sequenced number, for example, 6A Calle

8217-466: The temporary closing of the main international airport. Excessive rainfall from Agatha in the region could exacerbate the situation and trigger lahars . However, people working in coffee fields considered the rain brought by the storm to be helpful, removing ash from their trees. According to meteorologists in Guatemala, at least 14 in (360 mm) of rain had fallen by the evening of May 29. Several landslides blocked roadways across southern areas of

8316-511: The threat of flash flooding. In response to the approaching storm, a yellow alert was declared for all of El Salvador and it was estimated that roughly 89% of the country was at risk from flooding. Roughly 52,000 police, emergency rescue personnel and soldiers were placed on standby by the Dirección General de Protección Civil . Prior to becoming a tropical depression, the system produced torrential rainfall in Nicaragua, resulting in

8415-402: The tropical storm and hurricane season in the western Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, while the dry season extends from November to April. The city can at times be windy, which also leads to lower ambient temperatures . The city's average annual temperature ranges are 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F) during the day and 12–17 °C (53.6–62.6 °F) at night; its average relative humidity

8514-404: The two countries and offered to provide the necessary support for them to recover. During the afternoon of May 30, as the true scale of the disaster became apparent, Álvaro Colom requested international assistance. However, due to the eruption of Pacaya, the country's international airport was closed and would remain so for at least another week. In an agreement with the president of El Salvador, it

8613-652: The use of the beginnings of more earthquake-resistant scientific construction materials, methods and techniques of building new structures and buildings similar to that which was also previously learned a thousand miles further north along the same geological faults / strata of the Pacific Ocean coastline in the United States after their famous but equally devastating Great San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of April 1906 , in San Francisco, California ,

8712-418: The volcano down to the Pacific coastal plain . The landslide left a large crater, within which the current active cone has grown. The presence of a magma chamber at shallow depths beneath Pacaya means that distortion of the cone leading to instability and future landslides remains a hazard to the surrounding areas. With its almost continuous activity, the volcano has been a popular location for tourism , and

8811-669: The widening of the colonial city, its order in the cardinal points and the generation of a ring road with the first cloverleaf interchange in the city. In an attempt to control the rapid growth of the city, the municipal government (Municipalidad de Guatemala), headed by longtime Mayor Álvaro Arzú , has implemented a plan to focus growth along important arterial roads and apply Transit-oriented development (TOD) characteristics. This plan, denominated POT (Plan de Ordenamiento Territorial), aims to allow taller building structures of mixed uses to be built next to large arterial roads, and gradually decline in height and density moving away from such. It

8910-485: Was a lack of a well-defined circulation. On May 29, after further organization of the circulation and convection, the NHC initiated advisories on Tropical Depression One-E while the system was located about 295 miles (475 km) west of San Salvador , El Salvador. Upon becoming a tropical cyclone , the system was located in an environment with little wind shear and waters of 30 ° C (86 ° F ). As such, it

9009-663: Was decided that aid would be flown into El Salvador and transported by ground to Guatemala. However, later reports revealed that two of the four land crossings between the countries were closed off due to flooding and landslides. On May 31, Colombia and the United States offered their assistance by sending aid or helping evacuate residents. By the late morning, six United States military aircraft were en route to Honduras. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan also stated that they would provide aid to Guatemala if necessary. The Government of France also passed on their condolences to

9108-422: Was declared for the entire country. Later on, President Álvaro Colom stated that, "We believe Agatha could wreak more damage in the country than Hurricane Mitch and Hurricane Stan ". These storms were two of the most devastating tropical cyclones to impact the country, killing 384 and 1,513 people respectively. On May 31, national aid started to be deployed by the government and donation centers for victims of

9207-459: Was expected to lead to enormous rainfall totals, exceeding 30 in (760 mm) in some areas. This rain was expected to produce large-scale, life-threatening flash flooding and landslides across Guatemala, El Salvador and southeastern Mexico. Once the system intensified into Tropical Storm Agatha, the National Hurricane Center expected areas to the south and east of the landfall location to experience storm surge along with destructive waves. By

9306-437: Was expected to strengthen, although the mountainous terrain of the Central American coastline limited significant intensification. The depression moved slowly northeastward around the western periphery of a ridge located over northern South America. Several hours later, satellites monitoring the system discovered tropical storm-force winds, prompting the NHC to upgrade the depression to Tropical Storm Agatha. Around this time, it

9405-417: Was flooded by the storm, leaving $ 6 million in losses. Unlike Guatemala which suffered extreme damage in its educational sector, most schools in El Salvador were functional after the storm's passage. Of the 378 schools affected, 63 sustained severe damage. Overall, Agatha wrought $ 31.1 million in damage across El Salvador. Immediately following reports of fatalities in Guatemala, a state of emergency

9504-520: Was not a member of the ruling party at the time and was elected due his well-known capabilities. Of cobanero origin, married with Marta Cobos, he studied at the University of San Carlos ; under his tenure, among other modernist works of the city, infrastructure projects included El Incienso bridge, the construction of the Roosevelt Avenue, the main road axis from East to West of the city, the town hall building, and numerous road works which meant

9603-591: Was noted that there was a 40% chance of the system undergoing rapid intensification within the following 24 hours as the only limiting factor was its proximity to land. However, the storm failed to intensify much, peaking in intensity with winds of 45 mph (75 km/h) and a barometric pressure of 1001 mbar (hPa; 29.56 inHg). Within two hours of reaching this strength, Agatha abruptly relocated northward and made landfall at 22:30 UTC near Champerico , Guatemala. After landfall, Agatha continued to cause floods and landslides, however it did not bring

9702-809: Was ratified and enacted on the 15th September 1821 , (now celebrated annually as the Dias Patrios (Guatemalan Independence Day) ). After this long-awaited historical event, the city then became the federation capital for the next several decades of the newly established and independent local government of the United Provinces of Central America (later reorganized / renamed as the Federal Republic of Central America , 1821–1847). A quarter-century (26 years) later in August 1847 , Guatemala declared itself an independent republic , separate from

9801-649: Was reported. A total of six people were killed in the country. At least two other people are reported missing in the country. By May 30, President Mauricio Funes declared a country-wide state of emergency due to the widespread damage caused by Agatha. According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs , a total of 12 people were killed by Agatha throughout El Salvador and roughly 120,000 individuals were affected across 116 municipalities. At one point, more than 15,000 people were housed in emergency shelters; however, by June 9, this number decreased to just 712. A total of 3,162 acres (12.80 km ) of farmland

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