Guatemala City
Guatemala City (Spanish: Ciudad de Guatemala), known nationally also as Guate, is the capital and largest city of Guatemala. It is also a municipality capital of the Guatemala Department and the most populous urban area in 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
Ciudad de Guatemala | |
|---|---|
| Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción New Guatemala of the Assumption | |
Skyline Zone 14 National Palace of Culture Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago Post Office Reformer's Tower Zone 4 Zone 10 Cayalá City | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): "Todos somos la ciudad" (We are all the city), "Tú eres la ciudad" (You are the city). | |
Interactive map outlining Guatemala City | |
Guatemala City and its neighbors | |
Guatemala City Guatemala City Guatemala City Guatemala City | |
| Coordinates: 14°36′48″N 90°32′7″W | |
| Country | Guatemala |
| Department | Guatemala Department |
| Established | 1776 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Mayor | Ricardo Quiñónez Lemus (Unionist) |
| Area | |
| • Capital city | 997 km2 (385 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,500 m (4,900 ft) |
| Population (2023 projection) | |
| • Capital city | 1,221,739 |
| • Density | 5,552/km2 (14,380/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 3,014,000 |
| GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values) | |
| • Year | 2023 |
| • Total (Metro) | $48.1 billion |
| • Per capita | $15,500 |
| Time zone | UTC−06:00 (Central America) |
| Climate | Aw |
| Website | www |
Guatemala City is the site of the Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu, founded around 1500 BC. Following an earthquake in La Antigua in 1776 it was made capital of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. In 1821, Guatemala City was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, after which it became the capital of the newly established United Provinces of Central America (later the Federal Republic of Central America).
In 1847, Guatemala declared itself an independent republic, with Guatemala City as its capital. The capital was originally located in what is now Antigua Guatemala, and was moved to its current location in 1776.
Guatemala City was almost completely destroyed by the 1917–18 earthquakes. Reconstructions following the earthquakes have resulted in a more modern architectural landscape. Today, Guatemala City is the political, cultural, and economic center of Guatemala.