GUATEMALA - A VIBRANT MAYAN CULTURE AND HISTORY

By John Sulzbach, Killingworth CT

Introduction

John Sulzbach is a Killingworth, CT, executive who serves as the production manager of Astroseal Products, a provider of specialized electronics to the aerospace industry. John Sulzbach is also an avid traveler. As a student, he took part in a study-abroad program in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico, in 2000. He subsequently travelled for four months in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, among other countries.

Distinct from its Central American neighbors, Guatemala has a strong Mayan culture in its interior uplands that has remained and thrived since the Spanish conquest of the region, despite colonial and modern influences.

Guatemala

Today, the country of 13 million is comprised of two major ethnic groups: the Mayans and the Ladinos, who predominate in urban areas and have Hispanic-Mayan ancestry.

The country gained independence in the 1820s and experienced a tumultuous 20th century, which included three decades of intense civil war that ended with a peace agreement in 1996. Today, Spanish is the language used in official Guatemalan documents, but these are translated into more than 20 Mayan dialects still currently spoken in the upland regions. Many travelers are attracted to the country for its vibrant native culture, ceremonies, and handicrafts.