In the ancient Mayan era, modern-day Guatemala City (“Land of Trees” + City) had the name Kaminal Juyu and was a leading commercial center, thriving economically and, as a result, politically.  Flourishing centuries came to a close with the opening of the area to Spanish invaders, the first being Cortes in the 1520’s.  

Guatemala had a multitude of capitals prior to its current one—the previous selections having suffered nature’s wrath in the form of mudslides or earthquakes.  In the nineteenth century, Guatemala City became the capital and underwent a minor period of revitalization, though it still lags behind Antigua in tourist attraction to this day.  The city’s University was built mid-century and the population spiked into the ten thousands around this time.

At the close of the 1800’s, towers, botanical gardens, new avenues and overall renovated infrastructure brought prosperity to the city…until 1917, when earthquakes demolished everything.  Shanty towns housing the unemployed became ubiquitous and the city’s population grew rapidly until 1954-1998, when a civil war displaced residents and destroyed the economy.  The 1976 earthquake did not help matters, killing over 20,000 and leaving a million-plus homeless.  Two million Guatemalans currently live in horrible poverty—hopefully the future will look up for its residents.