Guatemala for tourists

Guatemala of the new millennium is not so far gone in its development of the XIX century ... poverty - remains a scourge of the country and only the agriculture and natural gifts to help local residents receive at least minimum income. Throughout its history, Guatemala has undergone many natural disasters of great destructive force, often loses a lot of people homeless. In that country is located 33 of the volcano. Most of them have long been fast asleep, but three of them still pose a serious threat to the surrounding land. In most cases the damage did not cause the lava flows and earthquakes, the accompanying increase in tectonic activity. Earthquake intensity caused by an active volcano Agua in 1773, enough to wipe out the first capital of the colony, now known as Old Guatemala (in 1776, the main city was moved, and the locals, without thinking twice over the name for the new capital , christened its new Guatemala). In 1976, the earthquake hit and the New Guatemala almost the entire city was destroyed. Threat is, and waking up in 1965, Volcano Pacaya, one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Tourists are often added to the program of his journey from Guatemala to visit - for many cities, partly preserved from the heyday of the Mayan civilization. Of particular interest to this culture fueled by discoveries made in the study of so-called Mayan calendar: on the basis of some researchers make a sensational conclusion that in 2012 the possible end of the world, while others interpret the predictions of the Maya only the completion of the cycle as the solar calendar. Stepped Pyramid at Al - Mirador (el - Tigre and La - Dante), survived until our days, its popularity may well compete with the famous Egyptian pyramids, perhaps it is they are primarily attracted to Guatemala for travelers from around the world. These structures are located near the Mexican border, and for many years of neglect they had so overgrown trees that distance is not immediately possible to identify the green elevations of the ancient Mayan buildings. At the top of one of the pyramids of La - Dante preserved Mayan temple. Finds made by archaeologists in progress at the Guatemalan ruins of ancient Mayan cities, is devoted to a huge collection of National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnography in the capital. For all the attractiveness of the image of Guatemala, can not call it a successful and self-sufficient state. Agricultural trade and natural resource management in the XXI V.-on - still the foundation of its economy. But the wealth of their native land did not bring the main part of the population of large incomes, and many people with difficulty support their families: 54% thirteen millionth of Guatemala's population remains below the poverty line, while only 3,2% of Guatemalans do not have a permanent job. As a consequence, the country has long gained notoriety not only as a mediator in the traffic of narcotics on the road between South and North America, but also as a supplier of drugs abroad. Hoping at least as - that improve their financial situation, some residents of Guatemala make opium cultivation: according to 2005, the country had about 100 hectares of land planted with this illicit crop.