GUATEMALA, a republic in Central America, bounded on the north by Mexico, British Honduras and the Bay of Honduras, on the east and southeast by the Gulf of Ama tique, Honduras and Salvador; on the south and southwest by the Pacific Ocean; and on the west by Mexico. Its area is estimated at 48,290 square miles • its territory extending from lat. 13° 42' to 17 49' N., and from long. 88° 10' to 92° 30' W.
The mountains of Guatemala are commonly referred to as *Cordillera of the *Guatemalan Andes," or simply *Andes' though there is no propriety in those names. The Andes terminate in northern Colombia, and have no genetic connection with the mountains of Central America. The latter (so far as the great continental ranges are concerned), are also in their geologic history totally distinct from the Rocky Mountain system, or North American Cordilleras, which terminate in south ern Mexico. If the trends of the Andean and Rocky Mountain systems were protracted from their termini (in kt° W. and 97° W., respec tively), they would not connect with each other, but would pass the latitude of Guatemala in parallel lines nearly 2,000 miles apart. The Guatemalan mountains belong to the Antillean system, which lies between the .termini just re ferred to. Its ranges, composed of folded sedi rnentaries, in eastern Guatemala have an east and-west trend. But the ranges near the Pacific coast of the republic, crossing the western ends of the Antillean corrugations diagonally, or with a northwest-and-southeast trend, form a part of the volcanic chain which extends along the entire western coast of Central America, and is continued in Mexico. The Sierra Madre is the principal range of the west and south. In the central and eastern districts are the Sierra de Chama, Sierra de las Minas, Sierra de Santa Cruz and the Sierra de Copan, the last named on the frontier of Honduras. The high est points of the Cordillera are given as: Tajumulco (12,600 feet), Tacana (12,400 feet), both in the southwest; Acatenango (11,100 feet), south-central; and the Volcan de Fuego (11,400 feet), also south-central.
Among the Guatemalan rivers emptying into the Gulf of Mexico are: the Usumacinta, on the Mexican frontier, and the Cuilco and Salequa, which are also tributaries of Mexican streams.
The following empty either into the Gulf of Honduras or Izabal Lake (Golfo Dulce) : the Montagua, Rio Hondo, the Duke, the Belice, the Sarstoon and the Polochic. Those which flow into the Pacific are : Rio de los Esclavos, Rio de Paz, the Michatoya, Guacalate, Coyelate, Patulul, Nagualate, Sarnali, Tilapa, Naranjo and Suchiate. Steamship navigation has been established on the Dulce and Polochic rivers; seven or eight of the others are navigable for small boats. The most important lakes are: Atitlin and Izabal (both navigated by steam ers), Poen, Arnatitlin, Ayarza and Giiija (on the frontier of Salvador). Ports on the Carib bean side of the republic are: Puerto Barrios, Livingston and Santo Tomas, the first two being ports of entry and delivery, while the last is a "minor port," at which importation and expor tation are restricted to certain articles. On the Pacific coast the most important ports are: San Jose, 74% miles from Guatemala City; Chain perico and 0c6s— all ports of entry and de livery, provided with iron piers, etc.
The lowlands of the Pacific and Atlantic coasts are torrid; interior table-lands, at an alti tude of 2,000 to 5,000 feet, have an agreeable climate; and the high districts, where the eleva tion is more than 5,000 feet, are decidedly cool. The larger towns are built in the temperate or cool zones. The rainy season, beginning in May, lasts until October in the interior, but sometimes until December, on the coast. De cember and January are the coldest months; March and April the hottest. Snow sometimes falls (in December or January) on the uplands of the cool zone.
The rich soil and varying climatic conditions favor a wide range of products in the vegetable kingdom; no systematic classification of these, however, has yet been made. The extent of the forest land, which abounds in mahogany, is es timated at 1,300,000 acres. The fauna and avi fauna resemble those of Costa Rica in general. Deer are quite numerous. Tapir, honey-bear, armadillo, wild pig, cougar and jaguar, are found throughout Central America. The over abundance of insect life is particularly note worthy.