A Trip to Guatemala Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mexico

Guatemala is bordered by Mexico towards the north and west, Belize and Honduras to the east, and El Salvador to the south. The longest border is with Mexico, measuring 541 miles. The other three are considerably less; Belize-165 miles, Honduras-164 miles and El Salvador-142 miles. Guatemala also touches both the Gulf of Honduras and the Pacific Ocean.

Answer: Third

Guatemala is the third largest country in Central America occupying 108,890 square kilometres. The largest is Nicaragua(130,700) followed by Honduras(112,490). The smallest country by area is El Salvador, about one-fifth of the size of Guatemala.

Answer: True

Tajumulco is a large stratovolcano located in the San Marcos region of western Guatemala. It is 4,202 metres high and is part of the Sierra de las Nubes mountain range. Eight of the ten highest summits in Central America are located in Guatemala.

Answer: Spanish

Spanish is the primary language of a vast majority of Guatemalans. It is the mother tongue of about ten million people and an essential second language to the rest of the population. Other than Spanish there are many Mayan languages spoken as a first language, mainly within the rural regions.

Answer: Motagua River

The source of the Motagua River is in the Quiche region of Guatemala at an elevation of 1,800 metres, and it runs eastward for nearly 500 kilometres gradually descending into the Gulf of Honduras at Puerto Barrios. The river is notably the only known source of jade in Central America.

Answer: Lago Atitlan

Lago Atitlan is considered one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and is a major tourist attraction in Guatemala. It has a maximum depth of 340 metres. Lago Izabal is the largest by surface area but not very deep. Lago de Guija is actually deeper than Atitlan but it shares waters with El Salvador.

Answer: Mitch

Hurricane Mitch was one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes of all time causing an estimated eleven thousand fatalities in Central America including several hundred in Guatemala. The bulk of the devastation left behind was the flooding that ensued leaving many missing or homeless.

Answer: Maya

Maya is a large nature reserve in Guatemala that encompasses an area in excess of 21,000 square kilometres. It was created in 1990 to protect the tropical rain forests contained within the region, some of the few remaining north of the Amazon. The reserve is home to many different types of flora and fauna.

Answer: Gulf of Honduras

Puerto Barrios is about 300 kilometres northeast of Guatemala City and is easily accessible by a highway. It attracts many tourists who visit the nearby Mayan ruins of Quirigua. The town also serves as a link between rail and sea for the coffee and banana industry.

Answer: False

Guatemala for the first time sent a small team of six men and one woman to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada. They participated in the alpine skiing and cross-country skiing events. Unfortunately, their efforts did not result in any medals.