Guatemala

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically bordered to the south by the Pacific Ocean and to the northeast by the Gulf of Honduras.

Some of the key events about Guatemala

1524
Spanish conquest of Guatemala began, leading to the subjugation of indigenous Maya populations
1821
Guatemala gained independence from Spain
1821
Guatemala declared independence from Spain but was annexed by the Mexican Empire
1839
Guatemala became fully independent after the collapse of the Federal Republic of Central America
1871
Liberal reforms modernized the country's economy and infrastructure
1944
The October Revolution led to a decade of democratic reforms
1944
The October Revolution overthrew the military dictatorship but led to a period of political instability
1954
A CIA-backed coup d'état overthrew the democratically elected government
1960
The Guatemalan Civil War began, lasting 36 years and resulting in widespread violence and human rights abuses
1967
The first national park, Tikal National Park, was established
1976
A major earthquake struck Guatemala, killing approximately 23,000 people and leaving over a million homeless
1982
The most violent period of the civil war occurred, with widespread massacres of indigenous communities
1985
A new constitution was adopted, establishing a democratic government
1996
Peace Accords ended the 36-year Guatemalan Civil War
1996
The civil war officially ended, but left deep societal scars and unresolved issues
2006
Guatemala ratified the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR)
2012
The ancient Maya city of El Mirador was declared a national cultural heritage site
2015
Guatemala joined the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member
2018
Volcán de Fuego erupted, killing at least 190 people and affecting thousands more
2019
The country's first satellite, Quetzal-1, was launched into space

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