Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
another earthquake in 1976. Ironically, the earthquake triggered wide-scale migration into
thecity,resulting intheestablishment ofmanyslumsliningthecity'snumerousravines,or
barrancos.
Thecitygrewtremendouslythroughoutthe20thcentury,spreadingfromitsoriginalcore
(nowknownastheCentroHistórico)andspillingoutintothesurroundingbarrancosandup
intothemountainsliningthewesternandeasternedgesofthevalley.Muchofthecountry's
industry is concentrated here, fueling economic migration from other parts of the country.
The population of Guatemala City's metro area now reaches over three million.
Guatemala City enjoys a delightful climate almost year-round. Its location in a valley at an
altitude of 1,493 meters (4,897 feet) above sea level ensures that it never gets excessively
warm, as do some other, low-lying Central American capitals. This pleasant climate has
earneditthenickname“LandofEternalSpring.”Itshouldbenoted,however,thatthenick-
name was coined during a long-gone era before the city's exponential growth, which has
given rise to urban microclimates such as the urban heat island. The latter is caused when
the direct tropical sun heats large expanses of pavement, which in turn heat the surround-
ing air masses, causing a phenomenon not unlike a large convection oven. The truth is that
it can get somewhat hot here during April and May, what locals generally call
verano,
or
summer, with daytime highs in the mid- to upper 80s. Longtime residents frequently re-
mark about the increasingly warm summers, which they say have become much warmer
than what was once typical. This is also the driest time of year and the surrounding moun-
tains can turn some rather parched shades of brown. Thermal inversions causing extreme
haze are also quite typical this time of year, making Guatemala City look somewhat like a
smaller version of Los Angeles. These occur frequently in valleys when a layer of warm
air settles over a layer of cooler air lying close to the ground, holding this cooler air down
and preventing pollutants from rising and scattering.
