Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guatemala's upper class has close ties to the oligarchy, and there is a bit of a gray area
where the two intersect. Social class in Guatemala is very much about putting on appear-
ances in an attempt to gain favor with the upper echelons of society. Statistically, Guatem-
ala has the third-highest per capita private aircraft ownership in the Americas, which gives
you some idea of the purchasing power of wealthy Guatemalans. The country's wealth can
also be seen in the fact that many homes that would be considered high-end in neighboring
Central American countries such as Nicaragua and Honduras would be quite middle class
in Guatemala. To give you an idea of how this is possible, keep in mind that the wealthiest
10 percent of the population receives almost half of all the income and the top 20 percent
receives two-thirds.
SomemightarguethatGuatemalahasnotruemiddleclass,butIwoulddisagree.Middle
class in Guatemala most certainly looks different than it does in the United States and even
neighboringCentralAmericancountries.It'salsoproportionallysmaller,butnotaltogether
nonexistent. You'll find most of the country's middle class living in urban areas such as
Guatemala City and Quetzaltenango.
Lower Classes
It's no surprise that, in a country where race and social standing go hand in hand, the vast
majorityofthecountry'spoorareofMayandescent.Thisappliestothoselivinginpoverty
in highland villages and urban slums or trying to eke out a living in the Petén lowlands.
About 80 percent of Guatemala's population lives in poverty, with about two-thirds of that
numberlivinginextremepovertyonlessthan$2aday.Guatemala'ssocialindicators,such
as infant mortality and illiteracy, are among the worst in the hemisphere.
ReligioninGuatemalaisfairlycomplex,withtraditionalMayanspiritualitystillverymuch
a presence, particularly in the highlands, along with Catholicism and the more recent in-
cursions of Evangelical Christianity. In much smaller numbers, Guatemala's Jewish popu-
lation is centered in Guatemala City. There is also a small Muslim population with at least
one mosque in Guatemala City.
Mayan Spirituality
Mayan spirituality has its origins in pre-Columbian religious practices and a cosmology
that venerated natural phenomena, including rivers, mountains, and caves. The soaring
temples built by the Mayan and other Mesoamerican civilizations were built to mimic
mountains and were usually built in alignment with the cardinal directions. The solstices
were very important in this regard and many of their temple pyramids and observatories
werebuiltinprecisefashionsoastomarktheseevents.CaveswerealsosacredtotheMay-
