To discuss the civil considerations and the cultural aspects of the nation of Guatemala, we must first define culture and consider how five of the major characteristics of culture define Guatemala. As defined by the United States Army Combined Arms Center, Culture is, “An evolving, integrated system of learned behavior patterns that is characteristic of the members of any given society. Culture refers to the total way of life for a particular group of people. It includes what a group of people thinks, says, does and makes- its customs, language, material artifacts and shared systems of attitudes and feelings.” (2018 page 3). Culture is a learned and adaptive mechanism. Cultures are progressive with the passing of time and are more pronounced
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Although, Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, there are twenty-two indigenous languages which are mostly dialects of the Mayan language that are spoken by Chapines. Food is a major contributing factor to differentiate cultures throughout the world. Some of the staple foods in Guatemalan culture include: Corn tortillas or tamales, black beans, rice, wheat in the form of bread or pasta, chicken, pork, and beef. Guatemala is known for producing vegetables such as avocados, but they also contribute to the global economy by exporting vegetables such as, lettuce, broccoli, and even cauliflower. Guatemala's most important resource is its fertile land, although only 12 percent of the total landmass is arable. In the Guatemalan culture, men are the primary providers working mostly in agriculture, while women typically contribute to the domestic household. The people of Guatemala predominately practice Protestantism as the main religion, but the country has heavy roots in Roman Catholicism. This was just a snippet of information on a few cultural characteristics of …show more content…
The total land mass is 107, 159 sq. km and the total water mass is 1,730 sq. km totaling a combined mass of 108, 889 sq. km which is comparable to the size of the state of Tennessee. The border of the country stretches 1,667 sq. km and touches four other countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 199 km, Honduras 244 km, Mexico 958 km. Two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of the mountains, and the vast northern Petén lowlands. The complex terrain includes thorn scrub-dotted savannas, arid forests, and tropical jungles that contain more than 300 microclimates. The country has 285 volcanoes that stretch from the southeast to the southwest. Vast terrain changes would present a challenge to anyone who would be trying to navigate it for long periods of time. Guatemala suffered a brutal and devastating civil war beginning in 1960, lasting 36 years, and ending in 1996. The civil war cost 200,000 people their lives. The United States had a small role in the Guatemalan civil war by equipping and training the Guatemalan security force. This presents the possibility that the Guatemalan Security Force could help us fight against potential enemies in the future. Another possibility is that the Guatemalan Security Force could potentially turn against the United States if they felt we did not contribute in a manner the
Although, Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, there are twenty-two indigenous languages which are mostly dialects of the Mayan language that are spoken by Chapines. Food is a major contributing factor to differentiate cultures throughout the world. Some of the staple foods in Guatemalan culture include: Corn tortillas or tamales, black beans, rice, wheat in the form of bread or pasta, chicken, pork, and beef. Guatemala is known for producing vegetables such as avocados, but they also contribute to the global economy by exporting vegetables such as, lettuce, broccoli, and even cauliflower. Guatemala's most important resource is its fertile land, although only 12 percent of the total landmass is arable. In the Guatemalan culture, men are the primary providers working mostly in agriculture, while women typically contribute to the domestic household. The people of Guatemala predominately practice Protestantism as the main religion, but the country has heavy roots in Roman Catholicism. This was just a snippet of information on a few cultural characteristics of …show more content…
The total land mass is 107, 159 sq. km and the total water mass is 1,730 sq. km totaling a combined mass of 108, 889 sq. km which is comparable to the size of the state of Tennessee. The border of the country stretches 1,667 sq. km and touches four other countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 199 km, Honduras 244 km, Mexico 958 km. Two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of the mountains, and the vast northern Petén lowlands. The complex terrain includes thorn scrub-dotted savannas, arid forests, and tropical jungles that contain more than 300 microclimates. The country has 285 volcanoes that stretch from the southeast to the southwest. Vast terrain changes would present a challenge to anyone who would be trying to navigate it for long periods of time. Guatemala suffered a brutal and devastating civil war beginning in 1960, lasting 36 years, and ending in 1996. The civil war cost 200,000 people their lives. The United States had a small role in the Guatemalan civil war by equipping and training the Guatemalan security force. This presents the possibility that the Guatemalan Security Force could help us fight against potential enemies in the future. Another possibility is that the Guatemalan Security Force could potentially turn against the United States if they felt we did not contribute in a manner the