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Guatemala City is the capital of the country and the largest city in Central America, situated about 4,000 feet above sea level on a broad plateau on the Sierra Madre, 50 miles north of the pacific coast. The climate is mild with little seasonal variation in temperatures, and most of the rainfall between May and October. Most visits to Guatemala begin in the capital of Guatemala City, a vibrant cosmopolitan city of modem buildings blending with magnificent examples of the finest Spanish colonial architecture, and the political, cultural and commercial center of the nation. Guatemala City has more than 25% of the nation’s population of eight million inhabitants. It is a center of the light industry that generates more than half of the nation’s manufacturing output, producing textiles, clothing, food, furniture and other products.
Native food is a unique and varied blending Spanish and European influences with that of the Indians and the spicier African inspired dishes of the Caribbean coast. Figuring prominently in the typical Guatemalan dishes, with their special sauces and seasonings are fish, lobster, shrimp, turkey, chicken, pork, beef, corn, beans, squash, tomatoes, hot chilies, rice, coconut, bananas and other tropical fruits. A wide range of restaurants offer specialties from all over the world. Enjoy a simple but hearty home-cooked meal, or some of the most sophisticated creations of French haute cuisine, whatever suits your taste. All are at very reasonable prices. Night life in Guatemala can be enjoyed in a number of ways. Primarily located in the center of town and in major hotels, entertainment can vary from quiet piano bars to lively discos. In "Zona Viva", you can mingle with both tourists and locals to participate in an entertaining evening.
There is a high degree of culture and sophistication in Guatemala City. The National Theater, the city’s most impressive modern building with its angled, pyramid shape, has a seating capacity for 2,020. The Gallery of the National School of Fine Arts, the National Museum of History and Anthropology, the Museum of Modern Art and the lxchel Museum of Indian Costumes are among a few of the more interesting places to visit. A new wave of artistic style and technique is developing today in Guatemala, a blend of the traditional with the modern. This intriguing combination can be seen in new and original styles of jade and silverjewelry, and in the modern fashionable clothing boutiques and stores throughout the city.
Main Attractions of Guatemala City (Guatemala)
Palacio Nacional, Mercado Central, Museo Ixchel del Traje Indigena, Museo Popol Vuh, Edificio de Correos Central, National Museum of Modern Art, Plaza Mayor de la Constitucion, Metropolitan Cathedral, Torre del Reformador, Relief Map.
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