Guatemala’s Mayan culture, which dates back thousands of years, reached its peak during what archaeologists call the Classic Period, which lasted from 250 AD until 950 AD. The Classic Maya built great cities such as Tikal and perfected a complex calendar and intricate writing system. Beginning in the ninth century AD, Classic Maya civilization began to mysteriously decline and most of the Mayan cities were eventually abandoned.

When the gold-hungry Spanish Conquistadors arrived in 1524, the Maya were living in small independent kingdoms. The Spanish had a difficult time defeating the Maya, but they eventually imposed colonial rule upon the Maya and began a reign of terror that lasted almost three centuries. Forced to become Christians, the Maya had their lands taken away from them, and they became virtual slaves to their European conquerors.

During the colonial period, Guatemala was a Captaincy of Spain, which meant that its influence extended as far south as Costa Rica. Political instability in Spain resulted in Guatemala declaring its independence in 1821. Guatemala became a republic in 1847. A coffee-growing boom during the 19th century led to the rise of a wealthy elite and building booms throughout the country.

The 20th century was marked by dictatorships and violence. A CIA-supported coup in 1954 toppled a democratically elected leftist government. This allowed militaristic governments to take over and oppress the indigenous majority. In 1996, a peace agreement was signed that ended 36 years of guerrilla war. Guatemala is still healing its wounds, but the country is steadily moving towards true democracy.