Localitation:

Most of the actual Mayas are situated in three areas: the Peninsula of Yucatan (Mexico), Chiapas (Mexico) and Guatemala. In fact, in Guatemala is situated the most extensive Mayan population constituting the dominant racial group.

Language:

In Guatemala the actual Mayas are divided in different ethnic groups that speak 23 native languages .

In a lot of towns, you can walk through its streets and listen native languages , because are the languages that the natives commonly used among them. Any ways, a lot of Mayas are bilingual; they learn Spanish to communicate with persons that are not of Maya origin. And, is also important to them to know Spanish because they work in local markets where they have to communicate with persons that do not speak their languages. In the tourist areas there are natives that also understand English .

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Rites:

Integration between the traditional Mayan and Catholic religion
Throughout the Spanish colonization, the natives kept their rites and introduced some Spanish customs. Actually, they maintain their Mayan rites, where you can find pure traditions of villages almost isolated and areas where the chaman tradition is kept, and very original multiple religious expressions, because are the consequence of a union between the Mayan religion and specific aspects of the Christian religion shared by the Spaniards.

Nature and church
Usually they kept their integration with nature preserving a lot of sacred areas like lakes, volcanoes, etc. They periodically visit these places to give offerings to gods. They also visit the colonial churches like: Chichicastenango Church, where the Mayans kneel down on steps and prey with copal smoke or incense.

Gods
Their traditional gods cohabit with the Christ and Virgin images and, inclusive, in some communities the gods are figures that have been identified with other own gods that have a common characteristic.
They also practice curative rites together with natural medicine and strengthen with offerings of food, drinks, candles or flowers that they place in front of the Mayan or Catholic images.

Celebrations
In the religious feasts, celebrations used to include cheerful folkloric dances, music and processions.

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The Guatemalan gastronomy has the richness to be a condensation of influences of several cultures . Thus, the traditional Mayan food, in which corn was considered sacred, the influence of the Spanish gastronomy joins with the Arabian culinary tradition.

Also, of this powerful cultural gastronomical influence, the Guatemalan diet is rich and succulent due to the great variety of products that land provides. Corn, coffee, cacao, mamey, mango, sapodilla fruit, pitahaya, sweetsop, soursop, cucumber, medlar, tuna, passionfruit, paterna, apple, cashew nuts, tamarind, banana, plantain, guava jelly, papaya, pineapple, watermelon, etc.

Actually, corn still is the indispensable ingredient in most of the Guatemalan culinary specialties. Other basic ingredients are beans and (cow, chicken, turkey, deer, armadillo, iguana, spotted cavy, etc.) meat. Also cheese, avocado, rice and plenty of spices (chile, oregano, pepper, laurel, parsely, mint, etc.)

The typical foods are tamale, corn tortilla and soup. The more common drinks come from the great variety of juices that Guatemala produces, because it has a great variety of fruits. Rum and brandy are the most used liquors. And, of course, you can also enjoy of a great cup of coffee of different flavor, depending of the area.

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Personalities:

One of the most recognized Guatemalan persons around the world is Rigoberta Menchu , due to its important work. She is descending of the Maya Quiche group. She has repeatedly denounced the abandonment of natives and the internal situation of her country. She dedicated to the defense of rights and the values of the native villages of Latin America. Due to its inexhaustible work, in 1992 she received the Nobel Prize of the Peace. In 1993, the United Nations named as Ambassadress of Good Will. She is the personal advisor of the General Director of UNESCO and also, President of the Native Initiative for the Peace.

In the culture world two famous prestige writers stand out: Miguel Angel Asturias, who was the winner of the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1967, and Augusto Monterroso, who was the winner of the Premio Principe de Asturias de las Letras [an award granted in Guatemala to the best writer] in 2000.

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