Guatemala's climate is lovely year round and makes travel possible at any time. The rainy season is generally from May to November. Climate variations are due to altitude, but it is generally hot throughout the country.

Although Spanish is the official language, it is not universally spoken among the indigenous population, nor is it often spoken as a second language by the elderly indigenous. Twenty-one Mayan languages are spoken, especially in rural areas, as well two non-Mayan Amerindian dialects, Xinca, an indigenous dialect, and Garifuna, an Arawakan dialect spoken on the Caribbean coast. According to Decreto N?ero 19-2003, twenty-three dialects are unrecognized as National Languages.

The quetzal, also denoted by GTQ, is Guatemala's original national currency whose name stems from the country's official bird, the Quetzal. In ancient Mayan culture, the bird's feathers were used as currency; thus, today's currency holds a strong historical and cultural value.

http://www.guatemala.visahq.com

Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast.

Guatemala City is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala. It is also the capital city of the local Guatemala Department.