Kin Tours

Geography

            The heart of the Mayan civilization lay in the highlands of modern Guatemala. From that region, the Mayan empire spread throughout Central American and Southern Mexico. The Mayan empire was ideally located for trade, between Central America and Mexico. The empire’s terrain was extremely diverse, ranging from volcanic mountains to dense forests. The area can be divided into three regions: the Central territory, the Northern province and the Southern lands. The heat, humidity and heavy rainfalls make the Central territory one of the least hospitable areas in the Western hemisphere. The Northern province is the driest of the three regions, and has few natural resources. In spite of this, Mayan culture thrived in the province, which is home to Chichen Itza, one of the most important Mayan centres. The Southern lands include the Pacific coastal plain and mountainous highlands. With fertile soil, abundant wildlife and moderate climate, the region is very hospitable, and Mayan centres developed in the area’s tablelands and valleys (though most cultural development occurred elsewhere). The geographical differences in the three regions of the Mayan empire influenced the architecture of the city states in each. At its peak, the Mayan Empire covered 325,000 square miles; it contained 200 cities and 10 million inhabitants.