The Maya of Guatemala

Some 60 percent of the population of Guatemala is made up of indigenous peoples, descendants of the Maya. Of all the countries in the Americas, Guatemala is the one with the largest indigenous population. The official language of the country is Spanish, but some 21 languages of Mayan origin are also spoken. Of the Mayan languages, the one most frequently spoken is Quiché, followed by Mam and Cakchiquel.

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The Maya were a very advanced civilization. Have you learned about the Maya in any of your classes? Do some research to find out what some of their most important contributions were. You can use this chart to help organize your research findings and to prepare a presentation to share with your Spanish class. If your school hosts or participates in a multicultural fair or festival, you could make a presentation in Spanish there. Perhaps you could also summarize your findings in English for a history class.