Guatemala trivia: 40 questions and answers

Guatemala City. Guatemala City is the capital and largest city. Antigua was the capital in Spanish times, until the earthquakes of 1773.

Quetzal. The currency is the quetzal (GTQ), named after the national bird. The colón, lempira and córdoba are or were the currencies of other Central American countries.

Tajumulco. Volcán Tajumulco, about 4,200 m high in the department of San Marcos, is the highest point in Central America.

False. False. Guatemala's neighbours are Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. Nicaragua lies further south, beyond Honduras.

Pedro de Alvarado. Pedro de Alvarado, sent from Mexico by Hernán Cortés, led the campaign and founded the first Spanish capital near Iximche.

True. True. The Act of Independence of Central America was signed in Guatemala City on 15 September 1821.

False. False. It was the Santa Marta earthquakes of 1773 that ruined Antigua. A volcanic mudflow had destroyed the earlier capital at Ciudad Vieja in 1541.

Lake Petén Itzá. Nojpetén, the capital of the Itza, was on an island in Lake Petén Itzá. The town of Flores stands there today.

The Nobel Peace Prize. Rigoberta Menchú received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work for the rights of Indigenous peoples.

Pepián. Pepián is a stew of chicken or beef in a sauce of toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds, chillies and tomatoes. Tapado is a seafood soup, fiambre a cold salad and atol de elote a corn drink.

True. True. Families prepare fiambre once a year for All Saints' Day and share it with relatives.

Potato. Paches are made from mashed potato with tomato sauce, a piece of meat and a hot green chilli, wrapped in leaves.

Black beans with chocolate and cinnamon. The filling is black beans with chocolate and cinnamon, and the rellenitos are served dusted with sugar or with honey.

The Garifuna. Tapado is a dish of the Garifuna, who live mainly in Livingston and Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean coast.

False. False. Kak'ik is made with turkey. Its name comes from Q'eqchi' words for red and hot.

Quetzaltenango. Quetzaltenango is called Xela, short for Xelajú, 'under ten mountains'. Retalhuleu's nickname is Reu.

True. True. Livingston, at the mouth of the Río Dulce, is reached by boat, from Puerto Barrios or up the river.

4. Guatemala has 4: Antigua Guatemala (1979), Tikal National Park (1979), Quiriguá (1981) and Tak'alik Ab'aj (2023).

Lake Atitlán. Lake Atitlán fills a huge volcanic crater and reaches about 340 m deep. Three volcanoes rise from its southern shore.

The National Palace of Culture. Kilometre Zero is in the National Palace of Culture on the central square, built from 1939 to 1943.

True. True. The river plunges under a 300 m limestone bridge, and the name means 'where the river hides under the earth' in Q'eqchi'.

Esquipulas. The Black Christ, carved in 1594, is in the basilica of Esquipulas, in the east of the country.

A bird. It is named after a bird, the resplendent quetzal, the national bird with long green tail feathers.

True. True. Tikal was used as the rebel base on the moon Yavin 4.

Miguel Ángel Asturias. Miguel Ángel Asturias, author of El Señor Presidente and Men of Maize, won in 1967. The others were from Colombia, Chile and Mexico.

False. False. In 2012 Erick Barrondo won silver in race walking, the first Olympic medal. The first gold came in 2024, when Adriana Ruano won the women's trap shooting.

The resplendent quetzal. The resplendent quetzal stands above the scroll with the date 15 September 1821, as a symbol of liberty.

Giant kites. They make and fly giant kites of tissue paper and bamboo for All Saints' Day. UNESCO recognised the craft in 2024.

True. True. The monja blanca, or white nun, has been the national flower since 1934 and appears on the 50-centavo coin.

A Guatemalan. Chapín is an informal, friendly word for a Guatemalan; a Guatemalan woman is a chapina.

A hot dog. You get a hot dog: a shuco is the Guatemalan hot dog, often with guacamole, cabbage and mayonnaise. The word literally means dirty.

True. True. Maltiox (mahl-tee-OHSH) is thank you in K'iche', the most widely spoken Maya language in Guatemala.

False. False. A camioneta is a bus, often a brightly painted old school bus. A small motor boat is a lancha.

La cuenta, por favor. "La cuenta, por favor" means "The bill, please".

¿Puedo tomar una foto?. "¿Puedo tomar una foto?" means "May I take a photo?". Always ask before photographing people.

Con gusto. "Con gusto" means "with pleasure" and is the usual friendly reply to gracias in Guatemala.

May to October. The rains fall mostly from about May to October. The dry season runs from about November to April.

False. False. As of September 2026, British visitors can stay up to 90 days without a visa, a period shared with El Salvador and Nicaragua under the CA-4 agreement.

True. True. Many people, especially women and children, do not want to be photographed by strangers. Ask first and accept a no.

110. The police number is 110. 999 is used in the United Kingdom, 000 in Australia and 15 is a medical line in France.