Maya Civilizations - The Maya World
Where Man, Nature and Time are One
by Producciones Z-E
 Geography
The Mayan Region, or Mesoamerican territory as shown on this map, covers parts of México, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.
Source: Guatemala Tourist Commission
INGUAT (Maya World)
Mesoamerican Territory
Maya territory occupies the western half of the Central American isthmus and is divided into highlands and lowlands. The proximity of two coasts, the contrasts of rainfall due to the tropical climate, and the varied relief explain the different environments which occur.
The highlands bordered by the volcanic Sierra Madre along the Pacific coast and the limestone Cuchumatanes in the north, have hot, temperate and cold regions according to altitude, all with different ecological characteristics.
The Pacific coastal plain suffers prolonged winter drought, the Caribbean slopes and benchlands are exposed to the regular flow of the eastern winds and have high levels of rainfall.
To understand the cultural variations within Maya territory, it is important to identify at least three main areas, each characterized by its own specific climate, forms and historical development:
1. The Pacific Coast and the Highlands of Guatemala and El Salvador.
2. The Central and Southern lowlands including Central and Southern México, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and parts of Honduras.
3. The Northern lowlands of Yucatán Peninsula and Chiapas in Mexico.
The tropical forest in Central America where the Maya territory is located is one of the largest selvatic areas in existence in the isthmus. It is also considered the richest ecosystem in the world because it contains half of the world´s flora and fauna.
 In certain areas of the lowlands, the dry vegetation consists of relatively low-growing trees as in Yucatán, México; further south in Petén, Guatemala the rainfall increases and the forest becomes taller and more luxuriant.
The coral reefs of the Caribbean are about 20,000 years old and have evolved on the fossilized remains of older corals. A very fragile ecological balance of natural environment consists of coral, sponges, limestone, algae and hundreds of species of fish.
The coastal strips of marshland around the Yucatán Peninsula and the Pacific shores of Guatemala are rich in plant and animal life. Mangroves are abundant, they teem with aquatic life and their roots provide shelter for fish and shellfish, while their islets harbor colonies of nesting birds.
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