The Western Highlands

From the flat coastal land rises up a chain of volcanoes and jagged mountains. There are a total of 13 volcanoes in the Western Highlands and two major faults. Earthquakes and slow movements along these faults over the millennium have produced a stunning landscape of steep valleys and high peaks.

As you leave the Pacific Coast and rise up into the Western Highlands it gets increasingly colder! Once covered in pine trees and tropical cloud forests, this landscape was first altered by the many Mayan tribes that lived in this area for almost 2,000 years before the Spanish arrived in 1553. Farmers of maize (corn), beans and squash, over the years Mayan communities built terraced farmland along steep valleys in many areas.

Like tribes in other areas of the country, the highland Maya were heavily affected by the colonial rule by the Spaniards. Many died in battles and revolts, while many more perished from the diseased brought to Guatemala by these foreigners. Under an unjust law, the rich Spanish ruling class was allowed to gather up Mayan men in the highlands and send them to work in the coastal plantations.

In the late 1800's, the demand for coffee in Europe and the United States supported a boom in coffee production in Guatemala. Due to the cool temperatures of the Western Highlands, this area provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of crop. Once again, the ruling class used indigenous forced labor to become even richer.

Extensive coffee plantations continue to cover many mountainsides in the Western Highlands today. Fortunately for the environment, most types of coffee only grow well in the shade. Therefore, even though the understory of the forest is stripped away to make room for coffee, many of the taller trees are left to provide shade. These trees continue to provide important habitat for a wide variety of birds. Unfortunately, many coffee growers use lots of pesticides, which contaminates local water supplies when it rains and endangers the health of the Mayan workers. For this reason, many people concerned about the environment only buy organic, fair trade coffee, even though they have to pay more for it.