Guatemala City is the largest urban center in Central America with 2.5 million inhabitants. The city is laid out in a checkerboard grid; Avenidas run north-south; Calles run east-west, and divided into 15 zones with Avenida La Reforma splitting it down the middle.
Guatemala City's historic center exhibits Spanish-colonial architecture. Museums,
an assortment of church styles and heavily populated street markets radiate from the Plaza Mayor.
Modern Guatemala City is reminiscent of upscale North American districts. Many buildings designed in the second half of the 20th C incorporate murals and mosaics into their architecture. Most of Guatemala's theaters, museums and galleries are located in Guatemala City and dozens good restaurants, bars, and clubs are found in Zona Viva in the modern section of town.
Guatemala's location and facilities make it a starting point for visits to the rest of Guatemala. Guate (pronounced Guat-TAY) was founded in 1775, not far from where the Mayan city of Kaminaljuyú flourished a thousand years before. After the 1773 earthquake, which destroyed the former capital city of Antigua Guatemala, the capital was moved to its present location.
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