Guatemala+(Lauren)

// Guatemala // toc

Work Log
//March 4 -// Today I set my page up and I posted my Introduction on. //March 5 -// Today I'm going to post a map of Guatemala and start on the Location section. //March 9 -// Today I'm putting my point form notes on Location into a paragraph. //March 10 -// Today I'm going to start part two (physical environment) and do my graphic organizer. //March 25// - Today I finished my graphic organizer. I'm going to start and put my notes into paragraphs. I also found a picture of Guatemala's flag. //March 26// //-// Finished my paragraph (I wrote it on word) on the physical environment and started to do research on part three. //March 27 -// Today I'm posting my paragraph on the physical invironment on the wiki and I will post my sourses for part two. //March 28 -//


The country that I chose is Guatemala. I chose this country because I wanted to choose a place that hopefully not many people would choose. Guatemala seems to be an interesting place to learn about and explore many of the countries features. Before I started my research, I knew that Guatemala is in Central America, the main language spoken is Spanish, it’s close to the equator, it borders the ocean, and Guatemala means ‘the land of trees’.
 * = KNOW ||= WONDER ||= LEARN ||
 * = - in Central America ||= - What type of education they have for kids and young adults? ||= - How many volcanoes are there in Guatemala and how many are active? ||
 * = - main language spoken is Spanish ||= - What kind of government do they use? ||= - What are Guatemala’s main natural resources? ||
 * = - close to the equator ||= - Who do they do most of their trading with? ||= - Does Guatemala have a national holiday and if so what’s it called? ||
 * = - it boarders the ocean ||= - What kind of products do they import and export? ||= - How many years do kids go to school for? ||
 * = - official name is: Republic of Guatemala ||= - What is the weather like year round? ||= - What kind of famous geographic features are there in Guatemala? ||
 * = - the capital is Guatemala City ||= - What kind of currency do they use? ||= - When was the last volcano to erupt in Guatemala? ||
 * = - Guatemala means ‘the land of trees’ ||= - What is the most popular sport/hobby to play or do? ||= - Does Guatemala experience many earthquakes? ||

Location
Guatemala is located in Central America. Guatemala is in the Western hemisphere. The closest major bodies of water are the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Guatemala is Guatemala City. Guatemala City lies at 14° 38′ N and 90° 33′ W. Guatemala's nearest neighbors are Mexico (North, West), Belize (North, East), Honduras (East), and El Salvador (South, East).



Physical Environment
 Guatemala is beautiful year round. In Guatemala two mountain chains enter from the west and east dividing the country into three major regions; the Highlands, Pacific coast, and the Petén region. The climate in Guatemala is sunny and hot through out the country, and in the evening the temperature cools down. The rainy seasons are generally from May to November. The major bodies of water that are near Guatemala are the Pacific ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Guatemala has around 35 volcanoes and one of the most active and biggest volcanoes in Guatemala is Volcan Fuego. Since Guatemala has a lot of volcanoes the lava and ash from the volcanoes makes the soil very fertile and good for growing vegetation. A famous lake called Lake Atitlan is currently occupying an extinguished crater. Approximately one quarter of Guatemala is covered in forests and woodlands; oak and pine forests are found at the higher elevations. Guatemala has three main habitats, broadleaf forests, flooded forests and wetland. There are 14 eco-regions in Guatemala. In Guatemala there are all different types of wildlife; around 250 species of mammals, around 600 species of birds, around 200 species of reptiles and amphibians and other insects.



How Guatemala is in the Ring of Fire
Guatemala lies above the Caribbean Plate. The Caribbean Plate is mostly oceanic. It borders the North American Plate, the South American Plate, and the Cocos Plate. These borders are regions of intense activity, including frequent earthquakes, occasional tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The boundary between the North and South American Plates is unclear which one, or both, is under the Caribbean Plate. The Cocos Plate is sliding under the Caribbean Plate, and because of this volcanoes form in Guatemala.

Interacting with the Environment


Sources
<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Main Map of Guatemala - http://i.infoplease.com/images/mguatema.gif

Part Two (Physical Environment) - <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">[] <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;"> [] [] [] [] [] [] Part Three - <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS', cursive;">http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Caribbean_Plate

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