Ten fun facts about Guatemala City
Fact 1
Four volcanoes can be seen from Guatemala City. The Pacaya Volcano is the nearest and most active.
Fact 2
The city is divided into 22 zones to make it easier to find addresses in the city. Zones 20, 22 and 23 do not exist.
Fact 3
As of 2011, the population was estimated to have approximately 1 million residents in the city and 4 million in the metro area.
Fact 4
In December, the quema del Diablo (Burning of the Devil) takes place. Old belongings are gathered in the streets of Guatemala City and burned, to clean the devil out of their homes.
Fact 5
Violent crimes in Guatemala are extremely high and many go unprosecuted. In 2009, approximately 25 murders a week were reported in Guatemala City alone.
Fact 6
The risk of sinkholes in Guatemala is high. In 2010, a sinkhole occurred and swallowed a three-story factory.
Fact 7
With the population of over 1 million, Guatemala City is the largest city of the Republic of Guatemala as well as Central America.
Fact 8
The present Guatemala City is the fourth permanent capital of Guatemala; it was moved there after the Antigua Guatemala was destroyed.
Fact 9
Several prominent residents once lived in Guatemala City, including Nobel Prize winner Miguel Asturias and Rodolfo Robles, discoverer of Roble's Disease.
Fact 10
The Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, located in Guatemala City, is the biggest and oldest in Guatemala. It is also the fourth founded in the Americas.
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