Petén

Petén, region of northern Guatemala, bounded by Mexico to the north and west and by Belize to the east. It constitutes more than one-third of the country’s territory. Petén is a low limestone plateau, varying in elevation between 500 and 700 feet (150 and 210 metres) above sea level at the base of the Yucatán Peninsula. Except for areas of savanna vegetation, the region is covered by dense tropical rainforests. Few rivers penetrate Petén, for most of the heavy rainfall is drained underground.

Because of difficult terrain, Petén long has avoided European-style plantations and settlements. Ruins of many Mayan cities, most notably Tikal and Uaxactún, indicate that despite difficult geographical circumstances, the Maya adapted to the region and even flourished. Their great cities were abandoned in the 10th century, only to be recolonized by the Itzá Maya from Mexico, who resisted Spanish subjugation until 1697. In 2005 scientists confirmed that the ancient Maya capital of La Corona in Petén was “Site Q” (the letter represents the Spanish word que, “which”), a long-sought location believed to be the provenance of a number of looted Mayan monuments that were sold on the antiquities market in the second half of the 20th century.

The major resources of Petén lie in its forests, which yield mahogany, tropical cedar, rubber, and chicle. Some oil has been found in the area. Sugarcane, cacao (the source of cocoa beans), fruits, and grains are cultivated around Flores, the main city, which lies on Lake Petén Itzá. Thousands of people have migrated to Petén from the overworked lands to the south and, through slash-and-burn agriculture, have attempted to turn the forests into farmland. In the mid-20th century the region’s population was less than 20,000. By the beginning of the 21st century, the population was about five times greater because of colonization, oil exploration, commercial logging, and tourism. Flores is accessible by highway from Belize; other roads radiate to the Mexican border and to navigable rivers. The first road connecting the central part of the country with northern Petén was completed in 1970. Much transportation in Petén is by air.