About two-thirds of Guatemala is made up of mountains and Guatemala’s two mountain chains serve to divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific Coast, and the Peten region, which is located north of both the mountain ranges. All the major cities are in the first two regions; the north is quite rural and low in population.

The highest point in Guatemala, and indeed in all of Central America, is Volcán Tajumulco, which rises to 4,220 meters (nearly 14,000 feet). Unfortunately, Guatemala has another 36 volcanoes besides Tajumulco, making it prone to earthquakes. The last major earthquake occurred in 1976 and killed 25,000. A 6.8 magnitude quake happened in June 2007 but caused little damage. The area is also prone to hurricanes, due to its location between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.