Guatemalan Highlands

The Guatemalan Highlands is an upland region in southern Guatemala which lies between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the south and the Petén lowlands to the north.

"[citation needed] The relief of the mountainous country which is north of the Highlands and drains into the Atlantic is varied by terraces, ridges, and underfalls.

[3] A range called the Sierra de Chamá travels eastward towards Belize and is connected by low hills with the Cockscomb Mountains.

The Sierra de Santa Cruz, a similar range, continues east to Cape Cocoli between the Polochic and the Sarstoon rivers.

A vast number of streams, among which are the Chixoy, Lacantún, and Ixcán, unite to form the Usumacinta River, which passes along the Mexican frontier, and flows on through Chiapas and Tabasco into the Bay of Campeche.

The Grijalva and its tributaries the Cuilco and San Miguel rivers drain west into the Chiapas Depression and from there into the Gulf of Mexico.

[2] The Guatemalan Highlands were a significant source of raw materials for the Maya society; farming and agriculture dominated the region.

[2] In addition to these minerals, fertile landscapes were created by large amounts of rainfall during the rainy season of the Guatemalan Highlands(May-December).

The lowlands are often considered the center of the Maya society, but it is important to recognize that the Guatemalan Highlands also provided a vital source of agricultural products sustaining the Mayan population.

[2] These feathers were traded and used in headdresses, crests, and capes, as well as to decorate shields, spears, scepters, canopies, fans, and clothing, as they were a sign of elite status.