In pre-Hispanic times, Mayas occupied wide region
with different climates and varied vegetation:
Mountains and plains, rain forest and arid areas;
land with rivers, lakes and waterfalls, and long
stretches of seacoast.
Maya area covered what are now the states of
Quintana Roo, Campeche, Yacatan, Tabasco and
Eastern Chiapas in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and
Western part of Honduras and El Salvador in
Central America.
There are three large natural areas within this
region: The first, Southern area, includes Pacific
coast, Highlands of Guatemala, part of Chiapas and
of El Salvador. Several volcanic lakes lie on the
high plateau, for example Amatitlan, Atitlan and
Izabal, together with Lake Guaja between Guatemala
and El Salvador and in East, Lake Ayarza.
All this area is rich in fruit trees and timber
and houses wide variety of animals and birds,
including quetzal, which Mayas held sacred in the
belief that it was representative of the gods.
The second or Central area is the largest,
covering the interior basin of Peten Department in
Guatemala, part of Honduras and Chiapas, Tabasco
and Southern part of Yacatan Peninsula. This is an
area of tropical forest with hot and humid climate
containing several rivers, the most important of
them being Grijalva, which empties into Gulf of
Mexico, and Hondo, Sarstun and Mapon flowing into
Caribbean.
This region of rain forest and pasture is
extremely rich in hardwoods, such as cedar and
also contains the most varied fauna in Maya area.
The third, or Northern, zone is Northern area of
Yacatan peninsula. Its flat limestone expanses
broken only by La Sierrita or Puuc Hills, running
from Campeche to Yacatan that are 200 meters above
sea level.
This is an extremely dry region, with scrub
vegetation and yet a surprising number of
medicinal herbs. There are three small rivers,
Lagartos, Hondo and Champoton, and one lake,
Bacalar.
Rainwater seeps down quickly in this limestone
area to from underground deposits in caves; when
the cave roof collapses, wells called
"Cenotes" appear. These have been very
important in the region's history, providing water
for population. The ancient Mayas founded cities
near them; one of the most important is Chichen
Itza. Human being, rubber, jade, vessels, beads
and artifacts were thrown into its Sacred Cenote
as offering to Chaac, god of rain.
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