The Mayan Region It currently covers the countries of Guatemala, Belize, western El Salvador and Honduras, and the Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo.
Like any cultural region, this territory cannot be defined by defined borders, so its limits have varied over time and represent areas of high interaction with neighboring groups.
In pre-Hispanic times, other Mesoamerican populations maintained periodic contact with the Mayans. To the east, there were Mixe-Zoque, Zapotec and Nahua groups; to the west, Lenca and Jicaque groups; and on the Pacific Coast there were Xincas and other ethnic groups that have not been able to be linguistically identified.
Today there are 28 Mayan linguistic groups, which can be found in isolated communities but the majority are found within regions with various external influences, so their culture is not static; It is dynamic in the way it adapts to globalization and intercultural relations.
The Mayan Area is relatively small compared to that occupied by other cultures in the world, and its geography is characterized by high diversity and marked contrasts, which includes tropical jungles, river basins, lake areas, coastal ecosystems, karst plains, forests. cloudy and volcanic landscapes.
All of these areas have been accessible through land and water routes, especially due to the existence of local and long-distance exchange networks.
The high biodiversity of the different regions has had an important effect on the development of human settlements, since they have created different forms of adaptation, based on the availability of mineral, plant and animal resources.
This particular way of integrating the different natural settings also influenced the development of its own worldview, which was expressed in pre-Hispanic times in the form of many symbols, captured in various forms of art.
For example, the center of the cosmos was represented by the ceiba tree, the sun as a jaguar, the mountains as the back of a turtle or crocodile, and lightning as snakes.
As for the cities, they were planned according to astronomical orientations and the symbolic landscape, so the pyramidal temples were conceived as sacred mountains that recalled creation myths. Likewise, caves and bodies of water such as lakes and cenotes were associated as portals to the underworld.
The distribution of resources in each area also directly influenced the development of ancient Mayan cities. The availability of fertile soils allowed for high agricultural productivity, and climatic conditions also favored the specialization of certain crops such as cocoa.
The presence of deposits of obsidian, flint, jade, pyrite, basalt and other minerals also determined the export of raw materials or finished objects.
The same thing happened with the exploitation of salt, shells, feathers, skins and other faunal resources, which were valued as luxury objects. Regarding forest resources, wood and palms were vital for the construction of homes.
In general, the Mayan region can be divided into three large subregions: The Lowlands, the Highlands and the Pacific Coast. This division is based on differences in altitude, which in turn is reflected in changes in geology, hydrology, fauna and flora.
It is interesting that these physical divisions have given rise to differences in cultural patterns, so it is important to note that not all Mayan groups had the same characteristics.
That is why it is appropriate to recognize that there has been a significant differentiation between the Mayan populations of the Highlands and those of the Lowlands.
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