CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY OF SOUTHWEST GUATEMALA—McBRYDE ro) 
and alluvium, the piedmont of the cone chain, with 
numerous small rapid streams entrenched across it, 
flowing from north to south. The climate is mainly 
“tierra caliente” : tropical monsoon (short dry period 
in winter) with annual rainfall between 300 cm. (118 
in.) and 425 cm. (165 in.) and a southern margin 
of savanna (long dry period in winter). Natural 
vegetation consists of monsoon forest, and deciduous 
park-savanna at lower levels (map 7). 
The most important economic fauna, of no great 
significance, includes large fish and shrimp in the 
ocean and lower rivers near the ocean; small fish and 
large shrimp (genus Macrobrachium) in the moun- 
tain streams, though not in merchantable quantities ; 
iguanas, in abundance, and caymans, now becoming 
scarce, in the outer Coastal Plain. The last two 
named are particularly important Lenten commodi- 
ties. Iguanas appear in quantity in the markets, 
alive, only during laying season (December to 
March, inclusive). I was told at Pueblo Nuevo that 
deer hunting was a common sport. 
There is easy access to all the area by roads and 
trails. 
Lake Atitlan Basin.—In all, there are about 23 
settlements, villages, and towns, close to the lake. 
During a total of approximately 6 months (a portion 
of every month of the year, so as to observe seasonal 
aspects) on the lake in 1935-36, I visited all but one 
village. In 1932, I spent nearly 3 months at Solola 
(McBryde, 1933), and returned many times in 1935- 
36 and 1940-41. In 1936 and again in 1940, the 
related outlying centers of Tecpan, Patzum, and 
Chichicastenango were also visited. Market lists 
were made for 7 centers and diagrams for 2. 
Fourteen villages have been built close to the Lake 
shore, but high enough to avoid inundation. 
The highest degree of microgeographic diversifica- 
tion anywhere in Guatemala is to be found here; it 
is probably not exceeded elsewhere in the world. 
Many of the villages may be separated from their 
neighbors by 2 miles or less, and yet, being isolated 
by physical barriers such as precipitous headlands, 
cliff shores, and a dangerous lake surface, they may 
have distinct economies, dress, and even vocabularies. 
(See pp. 97-126). At one point on the Lake shore, 
villages are not even connected by trail; at others, 
there is only a tortuous path skirting a precipice. 
High altitude range brings about climatic contrasts, 
from hot tropical conditions at the lower levels, to 
cold mountain summits, with vegetation from heavy 
monsoon forest conditions, as behind San Buena- 
ventura, to markedly deciduous, scrubby oak-pine 
woods and chaparral interspersed with areas of open 
bunchgrass and meadows. Within an almost vertical 
600 m. (1,968 ft.) elevation zone, crops range from 
sugarcane to wheat and potatoes; fruits, from 
papayas to peaches. 
Add to this the convergence of three linguistic 
areas, also the recent injection of several small com- 
munities from remote regions in different directions, 
and the picture of complexity is fairly complete. It 
is in marked contrast to the more populous and 
homogeneous areas of the Pacific Piedmont and the 
Quezaltenango Valley. 
Valley of Quezaltenango.—Extending east-west 
about 18 miles, between San Juan Ostuncalco and 
Totonicapan, the more thickly settled portion of this 
almost level, open valley ranges in elevation from 
2,350 m. (7,710 ft.) at Quezaltenango to 2,500 m. 
(8,202 ft.) at Totonicapan. I concentrated upon 
this valley and its surroundings during April and 
portions of May, July, and August, 1936, going down 
the canyon of the Samala as far as Santa Maria 
(1,650 m. or 5,413 ft.) and up on the northern wall as 
high as San Francisco el Alto (2,600 m. or 8,530 ft.), 
one of the most elevated Indian villages in the coun- 
try. During this time I visited San Marcos in the west, 
and Momostenango and Huehuetenango in the north, 
the first two having about the same elevation as 
Quezaltenango, the latter somewhat lower (1,900 m. 
or 6,234 ft.). Of these, Momostenango is the only 
one having close commercial connections with the 
Quezaltenango Valley. 
In this Highland region, I studied 25 Indian com- 
munities, and analyzed 12 markets, making a dia- 
gram of that of Quezaltenango, probably the largest 
Indian market in the entire Republic, with the pos- 
sible exception of the capital. There are two others 
in the valley region that each have over 1,000 vendors 
a week, namely, those of Totonicapan and San Fran- 
cisco, the latter meeting but once a week (map 19). 
Physically the Quezaltenango Valley region is 
entirely Quaternary volcanic (Sapper, 1925, p. 2). 
Forming the northern watershed of the valley is the 
high Continental Divide range, mainly striking north- 
west to southeast, with elevations between 2,800 m. 
(9,186 ft.) and 3,300 m. (10, 827 ft.), and belonging 
to the older period of volcanism. The young cones 
of Santo Tomas, Zunil, Cerro Quemado, and Santa 
Maria constitute the south wall. The northern con- 
tinuation of the first two encloses the valley along 
the east, near Totonicapan, while in the west it is shut 
