Download Geography of the Mayans - Honey Creek Community School

Name _______________________
Geography of the Mayans
The ancient Maya civilization occupied the
eastern third of Mesoamerica, primarily the
Yucatan Peninsula. The topography (Mayan
geography) of the area greatly varied from
volcanic mountains, which comprised the
highlands in the South, to a porous limestone
shelf, known as the Lowlands, in the central
and northern regions. The southern portion of
the Lowlands were covered by a rainforest
with an average height of about 150 feet.
Throughout the region, scattered savannas and swamps, called bajos, appeared
sporadically (here and there), interrupting the dense forests. The Northern
Lowlands, which had a hot, dry climate, was also comprised of forests but they
were drier than the southern forests, growing mainly small thorny trees. February
to May was the dry season with air that was intensely hot and uncomfortable. At
this time of year, the fields had to be cut and burned because Mayans used a slashand-burn style of agriculture. The skies filled with a smoky grit, making the air
even more unbearable until the rains came in late May to clear the murky
atmosphere. The rainy season came from May through October, but often did not
bring enough rainfall.
The Southern Lowlands consisted of rainforest and savannas. There, lakes and
rivers were fed by the mighty Usumacinta River. In this region, rainfall was as high
as 160 inches per year and rainwater drained towards the Caribbean or the Gulf of
Mexico in great river systems. These rivers were very important to the civilization
as the form of transportation for both people and materials.
Also in the Southern Lowlands lived many dangerous animals, including the
jaguar, the caiman (a fierce crocodile), and many species of poisonous snakes. The
Mayans had to avoid these animals as they scavenged the forest and hunted for
animals like the deer turkey, peccaries, tapirs, rabbits, and large rodents such as the
peca and the agouti. Many varieties of monkeys and quetzal also occupied the
upper canopy.
The Highlands had many of the same animals but the climate and terrain greatly
contrasted that of the Lowlands. The Highlands are a wide swathe of mountains
and valleys of the Sierra Madre (mountain chain), bounded on the south by a
narrow coastal plain and the Pacific Ocean. Although subject to tsunamis,
volcanoes and earthquakes, the soil was fertile and the climate pleasantly cooler
than the lowlands. The rainy season was between May and November, with peak
rainfall in June and October.
Both the Highlands and the Lowlands were important for trade within the Mayan
civilization. The Lowlands produced crops which were used for their own personal
consumption, the main one being maize. They also grew squash, beans, chili
peppers, amaranth, manioc, cacao, and cotton for light cloth.
The volcanic Highlands, however, were the source of obsidian, jade, and other
precious metals like cinnabar and hematite that the Mayans used to develop a lively
trade. Although the lowlands were not the source of any of these commodities, they
still played an important role as the origin of the transportation routes as Mayans
from the north traded with Mayan from the south.
"Mayan Geography." Mayan Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2012.
<http://www.lost-civilizations.net/mayan-geography.html>.
6 – G2.1.1 G12 - Describe the landform features and the climate of the region (within the Western or
Eastern Hemispheres) under study.
6 – W3.1.1 Analyze the role of environment in the development of early empires, referencing both useful
environmental features and those that presented obstacles.