Guatemala

Capital: Guatemala City

Area: 109,000 Square Kilometers

Population: 15.5mn

Language: Spanish

Currency: Quetzal

Annual Production: 3.3m 60kg Bags

Coffee Producing Area: Not verified

Producing Regions: Acatenango, Antigua, Atitlan, Coban, Fraijanes, Huehuetenango, Oriente and San Marcos

Coffee Varietals: Arabigo, Bourbon, Cattura, Cautai, Typica, Maragogype.

Terrain: Volcanic Slopes, Mountains

Altitude: 1,200m– 2,000m

Soil: Volcanic

Harvest: August-March

Coffee production in Guatemala began to develop in the 1850s and has only progressed from strength to strength. The favourable and complex micro-climates across the country has given opportunity to farmers and enabled them to produce fantastically varied coffees within a small geography.

Guatemala has preserved more of the traditional Typica and Bourbon varieties of Arabica than most other Latin American growing countries; this is generally seen as the reason for the heightened complexity and quality of Guatemalan coffees.

Antigua is internationally renowned for its high-quality coffees.  This region is located between three volcanoes in a valley with a climate perfect for cultivating coffee.  The soils are young and optimal for coffee.  The wet and dry seasons are defined for uniform maturation.  The temperature ranges from 19-22 C and the altitude is between 1400 and 1600 MASL.  Annual rainfall is between 800-1,200 mm and the humidity is constant at 65%.