Flores, Petén facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Flores
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Aerial view of Flores, with the island of Flores on the foreground
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 Flores, Petén
Location in Guatemala
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| Country |  Guatemala |
| Department | .png){kind=small} El Petén |
| Population
(2023)
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| • City | 45,560 |
| • Urban | 20,464 |
| Climate | Am |
Flores is a cool city in Guatemala. It's the capital of the Petén Department, which is a large area in the northern part of the country. In 2023, about 45,560 people lived in the wider Flores area.
The old part of Flores is special because it's on an island in Lake Petén Itzá. A short road connects this island to the mainland. On the mainland, you'll find the towns of Santa Elena and San Benito right next to Flores. The city also includes a big area of countryside that goes all the way north to the Mexican border.
Flores is also home to a big church called Catedral Nuestra Señora de Los Remedios y San Pablo Itzá. This church is very important for the local Christian community.
Contents
A Look at Flores's Past
In ancient times, long before Europeans arrived, Flores was a famous Maya city called Nojpetén.
Nojpetén: An Ancient Maya City
Archaeologists have found signs that people lived on the island of Flores as early as 900–600 BC. The city grew a lot between 250–400 AD. This makes Flores one of the oldest cities in the Americas where people have lived continuously for thousands of years!
The Itza were a group of Maya who left the Yucatán area in the 1200s. They made the island city their capital and called it Nojpetén. This name means "Great Island" in their language. The Spanish later called it Tayasal.
Nojpetén was the last independent Maya kingdom to resist the Spanish conquerors. In 1541, a Spanish explorer named Hernán Cortés visited the island while traveling to Honduras. But he didn't try to conquer it then.
The Spanish finally took over the island in 1697. They marched in, attacked by boat, and destroyed the city. Many Itza people managed to escape and hid in the jungle for years. The modern city of Flores was built on the ruins of Nojpetén. This means Flores is like the second oldest city in the Americas that has always had people living there, after Cholula in Mexico.
Flores's Weather
Flores has a tropical monsoon climate. This means it's warm all year round. It has a long wet season from May to January and a shorter dry season from February to April. Even in the dry season, there's usually a little bit of rain.
During most of the year, daytime temperatures are usually around 30 to 33 degrees Celsius (86 to 91 degrees Fahrenheit). In the winter months, it gets a little cooler, between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius (81 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). The hottest days are often just before the wet season starts, sometimes going above 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
Getting Around Flores
Flores has its own airport called Mundo Maya International Airport. Some international flights land here, but most planes stop first at Guatemala City's La Aurora International Airport. You can also travel to Flores by bus. Many companies offer overnight bus trips from Guatemala City.
Images for kids
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Flores in 1897
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Flores in 1897
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Flores in 1897
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Flores in 1897
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Flores, as seen from San Benito
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Engineering crew of the Guatemalan Border Commission in 1896. Claudio Urrutia, the director, is in the middle.
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Aerial view of Flores Island from above Santa Elena.
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Sunset in Flores.
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Restaurant on Lake Petén Itza
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Causeway connecting the island.
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Shore of Lake Petén Itza.
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An ancient Maya stone carving found in Flores's main park. It came from the nearby site of Ixlu.
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The island in 1917.
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Aerial view of the City.
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See also
In Spanish: Flores (Petén) para niños
