This map was drawn in 1859 by German cartographer Maximilian von Sonnenstern using measurements taken by Augustín van de Gehüchte. It was created at the request of Rafael Carrera, the first president of Guatemala, shortly after the dissolution of the Federal Republic of Central America in 1839.
This is the first detailed map of the country and, despite the new departments established with the 1839 constitution, it still shows the territorial division of Guatemala during the period of the Federal Republic of Central America:
- Department of Verapaz.
- Department of Guatemala/Escuintla, labelled as Guatemala.
- Department of Sololá / Suchitepéquez, labelled as Sololá.
- Department of Quetzaltenango/Soconusco, labelled as Quesaltenango.
- Department of Chiquimula
- Department of Sacatepéquez/Chimaltenango, labelled as Zacatepéquez.
- Department of Totonicapán/Huehuetenango, labelled as Totonicapán.
- Petén District
The map does not show the district of Izabal, which had been colonised by Belgium in 1844 and was still occupied. As a form of protest, the map completely ignores the Belgian occupation of the region, although it has no problem marking the British colony of Belize.
The map also includes some regions that belonged to Mexico and Belize as part of Guatemala. Multiple pre-Columbian ruins in various towns are also marked, as well as two areas dedicated to indigenous tribes: the Maya tribe and the Lacandon tribe. These features together describe the propaganda intent of the map, as it attempts to exaggerate the actual size of Guatemala at that time and also seeks to highlight a pre-Columbian past that allows for the creation of a national identity detached from the colonial past.
Sources
- General Map of the Republic of Guatemala – David Rumsey
- 1859 Sonnenstern / Gehüchte Map of Guatemala – the first national map of Guatemala!
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