The Mayan People Still Exist Today
When you read stories of ancient cultures, you automatically assume that they only existed in the past. One of the interesting facts about the ancient Maya civilization is the Mayan people, language, and customs have existed into the present day, even though the Mayan kingdom was at its peak millennia ago.
Mexico is home to some of the most populous Maya groups, including the Yucatecs (300,000), Tzotzil (120,000), and Tzeltal (10,000). (80,000). The Yucatecs dwell in the Yucatán Peninsula, which is hot and humid, and the Tzotzil and Tzeltal live in the Chiapas highlands. The Quiché and Cakchiquel Maya of Guatemala, the Chontal and Chol Maya of Mexico, and the Kekchi Maya of Belize are also large Maya groupings. Although they all belong to the Mayan language family, each of the 31 Maya communities in Central America speaks a different, mutually incomprehensible language.
Despite industrialization and mixing between indigenous peoples and Spanish immigration, many Maya villages have managed to maintain their cultural identity and traditions. This is largely due to the Maya's historical confinement to a single unbroken territory that included sections of southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and the western borders of Honduras and El Salvador.
