Claim: Once believed to be merely empty ceremonial centres, the estimated maximum population of Maya city Copán, in Honduras, is 50,000, and the estimated maximum population of Maya city Cival, in Guatemala, is 2,000-5,000.
Evidence: At the peak of its power in the Late Classic, the kingdom of Copán had a population of at least 20,000 and covered an area of over 250 square kilometers (100 sq mi).