In 1917 Guatemala City was partially destroyed. It was badly damaged by another earthquake that killed 23,000 persons throughout Guatemala in 1976. These are concentrated in the Pet n of northern Guatemala and the high ranges of the central region. In southern Guatemala forests tend to be restricted to higher elevations of the volcanic uplands. Oak and pine forests are found at higher elevations.
Tropical rainforests are largely in the lowlands of the north.
Except for mangrove swamps along the shoreline, natural vegetation is nearly nonexistent on the Pacific coastal plain. Although there is a program of reforestation, slopes continue to be cleared as migrant farmers search out crop land. Forests are sources of charcoal, firewood, and lumber. Spanish cedar and mahogany provide fine woods for cabinetmaking. The sacred ceiba, which yields the fiber kapok, is the national tree.