Mayas

The Maya peoples () are an ethnolinguistic group of indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. The ancient Maya civilization was formed by members of this group, and today's Maya are generally descended from people who lived within that historical civilization. Today they inhabit southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. Maya is a modern collective term for the peoples of the region, however, the term was not historically used by the indigenous populations themselves. There was no common sense of identity or political unity among the distinct populations, societies and ethnic groups because they each had their own particular traditions, cultures and historical identity. It is estimated that six million Maya were living in this area at the start of the 21st century. Guatemala, southern Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, El Salvador and western Honduras have managed to maintain numerous remnants of their ancient cultural heritage. Some are quite integrated into the majority hispanicized mestizo cultures of the nations in which they reside, while others continue a more traditional, culturally distinct life, often speaking one of the Mayan languages as a primary language. The largest populations of contemporary Maya inhabit Guatemala, Belize, and the western portions of Honduras and El Salvador, as well as large segments of population within the Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Chiapas.

Los mayas son un pueblo milenario habitante de Mesoamérica y muy particularmente de Guatemala y de los estados mexicanos de Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Chiapas y Tabasco. Se desarrollaron también en Belice, El Salvador y Honduras y en la actualidad son los descendientes directos de los creadores de la portentosa cultura maya que ha existido desde hace aproximadamente cuatro mil años. Para diferenciar las diversas etnias que integran a este pueblo, a un gran grupo se le denominamaya yucateco o maya peninsular (en relación con la península de Yucatán habitada por ellos). Otros grupos vinculados lingí¼ística, antropológica y culturalmente son los tojolabales, los mames, los tzotziles, los tseltales, los lacandones, entre otros grupos de México; así como como diversas etnias guatemaltecas, de Belice y de El Salvador. El idioma hablado por el grupo indígena mayoritario de esta familia de etnias es el denominado maya yucateco aunque cada etnia en lo particular ha desarrollado su propia lengua.