Editing Tikal (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Mayamap.png|thumb|The Maya area within the Mesoamerican region. Both Tikal and Calakmul lie near the center of the area.]]
The closest large modern settlements are [[Flores, Petén|Flores]] and [[Santa Elena, El Petén|Santa Elena]], approximately {{convert|64|km|mi|sp=us}} by road to the southwest.<ref>Kelly 1996, pp.111–2.</ref> Tikal is approximately {{convert|303|km|mi|sp=us}} north of [[Guatemala City]]. It is {{convert|19|km|mi|sp=us}} south of the contemporary Maya city of [[Uaxactun]] and {{convert|30|km|mi|sp=us}} northwest of [[Yaxha]].<ref name=mg30/><ref>Webster 2002, p.118.</ref> The city was located {{convert|100|km|mi|sp=us}} southeast of its great Classic Period rival, [[Calakmul]], and {{convert|85|km|mi|sp=us}} northwest of Calakmul's ally [[Caracol]], now in [[Belize]].<ref>Webster 2002, pp.188, 192.</ref>

The city has been completely mapped and covered an area greater than {{convert|16|km2|sqmi|sp=us}} that included about 3,000 structures.<ref name="Coe 1999, p.104">Coe 1999, p.104.</ref> The [[topography]] of the site consists of a series of parallel [[limestone]] ridges rising above swampy lowlands. The major [[Maya architecture|architecture]] of the site is clustered upon areas of higher ground and linked by raised [[causeway]]s spanning the swamps.<ref name=d185>Drew 1999, p.185.</ref> The area around Tikal has been declared as the Tikal National Park and the preserved area covers {{convert|570|km2|sqmi|sp=us}}.<ref name=k140>Kelly 1996, p.140.</ref> It was created on 26 May 1955 under the auspices of the [[Instituto de Antropología e Historia]] and was the first protected area in Guatemala.<ref>Torres.</ref>

The ruins lie among the [[tropical rainforest]]s of northern Guatemala that formed the cradle of lowland Maya civilization. The city itself was located among abundant fertile upland soils, and may have dominated a natural east–west [[Trade in Maya civilization|trade route]] across the [[Yucatán Peninsula]].<ref name=w261>Webster 2002, p.261.</ref> Conspicuous trees at the Tikal park include gigantic Kapok tree (''[[Ceiba pentandra]]'') the sacred tree of the Maya; tropical cedar (''[[Cedrela odorata]]''), and Honduras mahogany (''[[Swietenia macrophylla]]''). Regarding the fauna, [[Central American agouti|agoutis]], [[white-nosed coati]]s, [[gray fox]]es, [[Geoffroy's spider monkey]]s, [[howler monkey]]s, [[harpy eagle]]s, [[falcon]]s, [[ocellated turkey]]s, [[guan (bird)|guans]], [[toucan]]s, green [[parrot]]s and [[leafcutter ant]]s can be seen there regularly. [[Jaguar]]s, [[ocelot]]s, and [[cougar]]s are also said to roam in the park.<ref>Coe 1967, pp. 9–10. Hidinger 1996, p. 52.</ref>

Tikal had no water other than what was collected from rainwater and stored in ten reservoirs. Archaeologists working in Tikal during the 20th century refurbished one of these ancient reservoirs to store water for their own use.<ref name=c124/> The average annual rainfall at Tikal is {{convert|1945|mm|in|sp=us}}. However, the arrival of rain was often unpredictable, and long periods of drought could occur before the crops ripened, which severely threatened the inhabitants of the city.<ref>Webster 2002, p.239.</ref>