Swiss Guatemalan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango | |
| Languages | |
| Spanish and French (minority) German | |
| Religion | |
| Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Swiss people, Swiss diaspora |
A Swiss Guatemalan is a Guatemalan of Swiss heritage, hailing from the waves of immigration that began in the 19th century. The Swiss often came simultaneously with expatriates from Belgium and Germany during the first period of immigration in the 1840s, with many arriving as chartered settlers.
The history of the Swiss in Guatemala dates back to the 19th century, with the first wave of immigration culminating in the Swiss government opening a consulate in 1891. The majority of immigrants from this first wave originated from Geneva and settled primarily in Guatemala City, with some additional settlement in the surrounding highlands. Switzerland and Guatemala have sustained a committed trade partnership that began during this time period.[1] Guatemala drew a second wave of European immigrants to the city of Quetzaltenango, many of them Swiss, following the construction of the Ferrocarril de los Altos (Railway of the high lands) and the establishment of the coffee plantation system in the early 20th century.[2]
