Which geographic extent best describes the Maya civilization?

Which geographic extent best describes the Maya civilization?

• A. Caribbean Islands
• B. South America
• C. Central Andes
• D. Guatemala to southern Mexico

Answer: (D)

The Maya civilization occupied a broad belt in Mesoamerica, stretching from the Yucatán Peninsula in present-day southern Mexico down through Guatemala and into Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Describing the extent as from Guatemala to southern Mexico best captures this range, reflecting their heartland across that whole region. Regions in the Caribbean Islands lie beyond their core area, and South America or the Central Andes pertain to different civilizations such as the Inca, not the Maya.

The Maya civilization occupied a broad belt in Mesoamerica, stretching from the Yucatán Peninsula in present-day southern Mexico down through Guatemala and into Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador. Describing the extent as from Guatemala to southern Mexico best captures this range, reflecting their heartland across that whole region. Regions in the Caribbean Islands lie beyond their core area, and South America or the Central Andes pertain to different civilizations such as the Inca, not the Maya.