Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de las Minas

Guatemala

Sierra de las Minas is a mountain range in eastern Guatemala which extends 130 km west of the Lake Izabal. It is 15–30 km wide and bordered by the valleys of the Polochic River in the north and the Motagua River in the south. Its western border is marked by the Salamá River valley which separates it

from the Chuacús mountain range. The highest peak is Cerro Raxón at 3,015 m. The Sierras (Chuacús) rich deposits of jade and marble have been mined for centuries. The small scale mining activities explain the name of the mountain range. The range has several different habitats, including Mesoamerica's largest cloud forests and is home to a great variety of wildlife. A large part of the Sierra de las Minas was declared a biosphere reserve in 1990.

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