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The largest and most populous of the states of the Central American isthmus, Guatemala was home to the ancient Mayan civilization. Its fertile Pacific and Caribbean coastal lowlands give way to the highlands which dominate the country. Guatemala was governed by a military regime from 1954 to 1986, and civil war continued for another decade. Tropical Storm Stan brought torrential rain and landslides in 2005 that wiped out entire villages, killing thousands.