 Maya |
| Total population |
| estimated 7 million |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Parts of modern-day countries of El Salvador, Mexico,Guatemala, Belize and Honduras |
| Languages |
| Mayan languages, Spanish, Kriol and English |
| Religion |
| Christianity (predominantly Roman Catholic), Maya religion |
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southernMexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a convenient collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term embraces many distinct populations, societies, and ethnic groups, who each have their own particular traditions, cultures, and historical identity.
There are an estimated 7 million Maya living in this area at the start of the 21st century.Ethnic Maya of Guatemala, southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras have managed to maintain substantial remnants of their ancient cultural heritage. Some are quite integrated into the majority hispanicizedMestizo cultures of the nations in which they reside, while others continue a more traditional culturally distinct life, often speaking one of the Maya languages as a primarylanguage.
The largest populations of contemporary Maya inhabit Guatemala, Belize, and the western portions of Honduras andEl Salvador, as well as large segments of population within the Mexican states of Yucatán,Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Chiapas.
