Galle vs Guatemala City

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Galle (Sinhala: ගාල්ල, romanized: Gālla; Tamil: காலி, romanized: Kāli) (formerly Point de Galle) is a major city in Sri Lanka, situated on the southwestern tip, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the provincial capital and largest city of Southern Province, Sri Lanka and is the capital of Galle District. Galle was known as Gimhathiththa(although Ibn Batuta a Moroccan Arab Muslim traveler in the 14th century refers to it as Qali) before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th century, when it was the main port on the island. Galle reached the height of its development in the 18th century, during the Dutch colonial period. Galle is the best example of a fortified city built by the Portuguese in South and Southeast Asia, showing the interaction between Portuguese architectural styles and native traditions. The city was extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century from 1649 onwards. The Galle fort is a world heritage site and is the largest remaining fortress in Asia built by European occupiers. Other prominent landmarks in Galle include the city's natural harbour, the National Maritime Museum, St.

Mary's Cathedral founded by Jesuit priests, one of the main Shiva temples on the island, and Amangalla, the historic luxury hotel. On 26 December 2004, the city was devastated by the massive tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, which occurred off the coast of Indonesia a thousand miles away. Thousands were killed in the city alone. Galle is home to the Galle International Stadium, which is considered to be one of the most picturesque cricket grounds in the world. The ground, which was severely damaged by the tsunami, was rebuilt and test matches resumed there on 18 December 2007. Important natural geographical features in Galle include Rumassala in Unawatuna, a large mound-like hill that forms the eastern protective barrier to Galle Harbour. Local tradition associates this hill with some events of Ramayana, one of the great Hindu epics. The major river in the area is the Gin River (Gin Ganga), which begins from Gongala Kanda, passes villages such as Neluwa, Nagoda, Baddegama, Thelikada and Wakwella, and reaches the sea at Ginthota. The river is bridged at Wakwella by the Wakwella Bridge.

Source: Wikipedia

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Guatemala City (Spanish: Ciudad de Guatemala), locally known as Guatemala or Guate, formally Ciudad de Guatemala (art. 231 of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala), is the capital and largest city of Guatemala, and the most populous metropolitan area in Central America. The city is situated in the south-central portion of the country, nestled in a mountain valley named Valle de la Ermita (English: Hermitage Valley). It is projected that its population is about 1 million. Guatemala City is also the capital of the Municipality of Guatemala and of the Guatemala Department. Guatemala City is the site of the Mayan city of Kaminaljuyu, based around 1500 BC. Following the Spanish conquest, a new city was established, and in 1776 it was made capital of the Kingdom of Guatemala.

In 1821, Guatemala City was the scene of the declaration of independence of Central America from Spain, and it became the capital of the newly established United Provinces of Central America (after the Federal Republic of Central America). In 1847, Guatemala declared itself an independent republic, with Guatemala City as its capital. The town was almost entirely destroyed by the 1917--18 earthquakes. Reconstructions following the earthquakes have resulted in a more modern architectural landscape.Today, Guatemala City is the political, cultural, and economic center of Guatemala. It is served by La Aurora International Airport.

Source: Wikipedia