Alta Verapaz is a department of
Guatemala.
The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán.
Alta Verapaz houses the Mario Dary Biotope Preserve, preserving the native flora and fauna of the region, especially the endangered national bird of Guatemala, the Quetzal.
In
Pre-Columbian times this area was part of the
Mayan civilization. When the Spanish
Conquistadores came in the
1520s they conquered the central and southern highlands of Guatemala, but not this region. Spanish friars asked for a chance to peacefully convert the land to
Christianity, which they succeeded in, giving the area the name "Verapaz" meaning "True Peace" since it was brought to Christianity and control of the King of
Spain without warfare.
In the 19th century this became an important coffee producing region.