Mopan

Mopan refers to the Mopan language and the Mopan Maya people of Central America, and it is also the name of the Mopan River in the region. The Mopan language, Mopán or Mopén, is a Mayan language in the Mopan–Itza subgroup of the Yucatecan branch. It is spoken by communities in western Belize and in the Petén region of Guatemala, with many speakers also using Spanish or English in daily life. The language is considered endangered, and revitalization efforts include bilingual education programs and community documentation projects.

The Mopan are an indigenous Maya people whose traditional homeland lies along the Mopan River in Belize and Guatemala. They are part of the broader Maya ethnolinguistic family and share cultural and historical ties with other Maya groups in the region. In contemporary Belize and Guatemala, Mopán communities maintain customary practices, crafts, and agricultural traditions, while integrating with broader national societies.

The Mopan River is a major watercourse in the region, running through Belize and Guatemala and lending its name to the language and the people. Its presence has long influenced settlement, trade, and everyday life in the western Maya Lowlands.