21 December 2012 Last updated at 11:22

In pictures: End of the Maya Long Count calendar

Ceremonies have been held across Mexico and Central America to mark the end of an era in the Maya Long Count Calendar.

A shaman in Peru performed a ceremony intended to prevent the world coming to an end at sunrise in Lima.

Ceremonies have also been held in Guatemala to mark the beginning of a new Baktun, or Maya cycle lasting about 400 years.

Some people believe Bugarach, in the French Pyrenees, is one of the few places on earth to be spared in the apocalypse.

Others have made their own precautions, including fitting out a lifeboat in which to ride out the end of the world.

But for many around the world, 21 December is just another excuse for a party.

Indigenous people in Guatemala have taken advantage of international attention to highlight their plight.

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