The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.
Location
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
Geographic coordinates
15 30 N, 90 15 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total
108,890 sq km
land
108,430 sq km
water
460 sq km
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Tennessee
Land boundaries
total
1,687 km
border countries
Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Coastline
400 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
continental shelf
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Terrain
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
Environment - current issues
deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution
Environment - international agreements
party to
Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified
none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
no natural harbors on west coast
Population
12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
40.8% (male 2,641,179/female 2,556,397)
15-64 years
55.5% (male 3,426,376/female 3,642,157)
65 years and over
3.6% (male 213,801/female 248,201) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
18.9 years
male
18.3 years
female
19.5 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
2.152% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
29.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
-2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.033 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.941 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.861 male(s)/female
total population
0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
29.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male
32.26 deaths/1,000 live births
female
27.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
69.69 years
male
67.94 years
female
71.52 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
3.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
1.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
78,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths
5,800 (2003 est.)
Nationality
noun
Guatemalan(s)
adjective
Guatemalan
Ethnic groups
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)
Religions
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Languages
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over can read and write
total population
69.1%
male
75.4%
female
63.3% (2002 census)
Country name
conventional long form
Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form
Guatemala
local long form
Republica de Guatemala
local short form
Guatemala
Government type
constitutional democratic republic
Capital
name
Guatemala
geographic coordinates
14 38 N, 90 31 W
time difference
UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009
Administrative divisions
22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
Independence
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day
Executive branch
chief of state
President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government
President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004)
cabinet
Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
election results
Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM 45.9%
Legislative branch
unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held in September 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
note: in the 2003 election, the number of congressional seats increased from 113 to 158
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)
Political parties and leaders
Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Edgar DE LEON Sotomayor]; Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Alfredo VILLA]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector NUILA]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Ruben Dario MORALES]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvaro COLOM Caballeros]; National Well-Being or BIEN [Fidel REYES]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [Pablo MONSANTO]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Libertarian Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES]; Reform Movement or MR [Juan Jose CABRERA Alonso]; Unionista Party or PU [Fritz GARCIA]; Unity of National Change or UCN [Sidney SHAW]; Social Democratic Party of Guatemala or PSG [Roger VALENZUELA]
Political pressure groups and leaders
Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM
Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Providence, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission
Ambassador James M. DERHAM
embassy
7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address
APO AA 34024
telephone
[502] 2326-4000
FAX
[502] 2326-4654
Flag description
three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath
Economy - overview
Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered in to force between the US and Guatemala. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 56% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit. Remittances from a large expatriate community that moved to the United States during the war have become the primary source of foreign income, exceeding the total value of exports and tourism combined.
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$61.38 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$35.25 billion (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
4.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$5,000 (2006 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
22.1%
industry
19.1%
services
58.7% (2006 est.)
Labor force
5.02 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
50%
industry
15%
services
35% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate
3.2% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line
56.2% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
1.6%
highest 10%
46% (1998)
Distribution of family income - Gini index
59.9 (2005)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
5.8% (2006)
Investment (gross fixed)
15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget
revenues
$3.84 billion
expenditures
$4.431 billion; including capital expenditures of $750 million (2006 est.)
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Industrial production growth rate
3.6% (2006 est.)
Electricity - production
7.2 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
51.9%
hydro
35.2%
nuclear
0%
other
12.9% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
6.625 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports
335 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports
23 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production
16,370 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
73,510 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
15,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - imports
72,960 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
263 million bbl (1 January 2002)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
3.087 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)
Current account balance
-$1.533 billion (2006 est.)
Exports
$3.71 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities
Exports - partners
US 45.2%, El Salvador 12.1%, Honduras 7.3% (2006)
Imports
$9.911 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
Imports - partners
US 31.3%, Mexico 7.9%, China 6.1%, El Salvador 5%, South Korea 5%, Panama 4.6% (2006)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$4.061 billion (2006 est.)
Debt - external
$3.908 billion (2006 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$250 million (2000 est.)
Currency (code)
quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed
Currency code
GTQ; USD
Exchange rates
quetzales per US dollar - 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
1.132 million (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular
3.168 million (2004)
Telephone system
general assessment
fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala
domestic
NA
international
country code - 502; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)
Radios
835,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations
26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
1.323 million (1997)
Internet country code
.gt
Internet hosts
49,026 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
5 (2000)
Internet users
756,000 (2005)
Airports
450 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
11
2,438 to 3,047 m
3
1,524 to 2,437 m
2
914 to 1,523 m
4
under 914 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
439
2,438 to 3,047 m
1
1,524 to 2,437 m
8
914 to 1,523 m
111
under 914 m
319 (2006)
Pipelines
oil 480 km (2006)
Railways
total
886 km
narrow gauge
886 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)
Roadways
total
14,095 km
paved
4,863 km (includes 75 km of expressways)
unpaved
9,232 km (1999)
Waterways
990 km
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2007)
Ports and terminals
Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Military branches
Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force
Military service age and obligation
all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24 months (2005)
Manpower available for military service
males age 18-49
2,429,033
females age 18-49
2,503,482 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49
1,911,412
females age 18-49
2,070,806 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49
134,032
females age 18-49
130,641 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
0.4% (2006)
Disputes - international
annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: undetermined (estimates vary from none to 1 million displaced from government's scorched-earth offensive in 1980s against indigenous people) (2006)
Illicit drugs
major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem
