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Background: The Maya 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 some 1 million refugees.
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Common Name: Guatemala
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Local Official Name: Guatemala
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Abbreviated Name: Republic of Guatemala
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Official Name: Republica de Guatemala
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Official Script Name: Guatemala
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Local Common Name: Guatemala
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Former Name: Guatemala
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Territory of: NA
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Head of State: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
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Government Type: constitutional democratic republic
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Independence: 1821 September 15 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 1985 May 31, effective 1986 January 14
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National Holiday: Independence Day, 15 September
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International Organization Participation: BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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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
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Dependent Areas: NA
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Legal System: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage: 18 years
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Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches: 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 (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 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 September 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
note: for the 9 November 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 by Congress, each serving one year as president of the Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the president, one elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, and one by Colegio de Abogados); 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)
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Party Leaders: Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Grand National Alliance or GANA (an alliance of smaller parties) [Alfredo VILA Giron, secretary general]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Alba ESTELA Maldonado, secretary general]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan Unity or MGU [Jacobo ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principals and Values or MPV [Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas, secretary general]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvarado COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN (formed by an alliance of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of whom subsequently defected) [led by three co-equal partners - Nineth Varenca MONTENEGRO Cottom, Rodolfo BAUER Paiz, and Jorge Antonio BALSELLS TUT]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general]; Unionista Party
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International Disputes: Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain forests of Belize's border region; Organization of American States (OAS) is attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, a joint ecological park for the disputed Sapodilla Cays, and a substantial US-UK financial package; Guatemalans enter Mexico illegally seeking work or transit to the US
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Illicit Drugs: major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2004, reemerged as a potential source of opium, growing 330 hectares of opium poppy, with potential pure heroin production of 1.4 metric tons; 76% of opium poppy cultivation in western highlands along Mexican border; 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
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Location of Guatemala: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
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Continent: South America
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Land Area Total: 108,890 sq km
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Region: Central America |
Land Area Land: 108,430 sq km
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Capitol City: Guatemala
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Land Area Water: 460 sq km
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Current: -6
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Latitude: 015 30 N
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Border Boundary Land: 1,687 km
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Longitude: 090 15 W
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Border Boundary Coastline: 400 km
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Arable Land: 13.22 %
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Pastures: 0.00 %
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Crops: 5.60 %
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Woodlands and Forests: 0.00
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Highest Elevation: 4,211 m
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Location: Volcan Tajumulco
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Lowest Elevation: 0 m
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Location: Pacific Ocean
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Largest City in Guatemala: Guatemala City
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Guatemala City Largest City Population: 3,119,000
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Threatened Species: 106
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Environmental Issues: deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution
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Environmental 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
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Irrigated Land: 1,300
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Bordering Countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico
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Natural Resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
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Geographical Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
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Comparative Area of Guatemala: slightly smaller than Tennessee
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Guatemala's Geography: no natural harbors on west coast
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Click Here for detailed information about the weather conditions in Guatemala.
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General Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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Natural Hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
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Economic 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-thirds 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, but widespread political violence and corruption scandals continue to dampen investor confidence. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with perhaps 75% 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.
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GDP: $56,860,000,000 USD
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Currency: quetzal, US dollar, others allowed
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GDP per Capita: $4,700 USD
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Currency Code: GTQ;
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GDP Growth Rate: 3.20 %
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One $USD Equals: %fincurrencyequals% GTQ;
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Currency Exchange Rate History: quetzales per US dollar - 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002), 7.8586 (2001)
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GDP of Agriculture: 22.70 %
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GDP of Industry: 18.80 %
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GDP of Services: 58.50 % |
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Inflation Rate: 9.10 % |
Population in Poverty: 75.00 %
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Unemployment Rate: 7.50 %
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Tourism: 823,000.00 visitors each year
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Consumption by lowest 10%: 1.60 %
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Budget Revenue in USD: $3,374,000,000 USD
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Consumption by upper 10%: 46.00 %
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Budget Expenditures in USD: $4,041,000,000 USD
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Electricity Production: 6,898,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Exports: 425,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Consumption: 6,025,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Imports: 35,000,000 kWh
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Electricity Production by Source:
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Fossil Fuel Electricity Production: 50.35%
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Nuclear Electricity Production: 0.00%
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Hydro Electricity Production: 44.54%
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Other Electricity Production: 5.11%
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Oil Production: 22,300 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Production: 0 cu m
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Oil Consumption: 66,000 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Consumption: 0 cu m
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Oil Exports: 3,104 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Exports: 0 cu m
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Oil Imports: 0 barrels per day
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Natural Gas Imports: 0 cu m
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Proven Oil Reserves: 263,000,000 barrels
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Proven Natural Gas Reserves: 3,087,000,000 cu m
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External Debt: $5,503,000,000 USD |
Received in economic aid: $250,000,000 USD
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Donated in economic aid: $0 USD
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Agricultural Products: sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
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Primary Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
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Industrial Growth Rate: 4.10 %
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Import Amount in USD: $7,744,000,000 USD - fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
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Import Partners: US 38.1%, Mexico 7.6%, El Salvador 4.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Panama 4.4%
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Export Amount in USD: $3,940,000,000 USD - coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom
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Export Partners: US 50.1%, El Salvador 12.1%, Honduras 7.3%, Mexico 4%
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GINI Index: 48.30%
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Labor Force Number of People: 3,760,000
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Labor Force by Occupations: agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35%
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Radio Broadcast Stations: 632 |
Number of People with Radios: 835,000 |
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Television Broadcast Stations: 26 |
Number of People with Televisions: 1,323,000 |
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Number of People with Mainline Telephones: 1,132,100 |
Number of People with Mobile Phones: 3,168,300 |
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Internet Service Providers: 49,026 |
Internet Users: 756,000 |
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Internet Country Code: .gt |
Newspapers: 33 |
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Two Letter Country Code: GT |
Weights and Measures: |
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Phone Country Code: 502 |
Electricity Voltage: 120 Volts |
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Telephone Systems: 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)
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Highways: 4,863 km |
Railways: 886 km
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Gas And Oil Pipelines: 480 km |
Waterways: 990 km
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Airports: 11 |
Heliports: 0
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Motor Vehicles: 62 per 1,000 people |
CO2 Emissions: 7,684,000 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Per capita CO2 emissions: 0.70 Metric Tons of CO2 per year |
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Merchant Marines: NA
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Ports and Harbors: Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
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Population: 12,293,545 people type - nationality |
Birth Rate: 29.88 births per 1,000 people |
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Population Density: 113.00 people per sq km |
Death Rate: 5.20 deaths per 1,000 people |
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Population Growth: 2.27% per year |
Fertility Rate per Women: 3.82 babies born per woman |
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Population Male 0-14: 2,573,359 |
Population Female 0-14: 2,479,098 |
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Population Male 15-64: 3,353,630 |
Population Female 15-64: 3,468,184 |
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Population Male 65+: 194,784 |
Population Female 65+: 224,490 |
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Population 0-14: 41.10% |
Literacy Rate: 70.60% |
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Population 15-64: 55.50% |
Literacy rate of Males: 78.00% |
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Population 65+: 3.40% |
Literacy rate of Females: 63.30% |
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Population that is Male: 52.50
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Population that is Female: 47.50% |
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Life expectancy at birth in years: 69.38 years |
Infant mortality rate - baby deaths per 1000 births: 30.94 Babies die per 1,000 births |
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Life expectancy at birth for Males: 67.65 years |
Life expectancy at birth for Females: 71.18 years |
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Rate of AIDS/HIV infection: 1.10%
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Number of people living with AIDS or HIV: 78,000
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Number of people who died of AIDS: 5,800 |
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Disease Risk:
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Diseases:
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Net Migration Rate per 1,000 people: -1.94
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Nationality: GUATEMALAN
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Ethnic Groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino), approximately 55%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2%
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Primary Language: Spanish
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Other Languages: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
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Primary Religion: Roman Catholic
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Other Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
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Branches: Army, Navy (includes marines), Air Force
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 18 years
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Manpower Available: 4,932,515 People
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Manpower Fit to Serve: 3,982,218 People
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Amount of Manpower Available each Year: 264,673 People per year
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Expenditures: $0 USD per year
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Expenditures as a Percentage of GDP: 0.50
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Note: Phrasebase uses a variety of sources when compiling the facts and information presented above. This information is continually updated throughout the year.
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Guatemala Spa and Resort Directory
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Guatemala City Information Game Earn Real Money
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