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Background:
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Guatemala was freed of Spanish colonial rule
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 led to the death
of more than 100,000 people and had created some 1 million
refugees.
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Location:
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Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea,
between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean,
between El Salvador and Mexico
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Geographic
coordinates:
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15 30 N, 90 15 W
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Map
references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 108,890 sq km
water: 460 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
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Area
- comparative:
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slightly smaller than Tennessee
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Land
boundaries:
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total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km,
Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
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Coastline:
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400 km
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Maritime
claims:
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continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in
highlands
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains
and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
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Elevation
extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
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Natural
resources:
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petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle,
hydropower
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Land
use:
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arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 5.03%
other: 82.43% (1998 est.)
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Irrigated
land:
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1,250 sq km (1998 est.)
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Natural
hazards:
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numerous volcanoes in mountains, with
occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely
susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
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Environment
- current issues:
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deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil
erosion; water pollution
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Environment
- international agreements:
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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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Geography
- note:
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no natural harbors on west coast
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Population:
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13,314,079 (July 2002 est.)
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Age
structure:
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0-14 years: 41.8% (male 2,841,486;
female 2,725,343)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 3,629,363; female 3,630,273)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 227,369; female 260,245)
(2002 est.)
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Population
growth rate:
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2.57% (2002 est.)
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Birth
rate:
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34.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Death
rate:
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6.67 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Net
migration rate:
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-1.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
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Sex
ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
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Infant
mortality rate:
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44.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
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Life
expectancy at birth:
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total population: 66.85 years
female: 69.66 years (2002 est.)
male: 64.16 years
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Total
fertility rate:
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4.51 children born/woman (2002 est.)
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HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate:
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1.38% (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS:
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73,000 (1999 est.)
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HIV/AIDS
- deaths:
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3,600 (1999 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan
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Ethnic
groups:
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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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Religions:
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Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan
beliefs
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Languages:
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Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23
officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche,
Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 63.6%
male: 68.7%
female: 58.5% (2000 est.)
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Country
name:
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conventional long form: Republic of
Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
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Government
type:
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constitutional democratic republic
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Capital:
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Guatemala
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Administrative
divisions:
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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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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from Spain)
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National
holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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Constitution:
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31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note
- suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5
June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993
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Legal
system:
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civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal (active duty
members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to
their barracks on election day)
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Executive
branch:
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chief of state: President Alfonso
Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President
Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO
Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco
REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both
the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 7 November 1999; runoff held 26
December 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)
election results: Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera elected
president; percent of vote - Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG)
68%, Oscar BERGER Perdomo (PAN) 32%
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Legislative
branch:
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unicameral Congress of the Republic or
Congreso de la Republica (113 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 1999 (next to be held NA
November 2003)
note: for the 7 November 1999 election, the number of
congressional seats increased to 113 from 80; for the November
2003 election, the number of congressional seats will increase by
12-15 seats from the current 113
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - FRG 63, PAN 37, ANN 9, DCG 2, UD/LOV 1, PLP 1; note - as
of January 2003, the seat count is FRG 63, PAN 19, ANN 3,
Unionista 10, URNG 5, UNE 6, independent 3, other 4
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Judicial
branch:
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Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de
Justicia (thirteen 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); Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad (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)
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Political
parties and leaders:
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Authentic Integral Development or DIA
[Eduardo SUGER]; Democratic Union or UD [Rodolfo PAIZ Andrade];
Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan
Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan
National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Secretary General Alba
ESTELA Maldonado]; 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 [Secretary General
Leonel LOPEZ Rodas]; 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 [retired General Otto PEREZ
Molina]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES
Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Secretary General Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE];
Unionista Party [leader NA]
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Political
pressure groups and leaders:
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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
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International
organization participation:
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BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA
(observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO
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Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio
Fernando ARENALES Forno
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
New York, and San Francisco
FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
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Diplomatic
representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador John
Randle HAMILTON
embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address: APO AA 34024
telephone: [502] 331-1541/55
FAX: [502] 334-8477
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Flag
description:
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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
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Economy
- overview:
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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. Former
President ARZU (1996-2000) worked to implement a program of
economic liberalization and political modernization. The 1996
signing of the peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war,
removed a major obstacle to foreign investment. In 1998, Hurricane
Mitch caused relatively little damage to Guatemala compared to its
neighbors. Ongoing challenges include increasing government
revenues, negotiating further assistance from international
donors, and increasing the efficiency and openness of both
government and private financial operations. Despite low
international prices for Guatemala's main commodities, the economy
grew by 3% in 2000 and 2.3% in 2001. Guatemala, along with
Honduras and El Salvador, recently concluded a free trade
agreement with Mexico and has moved to protect international
property rights. However, the PORTILLO administration has
undertaken a review of privatizations under the previous
administration, thereby creating some uncertainty among investors.
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GDP:
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purchasing power parity - $48.3 billion (2001
est.)
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GDP
- real growth rate:
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2.3% (2001 est.)
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GDP
- per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.)
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GDP
- composition by sector:
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agriculture: 23%
industry: 20%
services: 57% (2000 est.)
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Population
below poverty line:
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60% (2000 est.)
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Household
income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 46% (1998) (1998)
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Distribution
of family income - Gini index:
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56 (1998)
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Inflation
rate (consumer prices):
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7.6% (2001) (2001)
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Labor
force:
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4.2 million (1999 est.)
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Labor
force - by occupation:
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agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35%
(1999 est.)
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Unemployment
rate:
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7.5% (1999 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures
of $NA (2000 est.)
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Industries:
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sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture,
chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
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Industrial
production growth rate:
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4.1% (1999) (1999)
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Electricity
- production:
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5.929 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity
- production by source:
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fossil fuel: 50%
hydro: 45%
other: 5% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
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Electricity
- consumption:
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4.797 billion kWh (2000)
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Electricity
- exports:
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840 million kWh (2000)
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Electricity
- imports:
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123 million kWh (2000)
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Agriculture
- products:
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sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans,
cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
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Exports:
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$2.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
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Exports
- commodities:
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coffee, sugar, bananas, fruits and
vegetables, cardamom, meat, apparel, petroleum, electricity
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Exports
- partners:
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US 57%, El Salvador 8.7%, Costa Rica 3.7%,
Nicaragua 2.8%, Germany 2.6% (2000)
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Imports:
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$4.9 billion f.o.b. (2001)
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Imports
- commodities:
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fuels, machinery and transport equipment,
construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
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Imports
- partners:
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US 35.2%, Mexico 12.6%, South Korea 7.9%, El
Salvador 6.4%, Venezuela 3.9% (2000)
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Debt
- external:
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$4.5 billion (2001 est.)
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Economic
aid - recipient:
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$212 million (1995) (1995)
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Currency:
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quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others
allowed
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Currency
code:
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GTQ; USD
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Exchange
rates:
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quetzales per US dollar - 8.0165 (January
2002), 7.8586 (2001), 7.7632 (2000), 7.3856 (1999), 6.3947 (1998),
6.0653 (1997)
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Fiscal
year:
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calendar year
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Telephones
- main lines in use:
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665,061 (June 2000)
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Telephones
- mobile cellular:
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663,296 (September 2000)
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Telephone
system:
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general assessment: fairly modern
network centered in the city of Guatemala
domestic: NA
international: connected to Central American Microwave
System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
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Radio
broadcast stations:
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AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)
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Radios:
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835,000 (1997)
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Television
broadcast stations:
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26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
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Televisions:
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1.323 million (1997)
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Internet
country code:
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.gt
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Internet
Service Providers (ISPs):
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5 (2000)
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Internet
users:
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200,000 (2002)
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Railways:
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total: 884 km
narrow gauge: 884 km 0.914-m gauge (single-track)
note: much of the railway is inoperable (2001 est.)
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Highways:
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total: 13,856 km
paved: 4,370 km (including 140 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,486 km (1998)
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Waterways:
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990 km
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km
navigable during highwater season
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Pipelines:
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crude oil 275 km
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Ports
and harbors:
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Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal,
San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla
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Merchant
marine:
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none (2002 est.)
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Airports:
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475 (2001)
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Airports
- with paved runways:
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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 (2002)
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Airports
- with unpaved runways:
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total: 455 464
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 9
914 to 1,523 m: 9 123
under 914 m: 115 331 (2002)
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Military
branches:
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Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force
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Military
manpower - military age:
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18 years of age (2002 est.)
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Military
manpower - availability:
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males age 15-49: 3,186,894 (2002 est.)
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Military
manpower - fit for military service:
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males age 15-49: 2,080,504 (2002 est.)
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Military
manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males: 140,358 (2002 est.)
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure:
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$120 million (FY99)
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP:
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0.6% (FY99)
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Transnational Issues
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Guatemala
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Disputes
- international:
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the "Line of Adjacency",
established as an agreed limit in 2000 to check squatters settling
in Belize, remains in place while OAS assists states to resolve
Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize and Guatemalan maritime
access to the Caribbean Sea
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Illicit
drugs:
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major transit country for cocaine and heroin;
minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for mostly
domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major
staging area for drugs (cocaine and heroin shipments); money
laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem
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