Map of Guatemala | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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 guerrilla war.


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Location: Middle America, between Honduras and Mexico

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total area total: 108,890 km²
Land: 108,430 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,687 km, Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

Coastline: 400 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: the outer edge of the continental shelf
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle

Land use
Arable land: 12%
Permanent crops: 4%
Meadows and pastures: 12%
Forest and woodland: 40%
Other: 32%

Irrigated land: 780 km² (1989 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms

Geography
Note: no natural harbors on west coast


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Population: 10,721,387 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 2.58% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Guatemalan(s)

Ethnic groups: Ladino 56% (mestizo - mixed Indian and European ancestry), Indian 44%

Languages: Spanish 60%, Indian language 40% (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, traditional Mayan

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.58% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 35.42 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.11 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 53.9 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.42 years
Male: 61.86 years
Female: 67.1 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.76 children born/woman (1994 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Total population: 55%
Male: 63%
Female: 47%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
Conventional short form:

Government type: republic

Capital: 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

Administrative divisions

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
Note: suspended on 25 May 1993 by President SERRANO; reinstated on 5 June 1993 following ouster of president

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state and head of government:President Ramiro DE LEON Carpio (since 6 June 1993); Vice President Arturo HERBRUGER (since 18 June 1993); election runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results - Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%
Note: President SERRANO resigned on 1 June 1993 shortly after dissolving Congress and the judiciary; on 6 June 1993, Ramiro DE LEON Carpio was chosen as the new president by a vote of Congress; he will finish off the remainder of SERRANO's five-year term which expires in 1995

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force
Congress of the Republic Congreso de la Republica: last held on 11 November 1990 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results - UCN 25.6%, MAS 24.3%, DCG 17.5%, PAN 17.3%, MLN 4.8%, PSD/AP-5 3.6%, PR 2.1%; seats - (116 total) UCN 38, DCG 27, MAS 18, PAN 12, Pro-Rios Montt 10, MLN 4, PR 1, PSD/AP-5 1, independent 5
Note: by agreement of 11 November 1993, a special election is to be held in mid-1994 to elect a new congress

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Marilyn McAFEE (since 28 May 1993)
From the us chancery: 2,220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
From the us telephone: [502] (2) 31-15-41
From the us fax: (202) 745-1908
From the us consulates general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
From the us embassy: 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,024
From the us FAX: [502] (2) 31-88-55

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The economy is based on family and corporate agriculture, which accounts for 26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Manufacturing, predominantly in private hands, accounts for about 18% of GDP and 12% of the labor force. In both 1990 and 1991, the economy grew by 3%, the fourth and fifth consecutive years of mild growth. In 1992 growth picked up to almost 5% as government policies favoring competition and foreign trade and investment took stronger hold. In 1993, despite political unrest, this momentum continued, foreign investment held up, and growth was estimated at 4%.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 4% (1993 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $3,000 (1993 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of economy; contributes two-thirds of export earnings; principal crops - sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock - cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer

Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 1.9% (1991 est.), accounts for 18% of GDP

Labor force: 2.5 million
By occupation agriculture: 60%
By occupation services: 13%
By occupation manufacturing: 12%
By occupation commerce: 7%
By occupation construction: 4%
By occupation transport: 3%
By occupation utilities: 0.7%
By occupation mining: 0.3% (1985)

Unemployment rate: 6.1%; underemployment 30%-40% (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues:$604 million (1990)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993)
Commodities: coffee, sugar, bananas, cardamon, beef
Partners: US 37%, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Germany, Honduras

Imports: $2.6 billion (c.i.f., 1993)
Commodities: fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles
Partners: US 45%, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, Germany

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2.2 billion ( 1992 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1 - 5.8542 (January 1994), 5,6,354 (1993), 5.1706 (1992), 5.0289 (1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989; note - black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 847,600 kW
Production: 2.5 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 260 kWh (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: exchange rate conversion - $121 million, 1% of GDP (1993)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 523
Usable: 465
With permanentsurface runways: 11
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 3
With runways 1220-2439 m: 20

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 275 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season

Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: maritime border with Belize in dispute; desultory negotiations to resolve the dispute have begun

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transit country for cocaine shipments; illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has an active eradication program for cannabis and opium poppy