Statistical information Guatemala 2000Guatemala

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

Guatemala in the World
Guatemala in the World

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Guatemala - Introduction 2000
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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 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.


Guatemala - Geography 2000
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Location: Middle America bordering the Caribbean Sea between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean between El Salvador and Mexico

Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N 90 15 W

Map referenceCentral America and the Caribbean

Area
Comparative: slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries

Coastline: 400 km

Maritime claims

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 hydropower
Land use

Land use

Irrigated land: 1250 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: no natural harbors on west coast


Guatemala - People 2000
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Population: 12,639,939 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 2.63% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: 75%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino) approximately 56% Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian approximately 44%

Languages: Spanish 60% Amerindian languages 40% (more than 20 Amerindian languages including Quiche Cakchiquel Kekchi Mam Garifuna and Xinca)

Religions: Roman Catholic Protestant indigenous Mayan beliefs

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.63% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 35.05 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 6.92 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.89 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 47.03 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 4.66 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Guatemala - Government 2000
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Country name

Government type: constitutional democratic republic

Capital: Guatemala

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday: Independence Day 15 September (1821)

Constitution: 31 May 1985 effective 14 January 1986

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 (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote)

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (113 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia; additionally the Court of Constitutionality is presided over by the president of the Supreme Court judges are elected for a five-year term by Congress

Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Democratic Union or UD [Jose CHEA Urruela]; Green Party or LOV [leader NA]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union or URNG [Jorge SOTO]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Hector CIFUENTES]; New Guatemalan Democratic Front or FDNG [Rafael ARRIAGA Martinez]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [leader NA]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [leader NA]

International organization participation: BCIE CACM CCC ECLAC FAO G-24 G-77 IADB IAEA IBRD ICAO ICFTU ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO Intelsat Interpol IOC IOM ISO (correspondent) ITU LAES LAIA (observer) NAM OAS OPANAL OPCW PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNU UPU WCL WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

Flag descriptionflag of Guatemala: 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


Guatemala - Economy 2000
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Economy overview: The agricultural sector accounts for one-fourth of GDP two-thirds of exports and half of the labor force. Coffee sugar and bananas are the main products. Manufacturing and construction account for one-fifth of GDP. Since assuming office in January 1996 former President ARZU worked to implement a program of economic liberalization and political modernization. The signing of the peace accords in December 1996 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. Remaining challenges include beefing up government revenues negotiating further assistance from international donors and increasing the efficiency and openness of both government and private financial operations. Growth should remain at the same level in 2000 provided world agricultural prices do not plunge.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,900 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: sugarcane corn bananas coffee beans cardamom; cattle sheep pigs chickens

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 3.32 million (1997 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 35% (1999 est.)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 75%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.8% (1999 est.)

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: $2.4 billion (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: coffee sugar bananas fruits and vegetables meat apparel petroleum electricity
Partners: US 48% El Salvador 10% Honduras 6% Germany 5% Costa Rica 4% (1997)

Imports: $4.5 billion (c.i.f. 1999)
Commodities: fuels machinery and transport equipment construction materials grain fertilizers electricity
Partners: US 46% Mexico 13% El Salvador 5% Venezuela 5% Japan 4% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $4.4 billion (1998 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: quetzales (Q) per US$1 - 7.8829 (January 2000) 7.3856 (1999) 6.3947 (1998) 6.0653 (1997) 6.0495 (1996) 5.8103 (1995)


Guatemala - Energy 2000
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Electricity
Production: 3.085 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 2.914 billion kWh (1998)
Exports: 6 million kWh (1998)
Imports: 51 million kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Guatemala - Communication 2000
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Telephones
Main lines in use: 342,000 (1996)
Mobile cellular: 29,999 (1995)

Telephone system: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 7 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Guatemala - Military 2000
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $124 million (FY98)
Percent of gdp: 0.7% (FY98)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Guatemala - Transportation 2000
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 477 (1999 est.)

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 275 km

Railways

Roadways

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

Merchant marine: none (1999 est.)

Ports and terminals


Guatemala - Transnational issues 2000
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Disputes international: territory in Belize claimed by Guatemala; precise alignment of boundary in dispute

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transit country for cocaine shipments; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; active eradication program in 1996 effectively eliminated the cannabis crop; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine shipments)


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