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.

Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N 90 15 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 108,890 km²
Water: 460 km²
Land: 108,430 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries
Total: 1,687 km
Border countries: (4) Belize 266 km; , El Salvador 203 km; , Honduras 256 km; , Mexico 962 km

Coastline: 400 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources: petroleum nickel rare woods fish chicle hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 12.54%
Permanent crops: 5.03%
Other: 82.43% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 1250 km² (1998 est.)

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

Geography
Note: no natural harbors on west coast

Population: 13,909,384 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 2.66% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: 75% (2002 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guatemalan
Adjective: Guatemalan

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%

Languages: Spanish 60% Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages including Quiche Cakchiquel Kekchi Mam Garifuna and Xinca)

Religions: Roman Catholic Protestant indigenous Mayan beliefs

Age structure
0-14 years: 42.9% (male 3,052,658; female 2,908,428)
15-64 years: 53.8% (male 3,779,688; female 3,706,315)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 215,653; female 246,642) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 18.3 years
Male: 18.1 years
Female: 18.5 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 2.66% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 35.05 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 6.78 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.71 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male/female
Total population: 1.03 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 37.92 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 37.09 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 38.72 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.23 years
Male: 64.31 years
Female: 66.21 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.67 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 67,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 5,200 (2001 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 70.6%
Male: 78%
Female: 63.3% (2003 est.)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
Conventional short form: Guatemala
Local short form: Guatemala
Local long form: Republica de Guatemala

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

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 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 (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 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%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held NA November 2007)
Note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional seats increased to 140 from 113
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 42, UNE 33, PAN 16

Judicial branch: 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)

Political parties and leaders: Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democratic Union or UD [Rodolfo PAIZ Andrade]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [leader NA]; 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]

International organization participation: BCIE CACM 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 PCA RG UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNU UPU WCL WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio Fernando ARENALES Forno
In the us chancery: 2,220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
In the us fax: [1] (202) 745-1908
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 745-4,952
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John Randle HAMILTON
From the us embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
From the us mailing address: APO AA 34,024
From the us telephone: [502] 331-1541/55
From the us fax: [502] 334-8,477

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: 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. President PORTILLO has continued the liberalization program but with more sporadic results. The 1996 signing of the peace accords which ended 36 years of civil war removed a major obstacle to foreign investment but numerous corruption scandals associated with the PORTILLO administration have dampened investor confidence. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with perhaps 75% of the population below the poverty line. Ongoing challenges include increasing the government revenues negotiating further assistance from international donors upgrading both government and private financial operations and narrowing the trade deficit. A free trade agreement between the US and Central American countries promises greater access to US and neighboring markets.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.2% (2002 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,900 (2002 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 23%
Industry: 20%
Services: 57% (2001 est.)

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: 4.1% (1999)

Labor force: 4.2 million (1999 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 50%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 35% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line: 75% (2002 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.6%
Highest 10: 46% (1998)

Distribution of family income gini index: 55.8 (1998)

Budget
Revenues: $2.3 billion
Expenditures: $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $750 million (2002 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8.1% (2002 est.)

Exports: $2.7 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: coffee sugar bananas fruits and vegetables cardamom meat apparel petroleum electricity
Partners: US 58.7% El Salvador 9.3% Nicaragua 3.1% (2002)

Imports: $5.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Commodities: fuels machinery and transport equipment construction materials grain fertilizers electricity
Partners: US 33.2% Mexico 9.9% South Korea 8.2% El Salvador 5.7% China 4% (2002)

Debt external: $4.9 billion (2002 est.)

Exchange rates: quetzales per US dollar - 7.82 (2002) 7.86 (2001) 7.76 (2000) 7.39 (1999) 6.39 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 6.237 billion kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 51.9%
Production by source hydro: 35.2%
Production by source other: 12.9% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 5.559 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 336 million kWh (2001)
Imports: 95 million kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Proven reserves: 1.543 billion m³ (37,257)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 665,061 (June 2000)
Mobile cellular: 663,296 (September 2000)

Telephone system
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)

Internet
Country code: .gt
Service providers isps: 5 (2000)
Users: 200,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $120 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 0.6% (FY99)

Airports: 466 (2002)
With paved runways total: 11
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 455
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 9
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 115
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 330 (2002)

Pipelines: oil 480 km (2003)

Railways
Total: 886 km
Narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2002)

Waterways
Note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during highwater season

Merchant marine: none (2002 est.)

Disputes international: Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in Belize border region; OAS brokered Differendum in 2002 creating small adjustment to land boundary large Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays and substantial US-UK financial package but agreement was not brought to popular referendum leaving Guatemalan claim to southern half of Belize intact

Illicit drugs: 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