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 internal conflict, which had left more than 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, about 1 million refugees.

Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 108,889 km²
Land: 107,159 km²
Water: 1730 km²
Rank: 108
Comparative: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
Total: 1667 km
Border countries: (4) Belize 266 km; , El Salvador 199 km; , Honduras 244 km; , Mexico 958 km

Coastline: 400 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands

Elevation
Mean elevation: 759 m
Elevation extremes: 0 m
Note: lowest point: Pacific Ocean

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 41.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 33.6% (2011 est.)
Other: 25.2% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,375 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical stormsvolcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m), which erupted in May 2010 causing an ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations, is one of the country's most active volcanoes with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under 'Geography - note'

Geography
Note: note 1: despite having both eastern and western coastlines (Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean respectively), there are no natural harbors on the west coast

Population
Distribution: the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas: 16,581,273 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 67
Growth rate: 1.72% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 59
Below poverty line: 59.3% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Guatemalan(s)
Adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups: mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 60.1%, Maya 39.3% (K'iche 11.3%, Q'eqchi 7.6%, Kaqchikel 7.4%, Mam 5.5%, other 7.5%), non-Maya, non-mestizo 0.15% (Xinca (indigenous, non-Maya), Garifuna (mixed West and Central African, Island Carib, and Arawak)), other 0.5% (2001 est.)

Languages:

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Maya beliefs

Demographic profile: Guatemala is a predominantly poor country that struggles in several areas of health and development, including infant, child, and maternal mortality, malnutrition, literacy, and contraceptive awareness and use. The country's large indigenous population is disproportionately affected. Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America and has the highest fertility rate in Latin America. It also has the highest population growth rate in Latin America, which is likely to continue because of its large reproductive-age population and high birth rate. Almost half of Guatemala's population is under age 19, making it the youngest population in Latin America. Guatemala's total fertility rate has slowly declined during the last few decades due in part to limited government-funded health programs. However, the birth rate is still more close to three children per woman and is markedly higher among its rural and indigenous populations.Guatemalans have a history of emigrating legally and illegally to Mexico, the United States, and Canada because of a lack of economic opportunity, political instability, and natural disasters. Emigration, primarily to the United States, escalated during the 1960 to 1996 civil war and accelerated after a peace agreement was signed. Thousands of Guatemalans who fled to Mexico returned after the war, but labor migration to southern Mexico continues.

Age structure
0-14 years: 34.55% (male 2,919,281 /female 2,810,329)
15-24 years: 20.23% (male 1,688,900 /female 1,665,631)
25-54 years: 35.47% (male 2,878,075 /female 3,002,920)
55-64 years: 5.28% (male 407,592 /female 468,335)
65 years and over: 4.46% (male 336,377 /female 403,833) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 68.7 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 61.1 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 7.6 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 13.1 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 22.5 years
Male: 22 years
Female: 23.1 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 179

Population growth rate: 1.72% (2018 est.)
Rank: 59

Birth rate: 24.6 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 50

Death rate: 5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 194

Net migration rate: -1.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 159

Population distribution: the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas

Urbanization
Urban population: 51.1% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.68% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 2.851 million GUATEMALA CITY (capital) (2018)

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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth:

Infant mortality rate
Total: 23.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 25.6 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 20.9 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 70

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.8 years (2018 est.)
Male: 69.8 years (2018 est.)
Female: 73.9 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 149

Total fertility rate: 2.87 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 58

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 60.6% (2014/15)

Drinking water source
Urban: 1.6% of population
Rural: 13.2% of population
Total: 7.2% of population (2015 est.)

Physicians density: 0.9 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density: 0.6 beds/1000 population (2014)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 22.5% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 50.7% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 36.1% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2017 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 73
People living with hivaids: 46,000 (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 62
Deaths: 2000 (2017 est.)
Deaths rank: 51

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria (2016): note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country (as of August 2016); it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex, via blood transfusion, or during pregnancy, in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 21.2% (2016)
Rank: 93

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.6% (2015)
Rank: 54

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2016)
Rank: 154

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 81.5% (2015 est.)
Male: 87.4% (2015 est.)
Female: 76.3% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 11 years (2013)
Male: 11 years (2013)
Female: 10 years (2013)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
Conventional short form: Guatemala
Local long form: Republica de Guatemala
Local short form: Guatemala
Etymology: name derives from the Maya word meaning Land of Trees

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
Name: Guatemala City
Geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W
Time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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
History: several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended and reinstated in 1994 (2018)
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as popular consultation; constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended; amended 1994 (2018)

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: yes
Citizenship by descent only: yes
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years with no absences of six consecutive months or longer or absences totaling more than a year

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera (since 14 January 2016); Vice President Jafeth CABRERA Franco (since 14 January 2016); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government
Head of government: President Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera (since 14 January 2016); Vice President Jafeth CABRERA Franco (since 14 January 2016)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (not eligible for consecutive terms); election last held on 6 September 2015 with a runoff on 25 October 2015 (next to be held in September 2019)
Election results: Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera (FNC) 23.9%, Sandra TORRES (UNE) 19.8%, Manuel BALDIZON (LIDER) 19.6%, other 36.7%; percent of vote in second round - Jimmy Ernesto MORALES Cabrera 67.4%, Sandra TORRES 32.6%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; 127 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies in the countrys 22 departments by simple majority vote and 31 directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 6 September 2015 (next to be held in September 2019)
Election results: percent of vote by party - LIDER 19.1%, UNE 14.8%, TODOS 9.7%, PP 9.4%, FCN 8.8%, EG 6.2%, CREO-PU 5.7%, UCN 5.4%, Winaq-URNG-MAIZ 4.3%, Convergence 3.8%, VIVA 3.7%, PAN 3.4%, FUERZA 2.1%, other 3.5%; seats by party - LIDER 44, UNE 36, TODOS 18, PP 17, FCN 11, EG 7, UCN 6, CREO-PU 5, Convergence 3, PAN 3, VIVA 3, Winaq-URNG-MAIZ 3, FUERZA 2; note - seats by party as of 6 January 2016 - FCN 37, UNE 32, MR 20, TODOS 17, AC 12, EG 7, UCN 6, CREO 5, LIDER 5, VIVA 4, Convergence 3, PAN 3, PP 2, FUERZA 1, PU 1, URNG 1, Winaq 1, independent 1: note: seats by party as of 6 January 2016 - FCN 37, UNE 32, MR 20, TODOS 17, AC 12, EG 7, UCN 6, CREO 5, LIDER 5, VIVA 4, Convergence 3, PAN 3, PP 2, FUERZA 1, PU 1, URNG 1, Winaq 1, independent 1

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - the court president also supervises trial judges countrywide; Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the countrys university law schools, representatives of the countrys law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term
Subordinate courts: numerous first instance and appellate courts

Political parties and leaders: Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO [Richard LEE Abularach]Convergence [Pablo MONSANTO]Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENEGRO Cottom]Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS [Felipe ALEJOS]Force or FUERZA [Jose RADFORD]Grand National Alliance or GANA [Fulbio Ludvin PEREZ]Guatemalan Liberal Party or PLG [Andres AYAU Garcias]Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or Winaq-URNG [Gregorio CHAY Laynez]Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala or VAMOS [Giorgio Eugenio BRUNI]National Advancement Party or PAN [Harald JOHANNESSEN]National Convergence Front or FCN [Javier HERNANDEZ Franco]National Unity for Hope or UNE [Sandra TORRES]National Welfare or BIEN [Ruben GARCIA Lopez]Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Mario ESTRADA]Political Movement Winaq or WINAQ [Sonia GUTIERREZ Raguay]Productivity and Labor Party or PPT [Edgar Alfredo RODRIGUEZ]Reform Movement or MR [Jose Raul VIGIL Arias]Renewed Democratic Liberty or LIDER (dissolved mid-February 2016)Unionista Party or PU [Alvaro Hugo RODAS Martini]UNITED or UNIDOS [Conrado Antonio MONROY Hernandez]Value or VALOR [Ana BERNAT]Victoria (Victory) [Manuel de Jesus RIVERA]Vision with Values or VIVA [Armando Damian CASTILLO Alvarado]

International organization participation: BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Manuel Alfredo ESPINA Pinto (since 8 September 2017)
In the us chancery: 2,220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 745-4,952
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
In the us consulate:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Luis E. ARREAGA (since 4 October 2017)
From the us embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
From the us mailing address: DPO AA 34,024
From the us telephone: [502] 2,326-4,000
From the us FAX: [502] 2,326-4,654

Flag description:

National symbols: quetzal (bird); national colors: blue, white

National anthem
Name: Himno Nacional de Guatemala (National Anthem of Guatemala)
Lyricsmusic: Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE: note: adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934; Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem; his authorship was not discovered until 1911

Economy overview: Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America with a GDP per capita roughly half the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for 13.5% of GDP and 31% of the labor force; key agricultural exports include sugar, coffee, bananas, and vegetables. Guatemala is the top remittance recipient in Central America as a result of Guatemala's large expatriate community in the US. These inflows are a primary source of foreign income, equivalent to two-thirds of the country's exports and about a tenth of its GDP.The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala has since pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) entered into force in July 2006, spurring increased investment and diversification of exports, with the largest increases in ethanol and non-traditional agricultural exports. While CAFTA-DR has helped improve the investment climate, concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers, and poor infrastructure continue to hamper foreign direct investment.The distribution of income remains highly unequal with the richest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala's overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line, and 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Poverty among indigenous groups, which make up more than 40% of the population, averages 79%, with 40% of the indigenous population living in extreme poverty. Nearly one-half of Guatemala's children under age five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 77

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 123

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 150

Gross national saving:
Rank: 141

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 86.3% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 9.7% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 12.3% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 18.8% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -26.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 13.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 23.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 63.2% (2017 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: 1.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 136

Labor force: 6.664 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 69
By occupation agriculture: 31.4%
By occupation industry: 12.8%
By occupation services: 55.8% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 23

Population below poverty line: 59.3% (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 38.4% (2014)
Highest 10: 38.4% (2014)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 10

Budget
Revenues: 8.164 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 9.156 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -1.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 85

Taxes and other revenues: 10.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 212

Public debt:
Rank: 175

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 165

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 41

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 59

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 80

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 81

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 78

Market value of publicly traded shares: NA

Current account balance:
Rank: 47

Exports:
Rank: 90
Partners: US 33.8%, El Salvador 11.1%, Honduras 8.8%, Nicaragua 5.1%, Mexico 4.7% (2017)
Commodities: sugar, coffee, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom, manufacturing products, precious stones and metals, electricity

Imports:
Rank: 84
Commodities: fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity, mineral products, chemical products, plastic materials and products
Partners: US 39.8%, China 10.7%, Mexico 10.7%, El Salvador 5.3% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 71

Debt external:
Rank: 89

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 88

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access population without electricity: 1.6 million (2013)
Access electrification total population: 78% (2013)
Access electrification urban areas: 85% (2013)
Access electrification rural areas: 72% (2013)
Production: 12.12 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 96
Consumption: 10.1 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 96
Exports: 1.858 billion kWh (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 47
Imports: 747 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 75
Installed generating capacity: 4.605 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 85
Generation sources fossil fuels: 41% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 167
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 102
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 31% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 67
Generation sources other renewable sources: 28% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 23

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 9,666 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 79
Crude oil exports: 9,383 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 59
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 136
Crude oil proven reserves: 83.07 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 71

Refined petroleum
Products production: 1162 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 105
Products consumption: 89,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 84
Products exports: 10,810 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 80
Products imports: 97,900 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 55

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 141
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 154
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 116
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 134
Proven reserves: 2.96 billion m³ (1 January 2006 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 94

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 17.15 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 91

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 2,461,109 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 54
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 19,986,482 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 57

Telephone system
General assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala; one of the lowest teledensities in the region especially in the country; state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opened the way for competition; steady improvement of fixed-line which has also spurred growth in mobile-cellular and broadband; open regulatory framework coupled with competion and greater disposable household revenue spurs growth (2017)
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity roughly 15 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are being concentrated on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity about 129 per 100 persons (2017)
International: country code - 502; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber-optic submarine cable system that, together, provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2017)

Broadcast media: 4 privately owned national terrestrial TV channels dominate TV broadcasting; multi-channel satellite and cable services are available; 1 government-owned radio station and hundreds of privately owned radio stations (2007)

Internet
Country code: .gt
Users total: 5,241,952 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 34.5% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 74

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 506,000 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
Rank: 81

Military expenditures:
Rank: 148

Military service age and obligation: all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are eligible for military service; in practice, most of the force is volunteer, however, a selective draft system is employed, resulting in a small portion of 17-21 year-olds conscripted; conscript service obligation varies from 1 to 2 years; women can serve as officers (2013)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 93,129 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 455,520
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: TG (2016)

Airports: 291 (2013)
Rank: 23
With paved runways total: 16 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 6 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 4 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 275 (2013)
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 77 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 195 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 480 km oil (2013)

Railways
Total: 800 km (2018)
Narrow gauge: 800 km
Note: 0.914-m gauge (2018): note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)
Rank: 97

Roadways
Total: 17,621 km (2016)
Paved: 7,489 km (2016)
Unpaved: 10,132 km
Note: (includes 4,960 km of rural roads) (2016)
Rank: 119

Waterways: 990 km
Note: (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season) (2012)
Rank: 65

Merchant marine
Total: 9 (2017)
By type: oil tanker 1, other 8 (2017)
Rank: 152

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Disputes international: annual ministerial meetings under the Organization of American States-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean SeaGuatemala persists in its territorial claim to half of Belize, but agrees to Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interiorboth countries agreed in 2008 to hold referenda to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution; Guatemala’s referendum is scheduled for 15 April 2018Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the US

Refugees and internally displaced persons
IDPs: 242,000 (more than three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996 displaced mainly the indigenous Maya population and rural peasants; ongoing drug cartel and gang violence) (2017)

Illicit drugs: major transit country for cocaine and heroin; it is estimated that 1,000 mt of cocaine are smuggled through the country each year, primarily destined for the US market; in 2016, the Guatamalan government estimated that an average of 4,500 hectares of opium poppy were being cultivated; 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