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- #CARD:Guatemala:Geography
- #IMAGE 49 66 TWPCX \maps\Guatemal.PCX
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK Click Here for MAP
- Guatemala
- Geography
-
-
- Location:
- Central America, between Honduras and Mexico
- Map references:
- Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the
- World
- Area:
- total area:
- 108,890 km2
- land area:
- 108,430 km2
- comparative area:
- slightly smaller than Tennessee
- 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
- International disputes:
- border with Belize in dispute; negotiations to resolve the dispute have
- begun
- Climate:
- tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
- Terrain:
- mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
- (Peten)
- 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.)
- Environment:
- numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes;
- Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms;
- deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
- Note:
- no natural harbors on west coast
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:People
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- People
-
-
- Population:
- 10,446,015 (July 1993 est.)
- Population growth rate:
- 2.63% (1993 est.)
- Birth rate:
- 36.19 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Death rate:
- 7.74 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Net migration rate:
- -2.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
- Infant mortality rate:
- 55.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
- Life expectancy at birth:
- total population:
- 63.99 years
- male:
- 61.46 years
- female:
- 66.65 years (1993 est.)
- Total fertility rate:
- 4.9 children born/woman (1993 est.)
- Nationality:
- noun:
- Guatemalan(s)
- adjective:
- Guatemalan
- Ethnic divisions:
- Ladino 56% (mestizo - mixed Indian and European ancestry), Indian 44%
- Religions:
- Roman Catholic, Protestant, traditional Mayan
- Languages:
- Spanish 60%, Indian language 40% (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche,
- Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
- Literacy:
- age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
- total population:
- 55%
- male:
- 63%
- female:
- 47%
- Labor force:
- 2.5 million
- by occupation:
- agriculture 60%, services 13%, manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction
- 4%, transport 3%, utilities 0.8%, mining 0.4% (1985)
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- Government
-
-
- Names:
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Guatemala
- conventional short form:
- Guatemala
- local long form:
- Republica de Guatemala
- local short form:
- Guatemala
- Digraph:
- GT
- Type:
- 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)
- 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
- National holiday:
- Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
- Political parties and leaders:
- National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge CARPIO Nicolle; Solidarity Action
- Movement (MAS), Jorge SERRANO Elias; Christian Democratic Party (DCG),
- Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo; National Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU
- Irigoyen; National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon; Social
- Democratic Party (PSD), Mario SOLARZANO Martinez; Popular Alliance 5 (AP-5),
- Max ORLANDO Molina; Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos CHAVARRIA; National
- Authentic Center (CAN), Hector MAYORA Dawe; Democratic Institutional Party
- (PID), Oscar RIVAS; Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel GIRON;
- Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Efrain RIOS Montt
- Other political or pressure groups:
- Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF); Mutual Support Group
- (GAM); Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO); Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC);
- leftist guerrilla movement known as Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union
- (URNG) has four main factions - Guerrilla army of the Poor (EGP);
- Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA); Rebel Armed Forces
- (FAR); Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT/O)
- Suffrage:
- 18 years of age; universal
- Elections:
- Congress:
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:Government
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- Government
- President:
- 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
- Executive branch:
- president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
- Legislative branch:
- unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)
- Judicial branch:
- Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
- Leaders:
- Chief of State and Head of Government:
- President Ramiro DE LEON Carpio (since 6 June 1993); Vice President Arturo
- HERBRUGER (since 18 June 1993)
- Member of:
- 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 in US:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Juan Jose CASO-FANJUL
- chancery:
- 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- (202) 745-4952 through 4954
- consulates general:
- Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San
- Francisco
- US diplomatic representation:
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Marilyn MCAFEE (since 28 May 1993)
- embassy:
- 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
- mailing address:
- APO AA 34024
- telephone:
- [502] (2) 31-15-41
- FAX:
- [502] (2) 318855
- Flag:
- 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
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- 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 4% as government policies favoring competition and
- foreign trade and investment took stronger hold.
- National product:
- GDP - exchange rate conversion - $12.6 billion (1992 est.)
- National product real growth rate:
- 4.2% (1992)
- National product per capita:
- $1,300 (1992 est.)
- Inflation rate (consumer prices):
- 14% (1992 est.)
- Unemployment rate:
- 6.5% (1991 est.), with 30-40% underemployment
- Budget:
- revenues $604 million; expenditures $808 million, including capital
- expenditures of $134 million (1990 est.)
- Exports:
- $1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
- commodities:
- coffee 26%, sugar 13%, bananas 7%, beef 3%
- partners:
- US 36%, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Germany, Honduras
- Imports:
- $1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
- commodities:
- fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles
- partners:
- US 40%, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, Germany
- External debt:
- $2.5 billion (December 1992 est.)
- Industrial production:
- growth rate 1.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
- Electricity:
- 847,600 kW capacity; 2,500 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1992)
- Industries:
- sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals,
- rubber, tourism
- Agriculture:
- 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
- Illicit drugs:
- illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug
- trade; the government has an active eradication program for cannabis and
- opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
- Economic aid:
- US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US)
- countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.92 billion
- Currency:
- 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:Economy
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- Economy
- Exchange rates:
- free market quetzales (Q) per US$1 - 5.2850 (December 1993), 5.1706 (1992),
- 5.0289 (1991), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988); note - black-market rate 2.800
- (May 1989)
- Fiscal year:
- calendar year
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:Communications
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- Communications
-
-
- Railroads:
- 1,019 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 917 km government owned, 102 km
- privately owned
- Highways:
- 26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 unimproved
- Inland waterways:
- 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water
- season
- Pipelines:
- crude oil 275 km
- Ports:
- Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
- Merchant marine:
- 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
- Airports:
- total:
- 474
- usable:
- 418
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 11
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 3
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 21
- Telecommunications:
- fairly modern network centered in Guatemala [city]; 97,670 telephones;
- broadcast stations - 91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into
- Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
-
- #ENDCARD
- #CARD:Guatemala:Defense Forces
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Guatemala
- Defense Forces
-
-
- Branches:
- Army, Navy, Air Force
- Manpower availability:
- males age 15-49 2,410,760; fit for military service 1,576,569; reach
- military age (18) annually 115,178 (1993 est.)
- Defense expenditures:
- exchange rate conversion - $121 million, 1% of GDP (1993)
-
- #ENDCARD
-