Guatemala

§1. Guatemala Introduction

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 conflict, which had left more
  than 100,000 people dead and had created some 1 million refugees.

§2. Guatemala Geography

Location:
  Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and
  Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras
  and Belize

Geographic coordinates:
  15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references:
  Central_America_and_the_Caribbean

Area:
  total: 108,890 km²
  land: 108,430 km²
  water: 460 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Tennessee

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

Coastline:
  400 km

Maritime claims:
  territorial sea: 12 nm
  exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
  continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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

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

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
  highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

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

Land use:
  arable land: 13.22%
  permanent crops: 5.6%
  other: 81.18% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  1,250 km² (1998 est.)

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

Environment - current issues:
  deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - 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
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  no natural harbors on west coast

§3. Guatemala People

Population:
  12,293,545 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 41.1% (male 2,573,359/female 2,479,098)
  15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,353,630/female 3,468,184)
  65 years and over: 3.4% (male 194,784/female 224,490) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 18.9 years
  male: 18.5 years
  female: 19.4 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  2.27% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  29.88 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 33.55 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 69.38 years
  male: 67.65 years
  female: 71.18 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  3.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  1.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  78,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  5,800 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Guatemalan(s)
  adjective: Guatemalan

Ethnic groups:
  Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and
  European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other
  Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)

Religions:
  Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 70.6%
  male: 78%
  female: 63.3% (2003 est.)

§4. Guatemala Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
  conventional short form: Guatemala
  local long form: Republica de Guatemala
  local short form: 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 Jorge 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 Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14
    January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January
    2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
    government
  head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14
    January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January
    2004); 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 9 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held
    September 2007)
  election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of vote -
    Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9%

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats;
  members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
  elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held September 2007)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GANA 49,
    FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
  note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional seats
    increased from 113 to 158

Judicial branch:
  Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest
  court (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); Supreme Court of
  Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 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)

Political parties and leaders:
  Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Grand National
  Alliance or GANA (an alliance of smaller parties) [Alfredo VILA Giron,
  secretary general]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES Garcis-Salaz];
  Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan
  National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Alba ESTELA Maldonado, secretary
  general]; 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 [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas, secretary general]; 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 [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Liberator
  Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo
  SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general]; Unionista Party [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI;
  Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of
  Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF;
  Mutual Support Group or GAM

International organization participation:
  BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA,
  IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
  (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM,
  OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU,
  WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO
  chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
  FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New
    York, Providence, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador James M. DERHAM
  embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
  mailing address: APO AA 34024
  telephone: [502] 2326-4000
  FAX: [502] 2334-8477

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

§5. Guatemala Economy

Economy - overview:
  Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American
  countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina,
  and Chile. 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. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which
  ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign
  investment, but widespread political violence and corruption scandals
  continue to dampen investor confidence. The distribution of income remains
  highly unequal with perhaps 75% of the population below the poverty line.
  Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues,
  negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both
  government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking,
  and narrowing the trade deficit.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $62.97 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $27.58 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3.1% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $5,200 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 22.8%
  industry: 19.1%
  services: 58.1% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  3.76 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  7.5% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  75% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 1.6%
  highest 10%: 46% (1998)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  48.3 (2000)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  9.1% (2005 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
  15.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $3.374 billion
  expenditures: $4.041 billion; including capital expenditures of $750
    million (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  26.9% of GDP (2005 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)

Electricity - production:
  6.898 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  6.025 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  425 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  35 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  22,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  66,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  3,104 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  263 million bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  3.087 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-1.236 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $3.94 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom

Exports - partners:
  US 53%, El Salvador 11.4%, Honduras 7.1%, Mexico 4.1% (2004)

Imports:
  $7.744 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain,
  fertilizers, electricity

Imports - partners:
  US 34%, Mexico 8.1%, South Korea 6.8%, China 6.6%, Japan 4.4% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $3.764 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $5.503 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $250 million (2000 est.)

Currency (code):
  quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed

Exchange rates:
  quetzales per US dollar - 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003),
  7.8217 (2002), 7.8586 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Guatemala Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  1,132,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  3,168,300 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 502; connected to Central American Microwave
    System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)

Television broadcast stations:
  26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)

Internet country code:
  .gt

Internet hosts:
  40,405 (2005)

Internet users:
  756,000 (2005)

§7. Guatemala Transportation

Airports:
  449 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 11
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 2 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 438
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 8
  914 to 1,523 m: 110
  under 914 m: 319 (2005)

Pipelines:
  oil 480 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 886 km
  narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 14,095 km
  paved: 4,863 km (including 75 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 9,232 km (1999)

Waterways:
  990 km
  note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during
    high-water season (2004)

Ports and terminals:
  Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

§8. Guatemala Military

Military branches:
  Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force

Military service age and obligation:
  all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for military
  service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24 months (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 3,020,292 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 2,106,847 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 161,964 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $169.8 million (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.5% (2005 est.)

§9. Guatemala Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain forests of Belize's
  border region; Organization of American States (OAS) is attempting to
  revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a small adjustment to land
  boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, a joint ecological
  park for the disputed Sapodilla Cays, and a substantial US-UK financial
  package; Guatemalans enter Mexico illegally seeking work or transit to the
  US

Refugees and internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 250,000 (government's scorched-earth offensive in 1980s against
    indigenous people) 30,000 (Hurricane "Stan" October 2005) (2005)

Illicit drugs:
  major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2004, reemerged as a
  potential source of opium, growing 330 hectares of opium poppy, with
  potential pure heroin production of 1.4 metric tons; 76% of opium poppy
  cultivation in western highlands along Mexican border; 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; remains on
  Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List
  for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control
  regime


<Factbook 2006>
