1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Coastline
400 km
Comparative area
slightly smaller than Tennessee
Continental shelf
not specific;
Disputes
claims Belize, but boundary negotiations are under way
Environment
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
Extended economic zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Land use
12% arable land; 4% permanent crops; 12% meadows and pastures; 40% forest and woodland; 32% other; includes 1% irrigated
Natural resources
crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
Note
no natural harbors on west coast
Terrain
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
Territorial sea
12 nm
Total area
108,890 km2; land area: 108,430 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
37 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
9 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
56% Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European ancestry), 44% Indian
Infant mortality rate
61 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
2,500,000; 57.0% agriculture, 14.0% manufacturing, 13.0% services, 7.0% commerce, 4.0% construction, 3.0% transport, 0.8% utilities, 0.4% mining (1985)
Language
Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
Life expectancy at birth
60 years male, 65 years female (1990)
Literacy
50%
Nationality
noun--Guatemalan(s); adjective--Guatemalan
Net migration rate
- 3 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
8% of labor force (1988 est.)
Population
9,097,636 (July 1990), growth rate 2.6% (1990)
Religion
predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional Mayan
Total fertility rate
5.1 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
22 departments (departamentos, singular--departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quezaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
Capital
Guatemala
Communists
Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla groups--Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents
Constitution
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Rodolfo ROHRMOSER V; Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 through 4954; there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024); telephone [502] (2) 31-15-41
Elections
President--last held on 3 December 1985 (next to be held 3 November 1990); results--Mario Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo (DCG) 38.7%, Jorge Carpio Nicolle (UCN) 20.2%, Jorge Serrano Elias (PDCN/PR) 14.8%; National Congress--last held on 3 November 1985 (next to be held 3 November 1990); results--DCG 38.7%, UCN 20.2%, PDCN/PR 13.8%, MLN/PID 12.6%, CAN 6.3%, PSD 3.4%, PNR 3.2%, PUA/FUN/MEC 1.9%; seats--(100 total) DCG 51, UCN 22, MLN 12, PDCN/PR 11, PSD 2, PNR 1, CAN 1
Executive branch
president, vice president, Council of Ministers
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
Independence
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders
Chief of State and Head of Government--President Mario Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo (since 14 January 1986); Vice President Roberto CARPIO Nicolle
Legal system
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional)
Long-form name
Republic of Guatemala
Member of
CACM, CCC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAC, ICAO, ICO, IDA, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IRC, ISO, ITU, IWC--International Wheat Council, OAS, ODECA, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPEB, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
National holiday
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Other political or pressure groups
Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino Unity
Political parties and leaders
Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arevalo; National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge Carpio Nicolle; National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario Sandoval Alarcon; Social Action Movement (MAS), Jorge Serrano Elias; Revolutionary Party (PR) in coalition with National Renewal Party (PNR), Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario Solarzano Martinez; National Authentic Center (CAN), Mario David Garcia; United Anti-Communist Party (PUA), Leonel Sisniega; Emerging Movement for Harmony (MEC), Louis Gordillo; Democratic Party of National Cooperation (PDCN), Adan Fletes; Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar Rivas; Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel Giron
Suffrage
universal at age 18, compulsory for literates, voluntary for illiterates
Type
republic
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 25% of GDP; most important sector of economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal crops--sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock--cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
Aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-88), $869 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $7.7 billion
Budget
revenues $771 million; expenditures $957 million, including capital expenditures of $188 million (1988)
Currency
quetzal (plural--quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
Electricity
807,000 kW capacity; 2,540 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
free market quetzales (Q) per US$1--3.3913 (January 1990), 2.8261 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note--black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)
Exports
$1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--coffee 38%, bananas 7%, sugar 7%, cardamom 4%; partners--US 29%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
External debt
$3.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$10.8 billion, per capita $1,185; real growth rate 1.3% (1989 est.)
Illicit drugs
illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
Imports
$1.5 billion (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles; partners--US 38%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador
Industrial production
growth rate 3.5% (1988 est.)
Industries
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
15% (1989)
Overview
The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 25% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Industry accounts for about 20% of GDP and 15% of the labor force. The economy has reentered a slow-growth phase, but is hampered by political uncertainty. In 1988 the economy grew by 3.7%, the third consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic reforms introduced since 1986 have stabilized exchange rates and have helped to stem inflationary pressures. The inflation rate has dropped from 36.9% in 1986 to 15% in 1989.
Unemployment rate
13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1988 est.)
Communications
Airports
451 total, 391 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
10 major transport aircraft
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
Merchant marine
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
Pipelines
crude oil, 275 km
Ports
Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Railroads
870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km government owned, 90 km privately owned
Telecommunications
fairly modern network centered in Guatemala pcityo; 97,670 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force
Defense expenditures
1% of GDP, or $115 million (1990 est.)
Military manpower
males 15-49, 2,028,875; 1,327,374 fit for military service; 107,251 reach military age (18) annually