2010 Edition

Background

The Mayan 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, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.

Area

land

107,159 sq km

total

108,889 sq km

water

1,730 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Tennessee

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Coastline

400 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

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, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

per capita

160 cu m/yr (2000)

total

2.01 cu km/yr (6%/13%/80%)

Geographic coordinates

15 30 N, 90 15 W

Geography - note

no natural harbors on west coast

Irrigated land

1,300 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

total

1,687 km

Land use

arable land

13.22%

other

81.18% (2005)

permanent crops

5.6%

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

volcanism

Guatemala experiences significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (elev. 3,772 m, 12,375 ft) 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 (elev. 2,552 m, 8,373 ft), which erupted in May 2010 causing an ashfall on Guatemala City and prompting evacuations, is one of the country's most active volcanoes; the volcano has frequently been in eruption since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana

Natural resources

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau

Total renewable water resources

111.3 cu km (2000)

Age structure

0-14 years: 39.4% (male 2,664,058/female 2,573,006) 15-64 years: 56.8% (male 3,655,184/female 3,884,331) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 231,652/female 268,286) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

27.4 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

5.04 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2008)

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.8% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

3,900 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

59,000 (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

24.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

29.22 deaths/1,000 live births

total

26.91 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

72.51 years (2010 est.)

male

68.76 years

total population

70.59 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

63.3% (2002 census)

male

75.4%

total population

69.1%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne disease

dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease

leptospirosis (2009)

Median age

female

20.4 years (2010 est.)

male

19.1 years

total

19.7 years

Nationality

adjective

Guatemalan

noun

Guatemalan(s)

Net migration rate

-2.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Population

13,550,440 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

2.019% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

10 years (2007)

male

11 years

total

11 years

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.36 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

3.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

49% of total population (2008)

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

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2010

geographic coordinates

14 37 N, 90 31 W

name

Guatemala City

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended 25 May 1993; reinstated 5 June 1993; amended November 1993

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form

Guatemala

local long form

Republica de Guatemala

local short form

Guatemala

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Stephen G. MCFARLAND

embassy

7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City

FAX

[502] 2326-4654

mailing address

APO AA 34024

telephone

[502] 2326-4000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Francisco VILLAGRAN de Leon

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, Providence, San Francisco

FAX

[1] (202) 745-1908

telephone

[1] (202) 745-4952

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Jose Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

election results

Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%

elections

president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held on 9 September 2007; runoff held on 4 November 2007 (next to be held in September 2011)

head of government

President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Jose Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008)

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) representing liberty 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 signifying Guatemala's willingness to defend itself and a pair of crossed swords representing honor and framed by a laurel wreath symbolizing victory; the blue bands stand for the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and the sea and sky; the white band denotes peace and purity

Government type

constitutional democratic republic

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

International organization participation

BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, PetroCaribe, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNITAR, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected by Congress for concurrent five-year terms); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 members are elected by Congress to 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)

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - UNE 30.4%, GANA 23.4%, PP 18.9%, FRG 9.5%, PU 5.1%, other 12.7%; seats by party - UNE 48, GANA 37, PP 30, FRG 15, PU 8, CASA 5, EG 4, PAN 4, UCN 4, URNG 2, UD 1

elections

last held on 9 September 2007 (next to be held in September 2011)

National anthem

lyrics/music

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

name

"Himno Nacional de Guatemala" (National Anthem of Guatemala)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties and leaders

Center of Social Action or CASA [Feliz Adolfo RUANO de Leon]; Democracy Front or FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Edwin Armando MARTINEZ Herrera]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Jaime Antonio MARTINEZ Lohayza]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector Alfredo NUILA Ericastilla]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Luis Fernando PEREZ]; Independent Bloc Guatemala or BG [Macario Efrain OLIVA Muralles]; Independent Democratic Freedom Renewed or LIDER [Manuel BALDIZON]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Juan GUTIERREZ]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Roberto KESTLER Velasquez]; Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Mario ESTRADA]; Patriot Party or PP [Ingrid Roxana BALDETTI Elias]; Unionista Party or PU [Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen]

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; International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala or CICIG; Mutual Support Group or GAM

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

Agriculture - products

sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens

Central bank discount rate

NA% (31 December 2009) NA% (31 December 2008)

Commercial bank prime lending rate

13.85% (31 December 2009 est.) 13.39% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.345 billion (2010 est.) -$267.4 million (2009 est.)

Debt - external

$17.47 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $16.04 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

55.1 (2007) 55.8 (1998)

Economy - overview

Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of the average for Latin America and the Caribbean. The agricultural sector accounts for nearly 15% of GDP and half of the labor force; key agricultural exports include coffee, sugar, and bananas. The 1996 peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and since then Guatemala has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) 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 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 decile comprising over 40% of Guatemala's overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line and 15% lives in extreme poverty. Poverty among indigenous groups, which make up 38% of the population, averages 76% and extreme poverty rises to 28%. 43% of children under five are chronically malnourished, one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world. President COLOM entered into office with the promise to increase education, healthcare, and rural development, and in April 2008 he inaugurated a conditional cash transfer program, modeled after programs in Brazil and Mexico, that provide financial incentives for poor families to keep their children in school and get regular health check-ups. Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States, it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly two-thirds of exports. Economic growth fell in 2009 as export demand from US and other Central American markets fell and foreign investment slowed amid the global recession, but the economy recovered gradually in 2010 and will likely return to more normal growth rates by 2012. President COLOM, in his last year in office, will likely face opposition to economic reform, particularly over a long-delayed tax reform and an IMF-recommended reform to strengthen the banking sector. Larger budget deficits and increased debt can be expected in 2011.

Electricity - consumption

7.115 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

131.9 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

8.11 million kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

8.425 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - 8.0798 (2010), 8.1616 (2009), 7.5895 (2008), 7.6833 (2007), 7.6026 (2006)

Exports

$8.47 billion (2010 est.) $7.214 billion (2009)

Exports - commodities

coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom

Exports - partners

US 40.41%, El Salvador 11.2%, Honduras 8.48%, Mexico 5.86% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

13.3%

industry

24.4%

services

62.3% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,200 (2010 est.) $5,200 (2009 est.) $5,300 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.2% (2010 est.) 0.6% (2009 est.) 3.3% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$40.77 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$70.31 billion (2010 est.) $68.8 billion (2009 est.) $68.39 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 1.3% highest 10%: 42.4% (2006)

Imports

$12.65 billion (2010 est.) $11.52 billion (2009)

Imports - commodities

fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity

Imports - partners

US 36.46%, Mexico 10.49%, China 5.88%, El Salvador 5.14% (2009)

Industrial production growth rate

2.6% (2010 est.)

Industries

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.9% (2010 est.) 1.9% (2009 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

13.9% of GDP (2010 est.)

Labor force

4.26 million (2010 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

50%

industry

15%

services

35% (1999 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.96 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

79,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

21,850 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

72,440 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

13,530 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

83.07 million bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

56.2% (2004 est.)

Public debt

29.6% of GDP (2010 est.) 27.9% of GDP (2009 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.709 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $4.973 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of broad money

$25.4 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $22.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$15.58 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $14.8 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$6.6 billion (31 December 2010 est) $6.13 billion (31 December 2009 est)

Unemployment rate

3.2% (2005 est.)

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

Internet hosts

196,870 (2010)

Internet users

2.279 million (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity roughly 10 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are being concentrated on improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons

general assessment

fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

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) (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

1.413 million (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

17.308 million (2009)

Airports

372 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

359 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 84 under 914 m: 271 (2010)

Pipelines

oil 480 km (2009)

Ports and terminals

Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Railways

narrow gauge

332 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)

total

332 km

Roadways

paved

4,863 km (includes 75 km of expressways)

total

14,095 km

unpaved

9,232 km (2000)

Waterways

990 km (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season) (2010)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 3,062,027 females age 16-49: 3,266,655 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,494,903 females age 16-49: 2,827,208 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

166,414 (2010 est.)

male

168,959

Military branches

National Army of Guatemala (Ejercito Nacional de Guatemala, ENG), Guatemalan Navy (Marina Nacional, includes Marines), Guatemalan Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Guatemalteca, FAG) (2009)

Military expenditures

0.4% of GDP (2009)

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; women can serve as officers (2009)

Disputes - international

annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States

Illicit drugs

major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; 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 page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

undetermined (the UN does not estimate there are any IDPs, although some NGOs estimate over 200,000 IDPs as a result of over three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996) (2007)

Trafficking in persons

current situation

Guatemala is a source, transit, and destination country for Guatemalans and Central Americans trafficked for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; human trafficking is a significant and growing problem in the country; Guatemalan women and children are trafficked within the country for commercial sexual exploitation, primarily to Mexico and the United States; Guatemalan men, women, and children are also trafficked within the country, and to Mexico and the United States, for forced labor

tier rating

Tier 2 Watch List - for a second consecutive year, Guatemala is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons, particularly with respect to ensuring that trafficking offenders are appropriately prosecuted for their crimes; while prosecutors initiated trafficking prosecutions, they continued to face problems in court with application of Guatemala's comprehensive anti-trafficking law; the government made modest improvements to its protection efforts, but assistance remained inadequate overall in 2007 (2008)