Guatemala
Republic of Guatemala
Capital: Guatemala City
History
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 200,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees. In January 2012, Guatemala assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2012-13 term.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
108,889
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
1,687
km
|
| Border Countries |
Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km |
| Coastline |
400
km
|
| Terrain |
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
4,211
m
|
| Climate |
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
| Natural Resources |
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
13.78% |
| Permanent Crops |
8.68% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$9.86 billion |
| Export Items |
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom |
| Export Partners |
US 37.9%, El Salvador 10.5%, Honduras 6.8%, Mexico 5.1% (2011) |
| Imports |
$15.57 billion |
| Import Items |
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity, mineral products, chemical products, plastic materials and products |
| Import Partners |
US 40.4%, Mexico 11.6%, China 8.2%, El Salvador 4.5% (2011) |
People
| Population |
14,373,472 |
| Population Growth |
1.91% |
| 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) |
| Religion |
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs |
| Life Expectancy |
71.46 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.97 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
3.4 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
