Guatemala

The Republic of Guatemala is a country in Central America, in the south of
the continent of North America, bordering both the Pacific Ocean and the
Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Mexico in the north, Belize in the
northeast and Honduras and El Salvador in the southeast.

                                       National motto:    None
                                       Official language  Spanish
                                       Capital            Guatemala
                                       President          Alfonso Portillo
History                                Area               Ranked 103th
                                       Ê- Total           108,890 km2
                                       Ê- % water         0.4%
                                       Population         Ranked 63rd
From the 4th to the 11th century, the  Ê- Total (2000)    12,974,361
lowlands of the Peten region of        Ê- Density         119/km2
Guatemala was the heart of the
flourishing Maya civilisation. After   Independence       September 15,
                                                          1821
the collapse of the lowland states,
the Maya states of the central         Currency           Quetzal
highlands continued until conquered by Time zone          UTC-6
the Spanish, who first arrived in 1523
and colonised the area.                National anthem    Guatemala Feliz
                                       Internet TLD       .GT
Guatemala became independent of Spain  Calling Code       502
in 1821, first briefly as part of
Mexico, later as a part of the United Provinces of Central America. This
confederation fell apart in a war from 1838 to 1840, and Guatemala became an
independent nation.

Guatemalan history has since been marked by revolutions, coups and
non-democratic governments. A guerilla war was ended in 1996, leading to
democratically held elections in 1999. Current president Portillo sees it as
his task to improve the economic situation of Guatemala, and has
strengthened ties with Mexico and the United States.

Politics

Guatemala's unicameral parliament, the Congreso de la Repœblica (Congress of
the Republic) with 113 seats, is elected every four years, concurrently with
the presidential elections. The president acts as the head of state and head
of government. In his executive tasks, he is assisted by a cabinet of
minister which are appointed by the president.

Departments

Guatemala is divided into 22 departments (departamentos):

   * 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

Geography

Except for the coastal areas, Guatemala is mostly mountainous, with a hot
tropical climate - more temperate in the highlands. Most of the major cities
are situated in the southern half of the country; the major cities are the
capital Guatemala, Quetzaltenango and Escuintla. The large lake Lago de
Izabal is situated close to the Caribbean coast.

Economy

The agricultural sector accounts for one-fourth of GDP, two-thirds of
exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the
main products. Manufacturing and construction account for one-fifth of GDP.
Since assuming office in January 1996, former President çlvaro Arzœ worked
to implement a program of economic liberalization and political
modernization. The signing of the peace accords in December 1996, which
ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment.
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively little damage to Guatemala
compared to its neighbors. Remaining challenges include beefing up
government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international
donors, and increasing the efficiency and openness of both government and
private financial operations. Growth should remain at the same level in 2000
provided world agricultural prices do not plunge.

Demographics

More than half of Guatemalans are descendants of indigenous Mayan nations.
Westernized Mayans and mestizos (mixed European and indigenous ancestry) are
known as Ladinos. Most of Guatemala's population is rural, though
urbanization is accelerating. The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism,
into which many indigenous Guatemalans have incorporated traditional forms
of worship. Protestantism and traditional Mayan religions are practiced by
an estimated 40% and 1% of the population, respectively.

Though the official language is Spanish, it is not universally understood
among the indigenous population. However, the Peace Accords signed in
December 1996 provide for the translation of some official documents and
voting materials into several indigenous languages (see summary of main
substantive accords).

Culture

Influences of the Mayans and Spanish colonists can still be seen throughout
Guatemala. Much of the clothing is still made in the traditional Mayan way,
and many Mayan ruins can be found.

How to - Physics - History - Companies - Internet - Video Games - List of Phobias - September 11, 2001
Radio - Timelines - Chemistry - Genealogy - Family - Film - SARS - Cancer - Medicine - DVD - Calendar
Countries - Disease - Health Science - Dentistry - Economics - AIDS - Law - Autism - Statistics - Bible
Recipes - Architecture - Computers - History of the Internet - Personal computer - Apple Macintosh
War - Presidents of the United States - United States Constitution - Universe - Philosophy - Animals
Biology - United States Constitution - Marketing Topics - Sports - Television - History of Computing

Car Credit - Info Videos - Credit Cards UK - Payday Loans - Loans