Guatemala

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Guatemala

General Information
Geography
Government
Economy
Population
Health
Communications and media
Chronology


GENERAL INFORMATION

National name República de Guatemala/Republic of Guatemala Area 108,889 sq km/42,042 sq mi Capital Guatemala City Language Spanish (official), 22 Mayan languages (45%) Religion Roman Catholic 70%, Protestant 10%, traditional Mayan Time difference GMT -6 Major holidays 1 January, 1 May, 30 June, 1 July, 15 September, 12, 20 October, 1 November, 24–25, 31 December; variable: Good Friday, Holy Thursday, Holy Saturday


GEOGRAPHY

Major towns/cities Quezaltenango, Escuintla, Puerto Barrios (naval base), Mixco, Villa Nueva, Chinautla Physical features mountainous; narrow coastal plains; limestone tropical plateau in north; frequent earthquakes Airports two international airports and over 380 airstrips serving internal travel; total passengers carried: 506,000 (2002 est) Railways total length: 886 km/551 mi; no scheduled passenger services since 1995 Roads total road network: 14,118 km/8,773 mi, of which 34.5% paved (1999); passenger cars: 1.0 per 1,000 people (1999)


GOVERNMENT

Head of state and government Oscar Berger Perdomo from 2004 Political system liberal democracy Political executive limited presidency Administrative divisions 22 departments Political parties Guatemalan Christian Democratic Party (PDCG), Christian, left of centre; Centre Party (UCN), centrist; Revolutionary Party (PR), radical; Movement of National Liberation (MLN), extreme right wing; Democratic Institutional Party (PID), moderate conservative; Solidarity and Action Movement (MAS), right of centre; Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), right wing; National Advancement Party (PAN), right of centre; Social Democratic Party (PSD), right of centre Death penalty retained and used for ordinary crimes Armed forces 29,200; plus 35,200 reservists and paramilitary forces of 19,000 (2006 est) Conscription selective conscription for 30 months Defence spend (% GDP) 0.4 (2005 est) Education spend (% GDP) 1.7 (2001 est) Health spend (% GDP) 2.1 (2004)


ECONOMY

Currency quetzal GDP (US$) 31.7 billion (2005 est) Real GDP growth (% change on previous year) 6.5 (2006 est) GNI (US$) 30.3 billion (2005 est) GNI per capita (PPP) (US$) 4,410 (2005 est) Consumer price inflation 6.9% (2006 est) Unemployment 3% (2004 est) Labour force 15% agriculture, 26% industry, 49% services (2003 est) Foreign debt (US$) 5.7 billion (2005 est) Major trading partners USA, El Salvador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, China, El Salvador Resources petroleum, antimony, gold, silver, nickel, lead, iron, tungsten Industries food processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, tobacco, non-metallic minerals, sugar, electrical goods, tourism Exports coffee, bananas, sugar, oil, cardamoms, shellfish, tobacco. Principal market: USA 48.3% (2005) Imports raw materials and intermediate goods for industry, consumer goods, mineral fuels and lubricants. Principal source: USA 31.6% (2005) Arable land 13.2% (2006 est) Agricultural products coffee, sugar cane, bananas, cardamoms, cotton; one of the largest sources of essential oils (citronella and lemon grass); livestock rearing; fishing (chiefly shrimp); forestry (mahogany and cedar)


POPULATION

Population 12,911,100 (2006 est) Population growth rate 2.4% (2005–10) Population density (per sq km) 119 (2006 est) Urban population (% of total) 47 (2005 est) Age distribution (% of total population) 0–14 43%, 15–59 51%, 60+ 6% (2005 est) Ethnic groups two main ethnic groups: American Indians and ladinos (others, including Europeans, black Africans, and mestizos). American Indians are descended from the highland Mayas Life expectancy 65 (men); 72 (women) (2005–10) Child mortality rate (under 5, per 1,000 live births) 45 (2004) Education (compulsory years) 9 Literacy rate 77% (men); 63% (women) (2004 est)


HEALTH

Physicians (per 10,000 people) 8.9 (2004 est) Hospital beds (per 1,000 people) 0.5 (2003 est) HIV infection (% of population aged 15–49) 0.9 (2005 est) AIDS deaths 2,700 (2005 est) Access to drinking-water source (% of total population) 99 (urban); 92 (rural) (2002)


COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA

Landline telephones (per 100 people) 8.9 (2005 est) Mobile phone subscribers (per 100 people) 25 (2005 est) Radios (per 1,000 people) 79 (1997) TV sets (per 1,000 people) 158 (2004 est) Personal computer users (per 100 people) 1.8 (2005 est) Internet users (per 100 people) 6 (2005 est)


CHRONOLOGY

c. AD 250–900 Part of culturally advanced Maya civilization. 1524 Conquered by Spanish adventurer Pedro de Alvarado and became a Spanish colony. 1821 Independence achieved from Spain, joining Mexico initially. 1823 Became part of United Provinces (Federation) of Central America, also embracing Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. 1839 Achieved full independence. 1844–65 Rafael Carrera held power as president. 1873–85 The country was modernized on liberal lines by President Justo Rufino Barrios, the army was built up, and coffee growing introduced. 1944 Juan José Arevalo became president, ending a period of rule by dictators. Socialist programme of reform instituted by Arevalo, including establishing a social security system and redistributing land expropriated from large estates to landless peasants. 1954 Col Carlos Castillo Armas became president in US-backed coup, after United Fruit Company plantations nationalized. Land reform halted. 1966 Civilian rule restored. 1970s More than 50,000 died in political violence as military regime sought to liquidate left-wing dissidents. 1970 Military back in power. 1976 Earthquake killed 27,000 and left more than 1 million homeless. 1981 Growth of antigovernment guerrilla movement. Death squads and soldiers killed an estimated 11,000 civilians during the year. 1985 New constitution adopted; PDCG won congressional elections. 1989 Over 100,000 people killed, and 40,000 reported missing, since 1980. 1991 Diplomatic relations established with Belize, long claimed by Guatemala. 1994 Peace talks held with Guatemalan Revolutionary National Unity (URNG) rebels. Right-wing parties secured majority in congress after elections. 1995 Government criticized by USA and United Nations (UN) for widespread human-rights abuses. Rebels declared ceasefire. 1996 Peace agreement ended 36-year war. 2000 Right-wing Alfonso Portillo became president. Guatemala signed free-trade agreement with Mexico. US dollar accepted as second currency. 2003 Conservative, pro-business candidate Oscar Berger narrowly elected president in run-off ballot against Alvaro Colom representing centre-left coalition. 2004 Former military leader Efrain Rios Montt placed under arrest. The state paid $3.5 million in damages to civil war victims. UN mission set up to monitor peace process. 2005 Government ratified CAFTA with USA amid protests in capital. Tropical storm Stan hit, killing hundreds. 2006 Spanish judge issued arrest warrants for Montt and other former officials for war crimes. Guatemala and UN agreed to set up commission to identify and disarm major underground armed groups. 2007 Murder of political candidates and activists in run-up to September polls alarmed international election monitors.


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