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Daily or weekly publication in the form of folded sheets containing news and comment. News-sheets became commercial undertakings after the invention of printing and were introduced in 1609 in Germany and 1616 in the Netherlands. In 1622 the first newspaper appeared in English, the Weekly News, edited by Nicholas Bourne and Thomas Archer. Improved printing (steam printing in 1814, the rotary press in 1846 in the USA and in 1857 in the UK), newsprint (paper made from wood pulp), and a higher literacy rate (those able to read) led to the growth of newspapers. In the 20th century production costs fell with the introduction of new technology. The oldest national newspaper currently printed in the UK is The Observer (1791). The world's most widely-read newspaper is Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, with a daily circulation of 10 million.

The quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala, symbolizes freedom. The blue bands stand for the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The weapons represent the defence of liberty. Effective date: 15 September 1968. >>