constitutional government in free association with the US; the Compact of Free Association entered into force 21 October 1986 and the Amended Compact entered into force in May 2004
Independence date
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Religions
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Protestant 54.8%, Assembly of God 25.8%, Roman Catholic 8.4%, Bukot nan Jesus 2.8%, Mormon 2.1%, other Christian 3.6%, other 1%, none 1.5% (1999 census)
Languages
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Marshallese (official) 98.2%, other languages 1.8% (1999 census) note: English (official), widely spoken as a second language
Exports
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom
External Debt
$15,670,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - 7.5895 (2008 est.), 7.6833 (2007), 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
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
Oceania, two archipelagic island chains of 29 atolls, each made up of many small islets, and five single islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between Hawaii and Australia
Area
108,889 km sq
181 km sq
Coastline
400 km
370 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
tropical; hot and humid; wet season May to November; islands border typhoon belt
