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| Introduction | Guatemala |
| Background: | 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 led to the death of more than 100,000 people and had created some 1 million refugees. |
| People | Guatemala |
| Population: | 14,280,596 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42.6% (male 3,118,396; female 2,970,729) 15-64 years: 54% (male 3,898,939; female 3,817,435) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 221,154; female 253,943) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 18.4 years male: 18.1 years female: 18.6 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.61% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 34.58 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 36.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 36.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 37.71 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 65.19 years male: 64.3 years female: 66.13 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 4.6 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 1.1% (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 78,000 (2003 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | 5,800 (2003 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan |
| Ethnic groups: | Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino), approximately 55%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2% |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs |
| Languages: | Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 70.6% male: 78% female: 63.3% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Guatemala |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala conventional short form: Guatemala local short form: Guatemala local long form: Republica de Guatemala |
| Government type: | constitutional democratic republic |
| Capital: | Guatemala |
| Administrative divisions: | 22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); 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 |
| Independence: | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Constitution: | 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993 |
| Legal system: | civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day) |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 9 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held NA November 2007) election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvaro COLOM (UNE) 45.9% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held NA November 2007) note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional seats increased from 113 to 158 election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18 |
| Judicial branch: | Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the President, one elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, and one by Colegio de Abogados); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (thirteen members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democratic Union or UD [Rodolfo PAIZ Andrade]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Oscar BERGER Perdomo]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Alba ESTELA Maldonado, secretary general]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan Unity or MGU [Jacobo ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principals and Values or MPV [Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas, secretary general]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvarado COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN, formed by an alliance of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of whom subsequently defected [led by three co-equal partners - Nineth Varenca MONTENEGRO Cottom, Rodolfo BAUER Paiz, and Jorge Antonio BALSELLS TUT]; Patriot Party or PP [retired General Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general]; Unionista Party [leader NA] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM |
| International organization participation: | BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908 telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador John R. HAMILTON embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City mailing address: APO AA 34024 telephone: [502] 2331-1541/55 FAX: [502] 2334-8477 |
| Flag description: | three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath |
| Communications | Guatemala |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 846,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 1,577,100 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala domestic: NA international: country code - 502; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000) |
| Radios: | 835,000 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997) |
| Televisions: | 1.323 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .gt |
| Internet hosts: | 20,360 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 5 (2000) |
| Internet users: | 400,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Guatemala |
| Railways: | total: 886 km narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 14,118 km paved: 4,871 km (including 74 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,247 km (1999) |
| Waterways: | 990 km note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2004) |
| Pipelines: | oil 480 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla |
| Merchant marine: | none |
| Airports: | 452 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 441 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 109 under 914 m: 323 (2004 est.) |
| Military | Guatemala |
| Military branches: | Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 3,421,682 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 2,233,562 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 156,865 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $202.6 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.8% (2003) |
| Transnational Issues | Guatemala |
| Disputes - international: | Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in Belize border region; OAS brokered Differendum in 2002 creating small adjustment to land boundary, large Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, joint ecological park for disputed Sapodilla Cays, and substantial US-UK financial package, but agreement was not brought to popular referendum leaving Guatemala to continue to claim the southern half of Belize intact; numbers of Guatemalans enter Mexico seeking work or transit to the US |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 250,000 (government's scorched-earth offensive in 1980s against indigenous people) (2004) |
| Illicit drugs: | major transit country for cocaine and heroin; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem; remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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