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Country Profile Guatemala

Capital: Guatemala
Population: 13.860.743 (July 2009 est.)
Currency: Quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed

Language:
- Spanish 60%
- Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Time zone: UTC-6
Government: Constitutional democratic republic
Chief of State: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros
GDP real growth rate :
- 3.8% (2008 est.)
- 5.7% (2007 est.)
- 5.3% (2006 est.)
Exports: $8.028 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Main Export Partners:
- US 42.2%
- El Salvador 9.6%
- Honduras 8.6%
- Mexico 6.5%
- Costa Rica 4.5%
Imports: $15.42 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)
Main Import partners:
- US 34.9%
- Mexico 9.9%
- China 6.8%
- El Salvador 4.6%
- Costa Rica 4.1%
Country Dialing Code: +502
Emergency numbers: 110 to contact the police 120 for medical assistance

Detailed country profile

ECONOMY

GDP real growth rate:

3.8% (2008 est.)
5.7% (2007 est.)
5.3% (2006 est.)

GDP- Composition by sector (2008):

Agriculture: 13.2%
Industry: 25.8%
Services: 61%

Imports:$15.42 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Import commodities:

Fuels
Machinery and transport equipment
Construction materials
Grain
Fertilizers
Electricity

Import partners(2007):

US 34.9%
Mexico 9.9%
China 6.8%
El Salvador 4.6%
Costa Rica 4.1

Exports:$8.028 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

Export Commodities

Coffee
Sugar
Petroleum
Apparel
Bananas
Fruits and Vegetables
Cardamom

Main Export Partners (2007):

US 42.2%
El Salvador 9.6%
Honduras 8.6%
Mexico 6.5%
Costa Rica 4.1%

Labor force by occupation(1999):

Agriculture: 50%
Industry: 15%
Services: 35%

Agriculture products:

Sugarcane
Corn
Bananas
Coffee
Beans
Cardamom
Cattle
Sheep
Pigs
Chickens

Industries:

Sugar
Textiles and clothing
Furniture
Chemicals
Petroleum
Metals
Rubber
Tourism

Ports and Terminal:

Puerto Quetzal
Santo Tomas de Castilla

Unemployment rate:3.2% (2005 est.)

GOVERNMENT

Government Type:Constitutional democratic republic

Executive Branch:

Chief of state: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008)
Vice President Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008)
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 (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 September 2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011)

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

GEOGRAPHY

Land Boundaries:total: 1,687 km

Border countries:

Belize 266 km
El Salvador 203 km
Honduras 256 km
Mexico 962 km

Climate:Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain:Mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau

Elevation Extremes:

Lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources:

Petroleum
Nickel
Rare woods
Fish
Chicle
Hydropower

Environment and international agreement:

Party to:

Antarctic Treaty
Biodiversity
Climate Change
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Desertification
Endangered Species
Environmental Modification
Hazardous Wastes
Law of the Sea
Marine Dumping
Ozone Layer Protection
Ship Pollution
Wetlands
Whaling

Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Environment and current issues:

Deforestation in the Peten rainforest
Soil erosion
Water pollution

PEOPLE

Ethnic groups(2001):

Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino)European 59.4%
K'iche 9.1%
Kaqchikel 8.4%
Mam 7.9%
Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%
Other 0.1%

Languages:

Spanish 60%
Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

Religion:Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

HISTORY

Express History

The Mayan 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 left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.

Source: The world factbook www.cia.gov

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