Country Profile Guatemala

 

  • Capital: Guatemala
  • Population: 13,276,517 (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: 
  • 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):

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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>>Find the latest Trade Agreements with Guatemala, click here Trade Agreement Guatemala

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