ABOUT GUATEMALA

Mountains and Mayan culture: Guatemala gives you a double shot of Central America...

Despite its past turmoil and political instability, travelers are returning to Guatemala because it offers Central America in concentrated form: its volcanoes are the highest and most active, its Mayan ruins the most impressive, its earthquakes the most devastating and its history decidedly intense...Guatemala is the Mayan heart of Central America...indigenous culture survives in the ancient ruins of Tikal, rituals of Chichicastenango and blazing colors of Mayan dress. --Lonely Planet

 OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Guatemala

GEOGRAPHY

Area: 108,890 sq. km. (42,042 sq. mi.); about the size of Tennessee.
Cities: Capital--Guatemala City (metro area pop. 2.5 million).
Other major cities--Quetzaltenango, Escuintla.
Terrain: Mountainous, with fertile coastal plain.
Climate: Temperate in highlands; tropical on coasts.

PEOPLE

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Guatemalan(s).
Population (2006 est.): 12.3 million.
Annual population growth rate (2006 est.): 2.27%.
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Spanish-Indian), indigenous.
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, traditional Mayan.
Languages: Spanish, 24 indigenous languages (principally Kiche, Kaqchikel, Q'eqchi, and Mam).
Education: Years compulsory--6. Attendance--41%. Literacy--70.6%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--36.9/1,000. Life expectancy--65.19 yrs.
Work force salaried breakdown: Services--40%; industry and commerce--37%; agriculture--15%; construction, mining, utilities--4%. Fifty percent of the population engages in some form of agriculture, often at the subsistence level outside the monetized economy.

GOVERNMENT

Type: Constitutional democratic republic.
Constitution: May 1985; amended November 1993.
Suffrage: Universal for adults 18 and over who are not serving on active duty with the armed forces or police. A variety of procedural obstacles have historically reduced participation by poor, rural, and indigenous people.

ECONOMY

Real GDP (2006): $22.83 billion.
Real GDP growth (2006): 4.6%.
Per capita GDP (PPP, 2006): $4,317.
Natural resources: Oil, timber, nickel.
Agriculture (23% of GDP): Products--coffee, sugar, bananas, cardamom, vegetables, flowers and plants, timber, rice, rubber.
Manufacturing (18% of GDP): Types--prepared food, clothing and textiles, construction materials, tires, pharmaceuticals.
Trade (2005 est.): Exports--$3.94 billion: coffee, bananas, sugar, crude oil, chemical products, clothing and textiles, vegetables. Major markets--U.S. 28.9%, Central American Common Market (CACM) 42.4%, Mexico 4.8%. Imports--$7.75 billion: machinery and equipment, fuels, mineral products, chemical products, vehicles and transport materials, plastic materials and products. Major suppliers--U.S. 39.6%, CACM 12.3%, Mexico 8.3%, Japan 3.8%, Germany 2.4%.

				Guatemala's many Mayan ruins and colonial buildings are its most impressive architectural attributes...
				One of the most intriguing cultural aspects is the infinite and exotic variety of the handmade, traditional clothing of Guatemala's Maya. The design of the women's colorfully embroidered tunics, capes and skirts dates back to pre-colonial days. Certain details of garment and design identify the wearer's group and village, and can also have multiple religious or magical meanings. Music and traditional dance also feature in many Mayan religious festivals

 CURRENT LISTINGS

Contact Barbara J. Cooke, 925-408-9488 USA