Guatemala
- Forcity, see Guatemala City.
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| National motto: None | |||||
| LocationGuatemala | |||||
| Official language | Spanish | ||||
| Capital | Guatemala City | ||||
| President | Óscar Berger | ||||
| Area - Total - % water | Ranked 103th 108,890 km² 0.4% | ||||
| Population
- Total (2000) - Density | Ranked 63rd
12,974,361 119/km2 | ||||
| Independence | September 15, 1821 | ||||
| Currency | Quetzal | ||||
| Time zone | UTC-6 | ||||
| National anthem | Guatemala Feliz | ||||
| Internet TLD | .GT | ||||
| Calling Code | 502 | ||||
| Tablecontents |
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2 Politics 3 Departments 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics 9 External links |
History
Main article: HistoryGuatemalaFrom4th to11th century,lowlands ofPeten regionGuatemala washeart offlourishing Maya civilization.
Aftercollapse oflowland states,Maya states ofcentral highlands continued until conquered bySpanish, who first arrived1523colonisedarea.
Guatemala became independentSpain1821, first briefly as partMexico, later aspart ofUnited ProvincesCentral America. This confederation fell apart inwar from 18381840,Guatemala became an independent nation.
Guatemalan history has since been marked by revolutions, coupsnon-democratic governments. A guerilla war was ended1996, leadingsuccessive successful democratic elections19992003.
Politics
Main article: PoliticsGuatemalaGuatemala's unicameral parliament,Congreso de la República (Congress ofRepublic)113 seats,elected every four years, concurrently withpresidential elections. The PresidentGuatemala acts asheadstateheadgovernment. In his executive tasks, heassisted bycabinetministers, which he appoints.
See also: Guatemala election, 2003
Departments
Main article: DepartmentsGuatemalaGuatemaladivided into 22 departments (departamentos):
- Alta Verapaz
- Baja Verapaz
- Chimaltenango
- Chiquimula
- Escuintla
- Guatemala
- Huehuetenango
- Izabal
- Jalapa
- Jutiapa
- El Petén
- El Progreso
- Quetzaltenango
- El Quiché
- Retalhuleu
- Sacatepéquez
- San Marcos
- Santa Rosa
- Sololá
- Suchitepéquez
- Totonicapán
- Zacapa
Geography
Main article: GeographyGuatemala
Map
Except forcoastal areas, Guatemalamostly mountainous, withhot tropical climate - more temperate inhighlands. Most ofmajor citiessituated insouthern half ofcountry;major cities arecapital Guatemala City, QuetzaltenangoEscuintla. The large lake Lago de Izabalsituated close toCaribbean coast.
Economy
Main article: EconomyGuatemalaThe agricultural sector accountsone-fourthGDP, two-thirdsexports,half oflabor force. Coffee, sugar,bananas aremain products. Manufacturingconstruction accountone-fifthGDP. After assuming officeJanuary 1996, former President Álvaro Arzú workedimplementprogrameconomic liberalizationpolitical modernization. The signing ofpeace accordsDecember 1996, which ended 36 yearscivil war, removedmajor obstacleforeign investment. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively little damageGuatemala comparedits neighbors. Remaining challenges include beefing up government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors,increasingefficiencyopennessboth governmentprivate financial operations. Growth should remain atsame level2000 provided world agricultural prices do not plunge.
Demographics
Main article: DemographicsGuatemalaMore than halfGuatemalansdescendantsindigenous Maya people. Westernized Mayamestizos (mixed Europeanindigenous ancestry)known as Ladinos. MostGuatemala's populationrural, though urbanizationaccelerating. The predominant religionRoman Catholicism, into which many indigenous Guatemalans have incorporated traditional formsworship. Protestantismtraditional Mayan religionspracticed by an estimated 40%1% ofpopulation, respectively.
Thoughofficial languageSpanish, itnot universally understood amongindigenous population; various Maya language dialectsstill spoken, especiallyrural areas. The Peace Accords signedDecember 1996 provide fortranslationsome official documentsvoting materials into several indigenous languages (see summarymain substantive accords).
Culture
Main article: CultureGuatemalaInfluences ofMayaSpanish colonists can still be seen throughout Guatemala. Much ofclothingstill made intraditional Maya way,many Maya ruins can be found.
Miscellaneous topics
- ListplacesGuatemala
- Listfamous Guatemalans
- CommunicationsGuatemala
- TransportationGuatemala
- MilitaryGuatemala
- Foreign relationsGuatemala
- Listnational parksGuatemala
External links
