|
GUATEMALA OVERVIEW
|
|
General Information |
|
Geography |
|
People |
|
Government |
|
Economy |
Geography:
Total Area:
108,890 sq km.
-
Land Area:
108,430 sq km.
-
Water Area:
460
sq km.
-
Coast Line:
400
km.
-
Maritime
Claims:
Territorial sea: 12 nm.
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm.
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the
depth of exploitation.
-
Terrain:
Mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and
rolling limestone plateau (Petén)
-
Natural
Resources:
Petroleum,
nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower.
-
Land Use:
Arable land: 12.54%
Permanent crops: 5.03%
Other: 82.43% (2001)
-
Irrigated Land:
1,250 sq km.
|
|
top |
People:
Population:
14,655,189 (July 2005 est.).
-
Age
Structure:
0-14
years: 42.4% (male 3,185,037/female 3,033,947)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 4,019,052/female
3,928,984)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 226,745/female
261,424) (2005 est.)
-
Population
Growth Rate:
2.57% (2005
est.).
-
Ethnic
Groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local
Spanish called Ladino) and 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% (2001 census).
-
Religions:
Roman
Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs.
-
Literacy:
Age
15 and over can read and write
Total population: 70.6%
male: 78%
female: 63.3% (2003 est.)
|
|
top |
Government:
Government Type:
Constitutional democratic republic.
-
Capital:
Guatemala City.
-
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.
-
Legal System:
Civil law system; judicial review of legislative
acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction.
-
Executive Branch:
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
-
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).
-
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 (13
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)
-
International Organization Participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer),
MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL,
OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS,
UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTO
-
Diplomatic Representation in the United States
of America:
Chief of mission: Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Denver,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San
Francisco
-
Diplomatic Representation From the United States
of America:
Chief of
mission: Ambassador James M. DURHAM
Embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10,
Guatemala City
Mailing address: APO AA 34024
Telephone: [502] 2326-4000
FAX: [502] 2334-8477
|
|
top |
Economy:
Economy:
Economy based on agriculture.
-
GDP
(Purchasing Power Parity): $62.78 billion
(2005 est.)
-
Labor Force:
Agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35%
-
Inflation
Rate (consumer prices): 9.1%
-
Unemployment
Rate: 7.5%
-
Budget:
Revenues: $3.374 billion
Expenditures: $4.041 billion, including
capital expenditures of $750 million (2005 est.)
-
Imports:
$7.744 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
-
Exports:
$3.94
billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
-
Industries:
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture,
chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism.
-
Agriculture -
Products: sugarcane, corn,
bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep,
pigs, chickens, etc.
|
|
top
|
|
|
|