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.
     

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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.)


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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
     

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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.


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Diaz-Duran & Asociados Central Law
Guatemala: 15 ave 18-28 Z. 13 Guatemala City
Tel (502) 2383-6000 Fax: (502) 2361-3317
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E-mail:
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