Guatemala

The Maya 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 internal conflict.

• tropical;
• hot, humid in lowlands;
• cooler in highlands

highest point:

Volcan Tajumulco (highest point in Central America) 4,220 m

lowest point:

Pacific Ocean 0 m

mean elevation:

759 m

• the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions;
• more than half of the population lives in rural areas

noun:

Guatemalan(s)

adjective:

Guatemalan

total:

26.7 years (2025 est.)

male:

24.2 years

female:

25.4 years

• the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions;
• more than half of the population lives in rural areas

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.8 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

23.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

28.1 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

21.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

73.5 years (2024 est.)

male:

71.5 years

female:

75.6 years

total:

1.63 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.9 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

11.8% (2025 est.)

male:

22.5% (2025 est.)

female:

1.5% (2025 est.)

women married by age 15:

6.2% (2015)

women married by age 18:

29.5% (2015)

men married by age 18:

9.6% (2015)

• deforestation in the Peten rainforest;
• soil erosion;
• water pollution

• tropical;
• hot, humid in lowlands;
• cooler in highlands

urban population:

53.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

2.757 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

10.4% (2022 est.)

municipal:

835 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

603.1 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

1.886 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form:

Guatemala

local long form:

República de Guatemala

local short form:

Guatemala

etymology:

the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

name:

Guatemala City

geographic coordinates:

14 37 N, 90 31 W

time difference:

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala"

• 22 departments ( departamentos , singular - departamento );
• Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepéquez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Sololá, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán, Zacapa

history:

• several previous;
• latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986;
• suspended and reinstated in 1994

amendment process:

• proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as "popular consultation";
• constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended

citizenship by birth:

yes

citizenship by descent only:

yes

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years with no absences of six consecutive months or longer or absences totaling more than a year

legislature name:

Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República)

legislative structure:

unicameral

number of seats:

160 (all directly elected)

electoral system:

mixed system

scope of elections:

full renewal

term in office:

4 years

most recent election date:

6/25/2023

parties elected and seats per party:

• Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) (39);
• National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) (28);
• Seed Movement (Semilla) (23);
• Cabal (18);
• Vision with Values (VIVA) (11);
• Other (41)

percentage of women in chamber:

20%

expected date of next election:

June 2027

highest court(s):

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal;
• magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms;
• Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries;
• judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms;
• the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term

subordinate courts:

Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts

note 1: the Supreme Court of Justice president also supervises trial judges countrywide

note 2: the Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad of Guatemala resides outside the country's judicial system; its sole purpose is the interpretation of the constitution and to see that the laws and regulations are not superior to the constitution (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates)

• Bienestar Nacional or BIEN
• Blue Party (Partido Azul) or Blue
• CABAL
• Cambio
• Citizen Prosperity or PC
• Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO
• Elephant Community (Comunidad Elefante) or Elephant
• Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS
• Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG-MAIZ or URNG
• Humanist Party of Guatemala or PHG
• Movement for the Liberation of Peoples or MLP
• Movimiento Semilla or SEMILLA
• National Advancement Party or PAN
• National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION
• National Unity for Hope or UNE
• Nationalist Change Union or UCN (dissolved 16 December 2021)
• Nosotros or PPN
• PODEMOS
• Political Movement Winaq or Winaq
• TODOS
• Value or VALOR
• Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS
• Victory or VICTORIA
• Vision with Values or VIVA
• Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad) or VOS

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tobin BRADLEY (since 12 February 2024)

embassy:

Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City

mailing address:

3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC 20521-3190

telephone:

[502] 2354-0000

FAX:

[502] 2326-4654

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://gt.usembassy.gov/

description:

• three equal vertical bands of light blue (left side), white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band;
• the coat of arms includes a green-and-red quetzal (the national bird), a scroll with the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain), a pair of crossed rifles, and a pair of crossed swords;
• a laurel wreath frames the objects

meaning:

• the rifles stand for Guatemala's willingness to defend itself, the swords for honor, and the laurel wreath for victory;
• blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and white for peace and purity

note: one of two national flags featuring a firearm -- the other is Mozambique

title:

"Himno Nacional de Guatemala" (National Anthem of Guatemala)

lyrics/music:

Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE

history:

• adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934;
• Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem and it was not discovered until 1911;
• anthem has four verses with four separate choruses at the end of each verse -- all are official, and the anthem is sung in its entirety when performed in Guatemala

total World Heritage Sites:

4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales:

• Antigua Guatemala (c);
• Tikal National Park (m);
• Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (c);
• National Archaeological Park Tak'alik Ab'aj (c)

• developing Central American economy;
• steady economic growth fueled by remittances;
• high poverty and income inequality;
• limited government services, lack of employment opportunities, and frequent natural disasters impede human development efforts and drive emigration

agriculture:

9.8% (2024 est.)

industry:

21.7% (2024 est.)

services:

61.8% (2024 est.)

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

total:

4.2% (2024 est.)

male:

4% (2024 est.)

female:

4.7% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

on food:

35.1% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

on alcohol and tobacco:

1.3% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

lowest 10%:

1.6% (2023 est.)

highest 10%:

34.1% (2023 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

consumption:

1.012 million metric tons (2023 est.)

exports:

20 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

808,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

6,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

117,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

86.11 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

2.016 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

1.991 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

• 4 privately owned national terrestrial TV channels dominate TV broadcasting;
• multi-channel satellite and cable services are available;
• 1 government-owned radio station and hundreds of privately owned radio stations (2019)

total:

800 km (2018)

narrow gauge:

800 km (2018) 0.914-m gauge

note: despite the existence of a railway network, all rail service was suspended in 2007 and no passenger or freight train currently runs in the country (2018)

total ports:

3 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

2

very small:

1

ports with oil terminals:

2

key ports:

Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

• the military is lightly armed with an inventory mostly comprised of ageing US equipment;
• in recent years, the US has provided additional secondhand equipment (2025)

• 18-28 for voluntary service for men and women (17-21 for military schools);
• all Guatemalan men 18-49 are subject to selective compulsory service;
• service obligation is 12-24 months (2025)

refugees:

4,676 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

572,813 (2024 est.)