Guatemala

Republic of GuatemalaRepublica de Guatemala

republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Guatemala as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 80 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalGuatemala

Area108,890 km2

LocationCentral America, between Honduras and Mexico

Populationas each edition published it

10.45 million July 1993 est. · 9.1m in 1990

Population growth% a year

2.63% 1993 est. · 0.99% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 18.3 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

63.99 years 1993 est. · 73.5 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.9 children per woman 1993 est. · 5.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

55.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 61 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$1,300 1992 est. · $12,600 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

4.2% 1992 · 3.7% in 2025

Geography

Central America, between Honduras and Mexico

14 fields

Land useshare of 108,890 km2

arable land 12%permanent crops 4%meadows and pastures 12%forest and woodland 40%other 32%irrigated 780 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

108,890km2

land area: 108,430 km2comparative area: slightly smaller than Tennessee

Coastline

400km

continental shelf: the outer edge of the continental shelfexclusive economic zone: 200 nmterritorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,687km

total · Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

Location

Central America, between Honduras and Mexico

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean, North America, Standard Time Zones of the World

International disputes

border with Belize in dispute; negotiations to resolve the dispute have begun

Climate

tropical;
hot, humid in lowlands;
cooler in highlands

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)

Natural resources

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle

Environment

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes;
Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms;
deforestation;
soil erosion;
water pollution

People

14 fields

Population

10,446,015

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 2.63% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

36.19Death

7.74Net migration

-2.18

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years63.99

61.46 · 66.65

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy55%

63% · 47%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Labor force

2.5million

by occupation: agriculture 60%, services 13%, manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 3%, utilities 0.8%, mining 0.4% (1985)

Infant mortality rate

55.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Guatemalan(s)
adjective:: Guatemalan

Ethnic divisions

Ladino 56% (mestizo - mixed Indian and European ancestry), Indian 44%

Religions

Roman Catholic, Protestant, traditional Mayan

Languages

Spanish 60%, Indian language 40% (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)

Government

Republic

21 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

25.6%

UCN 25.6%MAS 24.3%DCG 17.5%PAN 17.3%MLN 4.8%PSD/AP-5 3.6%PR 2.1%

Names

conventional long form:: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form:: Guatemala
local long form:: Republica de Guatemala
local short form:: Guatemala

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

Constitution

31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986 note: suspended on 25 May 1993 by President SERRANO; reinstated on 5 June 1993 following ouster of president

Legal system

civil law system;
judicial review of legislative acts;
has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Political parties and leaders

National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge CARPIO Nicolle;
Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Jorge SERRANO Elias;
Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo;
National Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen;
National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon;
Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario SOLARZANO Martinez;
Popular Alliance 5 (AP-5), Max ORLANDO Molina;
Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos CHAVARRIA;
National Authentic Center (CAN), Hector MAYORA Dawe;
Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar RIVAS;
Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel GIRON;
Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Efrain RIOS Montt

Other political or pressure groups

Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF);
Mutual Support Group (GAM);
Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO);
Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC);
leftist guerrilla movement known as Guatemalan National Revolutionary Union (URNG) has four main factions - Guerrilla army of the Poor (EGP);
Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA);
Rebel Armed Forces (FAR);
Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT/O)

Elections

Congress:: last held on 11 November 1990 (next to be held 11 November 1995);
results - UCN 25.6%, MAS 24.3%, DCG 17.5%, PAN 17.3%, MLN 4.8%, PSD/AP-5 3.6%, PR 2.1%;
seats - (116 total) UCN 38, DCG 27, MAS 18, PAN 12, Pro - Rios Montt 10, MLN 4, PR 1, PSD/AP-5 1, independent 5
President:: runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results - Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%

note: President SERRANO resigned on 1 June 1993 shortly after dissolving Congress and the judiciary; on 6 June 1993, Ramiro DE LEON Carpio was chosen as the new president by a vote of Congress;

he will finish off the remainder of SERRANO's five-year term which expires in 1995

Executive branch

president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch

unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Leaders

Chief of State and Head of Government: President Ramiro DE LEON Carpio (since 6 June 1993); Vice President Arturo HERBRUGER (since 18 June 1993)

BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador Juan Jose CASO-FANJUL
chancery:: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 745-4952 through 4954
consulates general:: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Marilyn MCAFEE (since 28 May 1993)
embassy:: 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address:: APO AA 34024
telephone:: [502] (2) 31-15-41
FAX:: [502] (2) 318855

Flag

three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist 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) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath

Economy

The economy is based on family and corporate agriculture, which accounts for | 26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of | exports.

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GDP per capita, PPP

$1,300

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

4.2%

(1992)industrial production growth: growth rate 1.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

14%

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

6.5%

(1991 est.), with 30-40% underemployment

Budget

Revenues

$604 millionExpenditures

$808 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $134 million (1990 est.)

Overview

The economy is based on family and corporate agriculture, which accounts for 26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Manufacturing, predominantly in private hands, accounts for about 18% of GDP and 12% of the labor force. In both 1990 and 1991, the economy grew by 3%, the fourth and fifth consecutive years of mild growth. In 1992 growth picked up to 4% as government policies favoring competition and foreign trade and investment took stronger hold.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $12.6 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities:: coffee 26%, sugar 13%, bananas 7%, beef 3%
partners:: US 36%, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Germany, Honduras

Imports

$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities:: fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles
partners:: US 40%, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, Germany

External debt

$2.5 billion (December 1992 est.)

Electricity

847,600 kW capacity; 2,500 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1992)

Industries

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Agriculture

accounts for 26% of GDP;
most important sector of economy;
contributes two-thirds of export earnings;
principal crops - sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom;
livestock - cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens;
food importer

Illicit drugs

illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade;
the government has an active eradication program for cannabis and opium poppy;
transit country for cocaine shipments

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.92 billion

Currency

1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos

Exchange rates

free market quetzales (Q) per US$1 - 5.2850 (December 1993), 5.1706 (1992), 5.0289 (1991), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988);
note - black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Networkskm

Highways

26,429Railroads

1,019Inland waterways

260

Highways: ; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 unimproved · Railroads: , single track; 917 km government owned, 102 km privately owned · Inland waterways: ; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season