Guatemala

republicIndependence 15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Guatemala as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 125 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalGuatemala
LocationMiddle America, between Honduras and Mexico
1994

Every edition of Guatemala

Populationas each edition published it
10.72 million July 1994 est. · 9.1m in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.58% 1994 est. · 2.63% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 18.3 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 63.99 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
4.76 children per woman 1994 est. · 5.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
53.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 61 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$3,000 1993 est. · $1,300 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4% 1993 est. · 4.2% in 1993

Geography

Middle America, between Honduras and Mexico

24 fields
Land boundaries
1,687km
total · Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Irrigated land
780sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Middle America, between Honduras and Mexico

Map references

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

total area

108,890 sq km

land area

108,430 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Tennessee

continental shelf

the outer edge of the continental shelf

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

International disputes

maritime border with Belize in dispute; desultory 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

arable land

12%

permanent crops

4%

meadows and pastures

12%

forest and woodland

40%

other

32%

current issues

  • deforestation;
  • soil erosion;
  • water pollution

natural hazards

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms

international agreements

  • party to - Antarctic Treaty, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea

Note

no natural harbors on west coast

People

21 fields
Population
10,721,387
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.58% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
35.42Death
7.53Net migration
-2.11
Labor force
2.5million
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

53.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

64.42 years

male

61.86 years

female

67.1 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

4.76 children born/woman (1994 est.)

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)

total population

55%

male

63%

female

47%

by occupation

agriculture 60%, services 13%, manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 3%, utilities 0.7%, mining 0.3% (1985)

Government

Republic

35 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%

Legislature, 116 seatsone dot, one seat

UCN 38DCG 27MAS 18PAN 12Pro-Rios Montt 10MLN 4PR 1PSD/AP-5 1independent 5

conventional long form

Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form

Guatemala

local long form

Republica de Guatemala

local short form

Guatemala

Type

republic

Capital

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

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state and head of government

  • President Ramiro DE LEON Carpio (since 6 June 1993);
  • Vice President Arturo HERBRUGER (since 18 June 1993);
  • election 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

cabinet

Council of Ministers; named by the president

Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)

  • 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

note

by agreement of 11 November 1993, a special election is to be held in mid-1994 to elect a new congress

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)

Political parties and leaders

  • National Centrist Union (UCN), (vacant);
  • Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Oliverio GARCIA Rodas;
  • 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 Perez;
  • 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

  • Coordinating Comittee of Agricultural, Comercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations (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)

Member of

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

chief of mission

Ambassador Edmond MULET Lesseur

chancery

2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 745-4952 through 4954

FAX

(202) 745-1908

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco

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) 31-88-55

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.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$3,000
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
4%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 1.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
Unemployment rate
6.1%
underemployment 30%-40% (1992 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 almost 5% as government policies favoring competition and foreign trade and investment took stronger hold. In 1993, despite political unrest, this momentum continued, foreign investment held up, and growth was estimated at 4%.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent- $31.3 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$604 million (1990)

expenditures

$808 million, including capital expenditures of $134 million (1990)

Exports

$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

coffee, sugar, bananas, cardamon, beef

partners

US 37%, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Germany, Honduras

Imports

$2.6 billion (c.i.f., 1993)

commodities

fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles

partners

US 45%, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, Germany

External debt

$2.2 billion ( 1992 est.)

capacity

847,600 kW

production

2.5 billion kWh

consumption per capita

260 kWh (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

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

recipient

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 - 5.8542 (January 1994), 5,6354 (1993), 5.1706 (1992), 5.0289 (1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989);
  • note - black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

15 fields

Networkskm

Railroads
1,019Inland waterways
260
Railroads: , single track; 917 km government owned, 102 km privately owned · Inland waterways: ; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season

Railroads

1,019 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 917 km government owned, 102 km privately owned

total

26,429 km

paved

2,868 km

unpaved

gravel 11,421 km; unimproved earth 12,140 km

Inland waterways

260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season

Pipelines

crude oil 275 km

Ports

Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Merchant marine

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT

total

523

usable

465

with permanent-surface runways

11

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

3

with runways 1,220-2,439 m

20

Telecommunications

  • fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala;
  • 97,670 telephones;
  • broadcast stations - 91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave;
  • connection into Central American Microwave System;
  • 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force

4 fields

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 2,491,582;
  • fit for military service 1,629,222;
  • reach military age (18) annually 119,545 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $121 million, 1% of GDP (1993)

Affiliation

(British crown dependency)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Guatemala.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/guatemala/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →