Guatemala (2008)

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Guatemala 2008 year


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
Age structure	0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,641,179/female 2,556,397) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,426,376/female 3,642,157) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 213,801/female 248,201) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
Airports	402 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 390 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 82 under 914 m: 301 (2007)
Area	total: 108,890 sq km land: 108,430 sq km water: 460 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Tennessee
Background	The Mayan 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 conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.
Birth rate	29.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $4.301 billion expenditures: $5.219 billion (2007 est.)
Capital	name: Guatemala geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009
Climate	tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Coastline	400 km
Constitution	31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: Republica de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala
Death rate	5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$5.561 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador James M. DERHAM embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City mailing address: APO AA 34024 telephone: [502] 2326-4000 FAX: [502] 2326-4654
Diplomatic representation in the US	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, Providence, San Francisco
Disputes - international	annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002 Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Economic aid - recipient	$253.6 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview	Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products, with sugar exports benefiting from increased global demand for ethanol. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force between the US and Guatemala and has since spurred increased investment in the export sector. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 56% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking and rampant crime, and narrowing the trade deficit. Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States, it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly two-thirds of exports.
Electricity - consumption	6.361 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	339 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	23 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	7.281 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution
Environment - international agreements	party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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)
Exchange rates	quetzales per US dollar - 7.6833 (2007), 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 September 2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011) election results: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%
Exports	339 million kWh (2005)
Exports	$7.468 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports	0 cu m (2005 est.)
Exports	15,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Exports - commodities	coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom
Exports - partners	US 44.6%, El Salvador 11.9%, Honduras 7.2%, Mexico 5.2% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year
Flag description	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
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 13.8% industry: 27.9% services: 58.3% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	5.6% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	15 30 N, 90 15 W
Geography - note	no natural harbors on west coast
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 0.9% highest 10%: 43.4% (2002)
Illicit drugs	major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem
Imports	23 million kWh (2005)
Imports	$12.67 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports	0 cu m (2005)
Imports	72,960 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Imports - commodities	fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
Imports - partners	US 33.2%, Mexico 8.8%, China 6.5%, El Salvador 5.3%, South Korea 4.9% (2006)
Independence	15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	5.9% (2007 est.)
Industries	sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 29.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 32.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	6.6% (2007 est.)
International organization participation	BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	1,300 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms); 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)
Labor force	3.958 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 50% industry: 15% services: 35% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	total: 1,687 km border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Land use	arable land: 13.22% permanent crops: 5.6% other: 81.18% (2005)
Languages	Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Legal system	civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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) elections: last held 9 September 2007 (next to be held in September 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - UNE 30.4%, GANA 23.4%, PP 18.9%, FRG 9.5%, PU 5.1%, other 12.7%; seats by party - UNE 48, GANA 37, PP 30, FRG 15, PU 8, CASA 5, EG 4, PAN 4, UCN 4, URNG 2, UD 1
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 69.69 years male: 67.94 years female: 71.52 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.1% male: 75.4% female: 63.3% (2002 census)
Location	Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Military branches	Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.4% (2006)
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality	noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan
Natural hazards	numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
Natural resources	petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
Net migration rate	-2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	oil 480 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders	Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Alfredo VILLA]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector NUILA]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Ruben Dario MORALES]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvaro COLOM Caballeros]; Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Unionista Party or PU [Fritz GARCIA]; Unity of National Change or UCN [Sidney SHAW]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM
Population	12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	56.2% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	2.152% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)
Railways	total: 886 km narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2006)
Religions	Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.861 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day
Telephone system	general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity 11 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 60 per 100 persons international: country code - 502; landing point for both the Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	1.355 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	7.179 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
Total fertility rate	3.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	3.2% (2005 est.)
Waterways	990 km note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2007)

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