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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2005) - Guatemala (2001)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2005) z Guatemala (2001)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2005)Guatemala (2001)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryGuatemala
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:
42.11% (male 2,789,189; female 2,674,747)

15-64 years:
54.25% (male 3,518,209; female 3,519,851)

65 years and over:
3.64% (male 220,640; female 251,725) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products - sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
Airports 1 (2004 est.) 477 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
total:
11

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
5

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
466

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
9

914 to 1,523 m:
124

under 914 m:
332 (2000 est.)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total:
108,890 sq km

land:
108,430 sq km

water:
460 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Tennessee
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. Guatemala was freed of Spanish colonial rule 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 led to the death of more than 100,000 people and had created some 1 million refugees.
Birth rate - 34.61 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget - revenues:
$2.2 billion

expenditures:
$1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital - Guatemala
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Coastline 698 km 400 km
Constitution - 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form:
Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form:
Guatemala

local long form:
Republica de Guatemala

local short form:
Guatemala
Currency - quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed
Death rate - 6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $4.7 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador Prudence BUSHNELL

embassy:
7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City

mailing address:
APO AA 34024

telephone:
[502] 331-1541/55

FAX:
[502] 334-8477
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador Ariel RIVERA Irias

chancery:
2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 745-4952

FAX:
[1] (202) 745-1908

consulate(s) general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain Guatemala periodically asserts claims to territory in southern Belize; to deter cross-border squatting, both states in 2000 agreed to a "line of adjacency" based on the de facto boundary, which is not recognized by Guatemala
Economic aid - recipient - $212 million (1995)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-thirds of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. Former President ARZU (1996-2000) worked to implement a program of economic liberalization and political modernization. The 1996 signing of the peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively little damage to Guatemala compared to its neighbors. Ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, and increasing the efficiency and openness of both government and private financial operations. Despite low international prices for Guatemala's main commodities, the economy grew by 3% in 2000 and is forecast to grow by 4% in 2001. Guatemala, along with Honduras and El Salvador, recently concluded a free trade agreement with Mexico and has moved to protect international property rights. However, the PORTILLO administration has undertaken a review of privatizations under the previous administration, thereby creating some uncertainty among investors.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 3.295 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 435 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 210 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 3.785 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
38.31%

hydro:
61.69%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Environment - current issues NA deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution; Hurricane Mitch damage
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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Ethnic groups - Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino), approximately 55%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2%
Exchange rates - quetzales per US dollar - 7.8020 (January 2001), 7.7632 (2000), 7.3856 (1999), 6.3947 (1998), 6.0653 (1997), 6.0495 (1996), 5.8103 (1995)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state:
President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

head of government:
President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
Council of Ministers named by the president

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 7 November 1999; runoff held 26 December 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003)

election results:
Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera elected president; percent of vote - Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 68%, Oscar BERGER Perdomo (PAN) 32%
Exports - $2.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Exports - commodities - coffee, sugar, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom, meat, apparel, petroleum, electricity
Exports - partners - US 51.4%, El Salvador 8.7%, Honduras 5%, Costa Rica 3.4%, Germany 2.7% (1998)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the 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
GDP - purchasing power parity - $46.2 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
23%

industry:
20%

services:
57% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 15 30 N, 90 15 W
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility no natural harbors on west coast
Highways total: NA km


paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total:
13,856 km

paved:
4,370 km (including 140 km of expressways)

unpaved:
9,486 km (1998)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
0.6%

highest 10%:
46.6% (1989)
Illicit drugs - transit country for cocaine and heroin; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine and heroin shipments); money laundering is probably increasing
Imports - $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 2000)
Imports - commodities - fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
Imports - partners - US 42.8%, Mexico 9.9%, Japan 4.8%, El Salvador 4.3%, Venezuela 3.8% (1998)
Independence - 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate - 4.1% (1999)
Industries - sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Infant mortality rate - 45.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 6% (2000 est.)
International organization participation - BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (thirteen 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); Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad (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)
Labor force - 4.2 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total:
1,687 km

border countries:
Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2001)
arable land:
12%

permanent crops:
5%

permanent pastures:
24%

forests and woodland:
54%

other:
5% (1993 est.)
Languages - Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (more than 20 Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply 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 (113 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held on 7 November 1999 (next to be held in November 2003)

election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FRG 63, PAN 37, ANN 9, DCG 2, UD/LOV 1, PLP 1

note:
for the 7 November 1999 election, the number of congressional seats was increased from 80 to 113
Life expectancy at birth - total population:
66.51 years

male:
63.85 years

female:
69.31 years (2001 est.)
Literacy - definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
63.6%

male:
68.7%

female:
58.5% (2000 est.)
Location archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico
Map references Political Map of the World Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - none (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $120 million (FY99)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 0.6% (FY99)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
3,092,050 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
2,018,636 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
140,358 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality - noun:
Guatemalan(s)

adjective:
Guatemalan
Natural hazards NA numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
Net migration rate - -1.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 275 km
Political parties and leaders - Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Jorge Luis ORTEGA]; Democratic Union or UD [Jose Luis CHEA Urruela]; Green Party or LOV [Jose ASTURIAS Rudecke]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Pablo MONSANTO, also known as Jorge SOTO]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; New Nation Alliance or ANN [leader NA], which includes the URNG; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]
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 no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2005 est.)
12,974,361 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - 60% (2000 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.6% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)
Radios - 835,000 (1997)
Railways - total:
884 km (102 km privately owned)

narrow gauge:
884 km 0.914-m gauge (single track)
Religions - Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Sex ratio - at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.88 male(s)/female

total population:
1.01 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote)
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment:
fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala

domestic:
NA

international:
connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use NA 665,061 (June 2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 663,296 (September 2000)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)
Total fertility rate - 4.58 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate - 7.5% (1999 est.)
Waterways - 990 km

note:
260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during highwater season
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