Comoros (2003) | Guatemala (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 3 islands; Grande Comore (Njazidja), Anjouan (Nzwani), and Moheli (Mwali); note - there are also four municipalities named Domoni, Fomboni, Moroni, and Moutsamoudou | 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: 42.9% (male 136,060; female 135,277)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 169,121; female 173,822) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 8,863; female 9,805) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 42.4% (male 3,185,037/female 3,033,947)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 4,019,052/female 3,928,984) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 226,745/female 261,424) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vanilla, cloves, perfume essences, copra, coconuts, bananas, cassava (tapioca) | sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens |
Airports | 4 (2002) | 452 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2002) |
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 441
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 109 under 914 m: 323 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 2,170 sq km
land: 2,170 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km water: 460 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than 12 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Tennessee |
Background | Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975. In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros. In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord. In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president was sworn in on May 26, 2002. | 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 conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created some 1 million refugees. |
Birth rate | 38.5 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 34.11 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $27.6 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
revenues: $2.878 billion
expenditures: $3.411 billion, including capital expenditures of $750 million (2004 est.) |
Capital | Moroni | Guatemala |
Climate | tropical marine; rainy season (November to May) | tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
Coastline | 340 km | 400 km |
Constitution | 23 December 2001
note: a Transitional National Unity Government (GUNT) was formed on 20 January 2002 following the passing of the new constitution; the GUNT governed until the presidential elections on 14 April 2002 |
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: Union of the Comoros
conventional short form: Comoros local long form: Union des Comores local short form: Comores |
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: Republica de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala |
Currency | Comoran franc (KMF) | - |
Death rate | 8.86 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $232 million (2000 est.) | $5.969 billion (2004 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Comoros; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Comoros | chief of mission: Ambassador John R. HAMILTON
embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City mailing address: APO AA 34024 telephone: [502] 2331-1541/55 FAX: [502] 2334-8477 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Mahmoud M. ABOUD (ambassador to the US and Canada and permanent representative to the UN)
chancery: (temporary) care of the Permanent Mission of the Union of the Comoros to the United Nations, 420 East 50th Street, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 972-8010 and 223-2711 FAX: [1] (212) 983-4712 and 715-0699 |
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, and San Francisco |
Disputes - international | claims French-administered Mayotte | Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain forests of Belize's border region; OAS is attempting to revive the 2002 failed Differendum that created a small adjustment to land boundary, a Guatemalan maritime corridor in Caribbean, a joint ecological park for the disputed Sapodilla Cays, and a substantial US-UK financial package; Guatemalans enter Mexico illegally seeking work or transit to the US |
Economic aid - recipient | $10 million (2001 est.) | $250 million (2000 est.) |
Economy - overview | One of the world's poorest countries, Comoros is made up of three islands that have inadequate transportation links, a young and rapidly increasing population, and few natural resources. The low educational level of the labor force contributes to a subsistence level of economic activity, high unemployment, and a heavy dependence on foreign grants and technical assistance. Agriculture, including fishing, hunting, and forestry, contributes 40% to GDP, employs 80% of the labor force, and provides most of the exports. The country is not self-sufficient in food production; rice, the main staple, accounts for the bulk of imports. The government - which is hampered by internal political disputes - is struggling to upgrade education and technical training, to privatize commercial and industrial enterprises, to improve health services, to diversify exports, to promote tourism, and to reduce the high population growth rate. Increased foreign support is essential if the goal of 4% annual GDP growth is to be met. Remittances from 150,000 Comorans abroad help supplement GDP. | Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. 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. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, but widespread political violence and corruption scandals continue to dampen investor confidence. The distribution of income remains highly unequal, with perhaps 75% 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 narrowing the trade deficit. |
Electricity - consumption | 19.78 million kWh (2001) | 5.76 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 440 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 55 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 21.27 million kWh (2001) | 6.608 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 90.6%
hydro: 9.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
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Elevation extremes | lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Le Kartala 2,360 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m |
Environment - current issues | soil degradation and erosion results from crop cultivation on slopes without proper terracing; deforestation | deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Antalote, Cafre, Makoa, Oimatsaha, Sakalava | 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 | Comoran francs (KMF) per US dollar - 522.74 (2002), 549.78 (2001), 533.98 (2000), 461.78 (1999), 442.46 (1998)
note: prior to January 1999, the official rate was pegged to the French franc at 75 Comoran francs per French franc; since 1 January 1999, the Comoran franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 491.9677 Comoran francs per euro |
quetzales per US dollar - 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8216 (2002), 7.8586 (2001), 7.7632 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government
head of government: President AZALI Assoumani (since 26 May 2002); note - following a 1999 coup AZALI was appointed president; in January 2002 he resigned his position to run in the 14 April 2002 presidential elections; Prime Minister Hamada Madi BOLERO was appointed interim president until replaced again by AZALI in May 2002 when BOLERO was appointed Minister of External Defense and Territorial Security; the president is both the chief of state and the head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: as defined by the 2001 constitution, the presidency rotates every four years among the elected presidents from the three main islands in the Union; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007); prime minister appointed by the president; note - AZALI has not appointed a Prime Minister since he was sworn into office in May 2002 election results: President AZALI Assoumani elected president with 75% of the vote |
chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 9 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held November 2007) election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9% |
Exports | NA (2001) | 3,104 bbl/day (2003) |
Exports - commodities | vanilla, ylang-ylang, cloves, perfume oil, copra | coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom |
Exports - partners | France 32.4%, Germany 19.4%, US 17.6%, Singapore 11.5%, Netherlands 6.5% (2002) | US 53%, El Salvador 11.4%, Honduras 7.1%, Mexico 4.1% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | four equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), white, red, and blue with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist; centered within the triangle is a white crescent with the convex side facing the hoist and four white, five-pointed stars placed vertically in a line between the points of the crescent; the horizontal bands and the four stars represent the four main islands of the archipelago - Mwali, Njazidja, Nzwani, and Mayotte (a territorial collectivity of France, but claimed by Comoros); the crescent, stars, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam | 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 - $441 million (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 40%
industry: 4% services: 56% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 22.7%
industry: 19.5% services: 57.9% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $4,200 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2002 est.) | 2.6% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 12 10 S, 44 15 E | 15 30 N, 90 15 W |
Geography - note | important location at northern end of Mozambique Channel | no natural harbors on west coast |
Highways | total: 880 km
paved: 673 km unpaved: 207 km (1999 est) |
total: 14,118 km
paved: 4,871 km (including 74 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,247 km (1999) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 1.6%
highest 10%: 46% (1998) |
Illicit drugs | - | major transit country for cocaine and heroin; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis 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; remains on Financial Action Task Force Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories List for continued failure to address deficiencies in money-laundering control regime |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA |
Imports - commodities | rice and other foodstuffs, consumer goods; petroleum products, cement, transport equipment | fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity |
Imports - partners | France 34.3%, South Africa 12%, Japan 6.1%, Kenya 5.9%, UAE 5.8%, Mauritius 4.9%, Thailand 4.6% (2002) | US 34%, Mexico 8.1%, South Korea 6.8%, China 6.6%, Japan 4.4% (2004) |
Independence | 6 July 1975 (from France) | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | -2% (1999 est.) | 4.1% (1999) |
Industries | tourism, perfume distillation | sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 79.51 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 88.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 70.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 36.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 35.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.5% (2001 est.) | 7.2% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO, WTrO (applicant) | BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | NA sq km | 1,250 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supremes (two members appointed by the president, two members elected by the Federal Assembly, one elected by the Council of each island, and others are former presidents of the republic) | Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (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); 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 | 144,500 (1996 est.) | 3.68 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80% | 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: 34.98%
permanent crops: 17.94% other: 47.08% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 5.03% other: 82.43% (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official), French (official), Shikomoro (a blend of Swahili and Arabic) | Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) |
Legal system | French and Sharia (Islamic) law in a new consolidated code | civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Assembly of the Union (30 seats; half the deputies are selected by the individual islands' local assemblies and the other half by universal suffrage; deputies serve for five years) note - elections for the former legislature, the Federal Assembly, dissolved in 1999, where held on 1 and 8 December 1996; the next elections for the Assembly of the Union were scheduled to be held in April 2003 but have yet to occur | 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 November 2003 (next to be held November 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18 note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional seats increased from 113 to 158 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 61.18 years
male: 58.92 years female: 63.5 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 69.06 years
male: 67.37 years female: 70.84 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 56.5% male: 63.6% female: 49.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.6% male: 78% female: 63.3% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Africa, group of islands at the northern mouth of the Mozambique Channel, about two-thirds of the way between northern Madagascar and northern Mozambique | 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 | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Merchant marine | total: 28 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 432,132 GRT/796,734 DWT
ships by type: bulk 4, cargo 15, chemical tanker 1, petroleum tanker 5, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Malta 1, Pakistan 1, Turkey 1 (2002 est.) |
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Military branches | Comoran Security Force | Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $6 million (FY02) | $201.9 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3% (FY02) | 0.8% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 150,079 (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 89,090 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 6 July (1975) | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
Nationality | noun: Comoran(s)
adjective: Comoran |
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan |
Natural hazards | cyclones possible during rainy season (December to April); Le Kartala on Grand Comore is an active volcano | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms |
Natural resources | NEGL | petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | - | oil 480 km (2004) |
Political parties and leaders | Forces pour l'Action Republicaine or FAR [Col. Abdourazak ABDULHAMID]; Forum pour la Redressement National or FRN (alliance of 12 parties); Front Democratique or FD [Moustoifa Said CHEIKH]; Front National pour la Justice or FNJ (Islamic party in opposition) [Ahmed RACHID]; Movement des Citoyens pour la Republique or MCR [Mahamoud MRADABI]; Mouvement Populaire Anjouanais or MPA (Anjouan separatist movement) [leader NA]; Mouvement pour la Democratie et le Progress or MDP-NGDC [Abbas DJOUSSOUF]; Movement pour le Socialisme et la Democratie or MSD (splinter group of FD) [Abdou SOEFOU]; Parti Comorien pour la Democratie et le Progress or PCDP [Ali MROUDJAE]; Rassemblement National pour le Development or RND (party of the government) [Omar TAMOU, Abdoulhamid AFFRAITANE] | Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democratic Union or UD [Rodolfo PAIZ Andrade]; Grand National Alliance or GANA [Oscar BERGER Perdomo]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Alba ESTELA Maldonado, secretary general]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan Unity or MGU [Jacobo ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principals and Values or MPV [Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Leonel LOPEZ Rodas, secretary general]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvarado COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN (formed by an alliance of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of whom subsequently defected) [led by three co-equal partners - Nineth Varenca MONTENEGRO Cottom, Rodolfo BAUER Paiz, and Jorge Antonio BALSELLS TUT]; Patriot Party or PP [retired General Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general]; Unionista Party [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | 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 | 632,948 (July 2003 est.) | 14,655,189 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 60% (2002 est.) | 75% (2004 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.96% (2003 est.) | 2.57% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Fomboni, Moroni, Moutsamoudou | Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 886 km
narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2004) |
Religions | Sunni Muslim 98%, Roman Catholic 2% | Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day) |
Telephone system | general assessment: sparse system of microwave radio relay and HF radiotelephone communication stations
domestic: HF radiotelephone communications and microwave radio relay international: HF radiotelephone communications to Madagascar and Reunion |
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala
domestic: NA international: country code - 502; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 7,000 (2000) | 846,000 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 1,577,100 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | volcanic islands, interiors vary from steep mountains to low hills | mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten) |
Total fertility rate | 5.21 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 4.53 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (1996 est.) | 7.5% (2003 est.) |
Waterways | none | 990 km
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2004) |