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Compare West Bank (2008) - Guatemala (2006)

Compare West Bank (2008) z Guatemala (2006)

 West Bank (2008)Guatemala (2006)
 West BankGuatemala
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: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)


15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 41.1% (male 2,573,359/female 2,479,098)


15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,353,630/female 3,468,184)


65 years and over: 3.4% (male 194,784/female 224,490) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
Airports 3 (2007) 450 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
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 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 439


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 8


914 to 1,523 m: 111


under 914 m: 319 (2006)
Area total: 5,860 sq km


land: 5,640 sq km


water: 220 sq km


note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
total: 108,890 sq km


land: 108,430 sq km


water: 460 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Delaware slightly smaller than Tennessee
Background The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008. 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 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 29.88 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $1.149 billion


expenditures: $2.31 billion


note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
revenues: $3.374 billion


expenditures: $4.041 billion; including capital expenditures of $750 million (2005 est.)
Capital - name: Guatemala


geographic coordinates: 14 38 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 temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 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: none


conventional short form: West Bank
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala


conventional short form: Guatemala


local long form: Republica de Guatemala


local short form: Guatemala
Death rate 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $5.503 billion (2005 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 West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region Guatemalan squatters continue to settle in the rain forests of Belize's border region; Organization of American States (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 $1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) $250 million (2000 est.)
Economy - overview The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance. 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 NA kWh 6.025 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 425 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports NA kWh 35 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants 6.898 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m


highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Environment - current issues adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment 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


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% 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 new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003) quetzales per US dollar - 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002), 7.8586 (2001)
Executive branch - 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)


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 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003 (next to be held September 2007)


election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9%
Exports $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 3,104 bbl/day (2003)
Exports - commodities olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom
Exports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) US 50.1%, El Salvador 12.1%, Honduras 7.3%, Mexico 4% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar 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: 8%


industry: 13%


services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
agriculture: 22.7%


industry: 18.8%


services: 58.5% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.) 3.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 32 00 N, 35 15 E 15 30 N, 90 15 W
Geography - note landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) no natural harbors on west coast
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; in 2004, reemerged as a potential source of opium, growing 330 hectares of opium poppy, with potential pure heroin production of 1.4 metric tons; 76% of opium poppy cultivation in western highlands along Mexican border; 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 $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food, consumer goods, construction materials fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
Imports - partners Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) US 38.1%, Mexico 7.6%, El Salvador 4.8%, South Korea 4.8%, Panama 4.4% (2005)
Independence - 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 4.1% (1999)
Industries generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Infant mortality rate total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 30.94 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 33.55 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 28.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006) 9.1% (2005 est.)
International organization participation - BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, ONUB, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) 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 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 605,000 (2006) 3.76 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 18%


industry: 15%


services: 67% (2006)
agriculture: 50%


industry: 15%


services: 35% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries total: 404 km


border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
total: 1,687 km


border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
Land use arable land: 16.9%


permanent crops: 18.97%


other: 64.13% (2001)
arable land: 13.22%


permanent crops: 5.6%


other: 81.18% (2005)
Languages Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) 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 November 2003 (next to be held September 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: 73.46 years


male: 71.68 years


female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
total population: 69.38 years


male: 67.65 years


female: 71.18 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 92.4%


male: 96.7%


female: 88% (2004 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 70.6%


male: 78%


female: 63.3% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, west of Jordan 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 Middle East Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims none (landlocked) 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 - dollar figure - $169.8 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 0.5% (2005 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Nationality noun: NA


adjective: NA
noun: Guatemalan(s)


adjective: Guatemalan
Natural hazards droughts numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms
Natural resources arable land petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
Net migration rate 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) -1.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines - oil 480 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders - Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Grand National Alliance or GANA (an alliance of smaller parties) [Alfredo VILA Giron, secretary general]; 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 [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE, secretary general]; Unionista Party
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 2,535,927


note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
12,293,545 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line 46% (2007 est.) 75% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 2.985% (2007 est.) 2.27% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008) AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)
Railways - total: 886 km


narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2005)
Religions Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Sex ratio at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female


total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female


total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage - 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: NA


domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services


international: country code - 970 (2004)
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 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 1,132,100 (2004)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) 3,168,300 (2004)
Television broadcast stations 30 (2008) 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
Terrain mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
Total fertility rate 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.82 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 18.6% (2006) 7.5% (2003 est.)
Waterways - 990 km


note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2004)
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