]! ^! 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. 
]" ^" Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize ^# 15 30 N, 90 15 W ^$ Central America and the Caribbean ^% `! 108,890 sq km `" 108,430 sq km `# 460 sq km ^& slightly smaller than Tennessee ^' `! 1,687 km `U Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km ^( 400 km ^) `$ 12 nm `I 200 nm `J 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation ^* tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands ^+ mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten) ^, `% Pacific Ocean 0 m `& Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m ^- petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower ^. `' 12.54% `( 5.03% `) 82.43% (2001) ^/ 1,250 sq km (1998 est.) ^0 numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms ^1 deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution _J `K 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 `L none of the selected agreements ^2 no natural harbors on west coast 
]# ^3 14,655,189 (July 2005 est.) ^4 `* 42.4% (male 3,185,037/female 3,033,947) `+ 54.2% (male 4,019,052/female 3,928,984) `, 3.3% (male 226,745/female 261,424) (2005 est.) ^5 `! 18.47 years `- 18.25 years `. 18.71 years (2005 est.) ^6 2.57% (2005 est.) ^7 34.11 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^8 6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^9 -1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) ^: `/ 1.05 male(s)/female `0 1.05 male(s)/female `+ 1.02 male(s)/female `, 0.87 male(s)/female `1 1.03 male(s)/female (2005 est.) ^; `! 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births `- 36.74 deaths/1,000 live births `. 35.09 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) ^< `1 69.06 years `- 67.37 years `. 70.84 years (2005 est.) ^= 4.53 children born/woman (2005 est.) ^> 1.1% (2003 est.) ^? 78,000 (2003 est.) ^@ 5,800 (2003 est.) ^A `2 Guatemalan(s) `3 Guatemalan ^B 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) ^C Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs ^D Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) ^E `M age 15 and over can read and write `1 70.6% `- 78% `. 63.3% (2003 est.) 
]$ ^F `4 Republic of Guatemala `5 Guatemala `V Republica de Guatemala `W Guatemala ^H constitutional democratic republic ^I Guatemala ^J 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 ^K 15 September 1821 (from Spain) ^L Independence Day, 15 September (1821) ^M 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 ^N civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction ^O 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day) ^P `6 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 `7 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 `8 Council of Ministers appointed by the president `9 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) `: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvarado COLOM (UNE) 45.9% ^Q unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) `9 last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held November 2007) `: 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 ^R 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) ^S 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] ^T 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 ^U 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 ^V `N Ambassador Guillermo CASTILLO `O 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 `P [1] (202) 745-4952 `Q [1] (202) 745-1908 `R Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco ^W `N Ambassador John R. HAMILTON `Z 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City `[ APO AA 34024 `P [502] 2331-1541/55 `Q [502] 2334-8477 ^X 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 
]% ^Y 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. ^Z $59.47 billion (2004 est.) ^[ 2.6% (2004 est.) ^\ purchasing power parity - $4,200 (2004 est.) ^] `; 22.7% `< 19.5% `= 57.9% (2004 est.) ^^ 3.68 million (2004 est.) ^_ agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35% (1999 est.) ^` 7.5% (2003 est.) ^a 75% (2004 est.) _! `> 1.6% `? 46% (1998) _d 55.8 (1998) _" 7.2% (2004 est.) _P 14.9% of GDP (2004 est.) _# `@ $2.878 billion `A $3.411 billion, including capital expenditures of $750 million (2004 est.) _Q 32% of GDP (2004 est.) _$ sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens _% sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism _& 4.1% (1999) _' 6.608 billion kWh (2002) _( 5.76 billion kWh (2002) _) 440 million kWh (2002) _* 55 million kWh (2002) _+ 25,000 bbl/day (2004 est.) _, 61,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) _- 3,104 bbl/day (2003) _. NA _R 263 million bbl (1 January 2002) _W 1.543 billion cu m (1 January 2002) _X $-1.381 billion (2004 est.) _/ $2.911 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _0 coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom _1 US 53%, El Salvador 11.4%, Honduras 7.1%, Mexico 4.1% (2004) _2 $7.77 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) _3 fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity _4 US 34%, Mexico 8.1%, South Korea 6.8%, China 6.6%, Japan 4.4% (2004) _Y $3.084 billion (2004 est.) _5 $5.969 billion (2004 est.) _6 $250 million (2000 est.) _7 quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed _8 quetzales per US dollar - 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8216 (2002), 7.8586 (2001), 7.7632 (2000) _9 calendar year 
]& _: 846,000 (2002) _; 1,577,100 (2002) _< `B fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala `C NA `D country code - 502; connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) _= AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000) _> 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997) _? .gt _@ 20,360 (2003) _A 400,000 (2002) 
]' _e `! 886 km `c 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2004) _B `! 14,118 km `E 4,871 km (including 74 km of expressways) `F 9,247 km (1999) _b 990 km note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season (2004) _[ oil 480 km (2004) _C Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla _D 452 (2004 est.) _E `! 11 `G 3 `^ 2 `_ 4 `T 2 (2004 est.) _L `! 441 `G 1 `^ 8 `_ 109 `T 323 (2004 est.) 
]( _F Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force _M 18 years of age for compulsory and voluntary military service; conscript service obligation - 30 months (2004) _] males age 18-49: 3,020,292 (2005 est.) Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 2,106,847 (2005 est.) _^ `` 161,964 (2005 est.) _N $201.9 million (2004) _O 0.8% (2003) 
]) _H 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 _c IDPs: 250,000 (government's scorched-earth offensive in 1980s against indigenous people) (2004) _I 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 