Guatemala

Full name of country: Republic of Guatemala

Region: Central America and Caribbean

Official language: Spanish

Population: 18,255,216 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Guatemalan(s) (noun), Guatemalan (adjective)

Land area: 107,159 sq km (41,374 sq miles)

Water area: 1,730 sq km (668 sq miles)

Capital: Guatemala City

National anthem: "Himno Nacional de Guatemala" (National Anthem of Guatemala), by Jose Joaquin Palma/Rafael Alvarez Ovalle

National holiday: Independence Day, September 15 (1821)

Population growth: 1.49% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –6

Flag: The flag of Guatemala features three equal, horizontal bands—two sky blue and one white. In the center of the white color band, which is located between the two blue color bands, is the Guatemalan coat of arms.

Motto: "País de la Eterna Primavera" (Country of the Eternal Spring)

Independence: September 15, 1821 (from Spain)

Government type: constitutional democratic republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

The Central American republic of Guatemala, located in the southern part of the continent of North America, is bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize to the northeast, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. A constitutional democratic republic, Guatemala comprises twenty-two administrative divisions. It is the fourth-most populous country in North America. Citizens of Guatemala are known as Guatemalans.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: The 2018 census determined that 56 percent of Guatemala's population is considered mestizo, or of mixed Indigenous and European heritage; in the local dialect of Spanish, this group is also called "Ladino." About 41.7 percent of the population identifies as Maya, with a number of subgroups, including the K'iche, Q'eqchi, Kaqchikel, and Mam, represented. At the time of the 2018 census, 1.8 percent of the population was made up of the Xinca Indigenous people, and 0.1 percent were Garifuna, who are the descendents of West and Central Africans brought to the Caribbean as enslaved people and the Indigenous people of those islands.

Spanish is the official language of Guatemala, with 69.9 percent of the population speaking it as a primary language by the late 2010s. An estimated 29.7 percent of the population speaks Maya languages, while 0.4 percent speak other languages, including non-Maya Indigenous languages and Garifuna. The government officially recognizes twenty-three Indigenous languages, including K'iche', Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Xinca, and Garifuna.

Guatemala's constitution provides religious freedom. Roman Catholicism is the predominant faith, but Protestant groups have also become more popular. Catholicism arrived with the Spanish during the sixteenth century, but Protestant missionaries have been working in Guatemala only since the 1960s. By 2023, 42.4 percent of Guatemalans identified as Catholic and 45.7 percent as Evangelical Protestant. Maya religious leaders maintain that a large portion of the population also participates in Indigenous spiritual rituals.

El Petén, located in the northernmost part of the country, is the largest administrative district in the Republic of Guatemala, with an area of 33,566 square kilometers (12,960 square miles). The smallest administrative district is Sacatepéquez (465 square kilometers/180 square miles).

The largest cities in Guatemala include Guatemala City, Quetzaltenago, Mixco, and Villa Nueva. Antigua, the country's historic former capital, is a popular tourist destination.

The population was greatly affected during the second half of the twentieth century as the country experienced a thirty-six-year guerrilla war. While the government signed a peace agreement in 1996 to put a formal end to the conflict, an estimated one hundred thousand people died due to the war, which also created an estimated one million refugees. Many Guatemalans left the country for Mexico or the United States.

According to the 2023–4 report of the United Nations Human Development Index, Guatemala ranked 136th of 191 countries in terms of human development.

Indigenous People: The Mayan empire occupied Guatemala until the eleventh century. Remnants of the ancient Maya culture remain in the form of ruins throughout Guatemala. The most well-known of these is Tikal, which was uncovered by archeologists in the 1950s. The site includes over three hundred separate constructions including monuments, statues, and hieroglyphics. After excavating Tikal, archeologists were able to recognize residential buildings, tombs, altars, and administrative buildings.

In 1524, Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado and became a Spanish colony. Guatemala won its independence in 1821 after three centuries as a Spanish colony.

The Maya culture remains strong in Guatemala. Celebrations based on the Popol Vuh, a Maya creation story, are still observed.

Education: Education in Guatemala is universal and compulsory for children beginning at the age of seven. Preprimary school is one year long, and primary school, six years. Lower secondary school lasts three years, while upper secondary school consists of two to four years. However, there is a shortage of public schools, and many schools are privately operated. Education represented 3.1 percent of GDP expenditure in 2021.

The literacy rate was 83.3 percent in 2021, with a gap in literacy rates between men and women. It can be difficult to obtain schooling in Guatemala because many people live in remote locations, and because the law requiring schooling is not enforced.

The oldest and best-known university is the University of San Carlos of Guatemala, which was founded in 1676 in Guatemala City.

Health Care: Access to health care is lacking in Guatemala. This is due in part to the conditions in the remote areas of the country, which are often economically depressed. In 2020 more than 20 percent of Guatemalans lacked access to improved sanitation facilities. Only 6.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) was spent on health care in 2020. An estimated 46.7 percent of all children under age five in the country experience moderate to severe chronic malnourishment, one of the highest rates in the world.

The average life expectancy among Guatemalans is 71.5 years for men and 75.6 years for women (2024 estimates).

Food: Guatemalan cuisine has parallels with neighboring Mexico. Typical staples of the local diet include tortillas, enchiladas, tamales and salsas. Other influences, from Spain, France, and India, are also evident in Guatemalan cuisine.

Classic Guatemalan dishes include guacamole, manchamanteles (a stew of fruit and chicken, served with rice), chiles rellenos, corn pepian (pepian is a spicy, highly peppered sauce), and frijoles borrachos ("drunken beans"). Rice is a typical staple of the Guatemalan diet.

Fresh fruits, such as mangos and papayas, are often eaten for dessert. Honey and cinnamon are also common ingredients in desserts, and are locally produced. The principal export of Guatemala, coffee, is also a popular drink domestically. Coffee is grown mainly in the department of Alta Verapaz. The most common alcoholic beverages are tequila and beer.

Breakfast in Guatemala usually consists of tortillas, rice, beans, eggs, fruit (such as fried plantains), or a pastry. Almuerzo, or lunch, is typically the largest meal in Guatemala and may include cheese, soup, vegetables, and a main course. Dinner is usually a lighter fare and often includes local fruits and vegetables.

Arts & Entertainment: Guatemala is well known for its stunning architecture, a remnant of the Spanish colonial era. The city of Antigua, just outside of Guatemala City, is known for its more than thirty convents, churches, cathedrals, and monasteries. Many historic homes have also been preserved.

Guatemala has produced many famous writers. In 1967, Miguel Angel Asturias (1899–1974) won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his book Men of Maize. Rigoberta Menchú (b. 1959), a K'iche' Maya woman, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992. Her autobiography, I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala, focuses on the struggles of native people in Guatemala and the effects of the civil war on the country's Indigenous way of life.

Music plays an important role in Guatemalan culture. The Maya people use the marimba, the national instrument, in many cultural and spiritual ceremonies. Music often accompanies the telling of Maya creation stories, and accounts of heroism by ancestors. Ranchera music from Mexico and rock music from the United States are also popular in Guatemala.

The favorite sport in Guatemala is football (known as soccer in the United States). Baseball, basketball, and bicycling are also popular.

Holidays: Guatemala celebrates a variety of secular and religious holidays. Each city and village has a patron saint, and once a year, members of the village will celebrate this saint on the designated feast day. These celebrations often include dancing, music, elaborate meals, and a processional.

Nationally recognized Guatemalan holidays include Año Nuevo, or New Year's Day (January 1); Semana Santa, or Holy Thursday, Holy Friday, and Holy Saturday (March or April); Día del Trabajo, or Labor Day (May 1); Día del Ejército, or Army Day (June 30); Día de la Asuncion, or Assumption Day (August 15); Día de la Independencia, or Independence Day (September 15); Conmemoración de la Revolución de 1944, or Revolution Day (October 20); Día de Todos los Santos, or All Saints' Day (November 1); and Navidad, or Christmas Day (December 25).

Environment and Geography

Topography: Most of Guatemala's terrain is dominated by mountains with narrow coastal plains, limestone plateaus, and volcanoes and jungles. There are no natural harbors on the west coast of the country.

Guatemala has over thirty volcanoes, which contribute to the likelihood of earthquakes in the region. Many of the volcanoes are massive and stand over 12,000 feet high. The highest point in the country is Volcan Tajumulco, at 4,220 meters (13,845 feet).

One-seventh of Guatemala's total land area is preserved by the Maya Biosphere Reserve, which is composed almost entirely of tropical forest.

Guatemala has 400 kilometers (248.5 miles) of coastline, with black-sand beaches along the Pacific coast. There are also many rivers and lakes throughout the country. The Motagua, the Usumacinta, and the Chixoy are the longest rivers in Guatemala.

Natural Resources: Valuable resources in Guatemala include petroleum, rare woods, nickel, chicle, hydropower, and fish. The country has also produced significant quantities of lead, silver, gold, and magnesium.

Environmental concerns in Guatemala include soil erosion, severe deforestation, and water pollution. Volcanoes and earthquakes pose a different type of environmental danger. Guatemala is highly susceptible to hurricanes and other severe weather because of its proximity to the Caribbean Sea.

Plants & animals: Guatemala is home to more than eight thousand plant species. The country is also home to more than two hundred species of mammals and more than six hundred species of birds.

The national bird is the Quetzal. The bird is considered sacred to the Maya population of Guatemala, and has a prominent role in many Maya legends. The Quetzal has been seen as a symbol of freedom in Guatemala for centuries. A near threatened species, the Quetzal faces many threats, including cattle ranching, deforestation, and a lack of water in its natural habitat.

There are nineteen ecosystems, including cloud forests and rainforests, throughout Guatemala. The country also has dozens of protected national parks and biological reserves, which are intended to encourage sustainable tourism while preserving plant and animal resources. Guatemala uses the money generated by tourism to fund protection efforts for the ecosystems.

Climate: Guatemala's climate varies greatly with changes in altitude and the seasons. The rainy season lasts from May to October, with the dry season lasting from November to April.

Above sea level, where the majority of the Guatemalan population lives, the nights are usually cool while the days are warm. In the coastal regions of Guatemala, the weather is much warmer and more tropical.

Rainfall also varies greatly between the coastal and highland regions.

Economy

Industry: Guatemala's economy has generally been considered rather underdeveloped, but has improved over the years. According to the World Bank, the unemployment rate in 2023 was 2.71 percent, although of those who are employed, it is estimated that a significant portion is underemployed. During the mid-2010s 59.3 percent of the population lived below the poverty line, with a significant portion of these people living in extreme poverty.

In 2023 Guatemala's gross domestic product (GDP), in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), was estimated at US$223.183 billion, one of the largest in Central America. The per capita GDP was US$12,700.

There is a large gap between the standard of living of rich and poor people in Guatemala. The Guatemalan government has made an effort to correct the distribution of wealth over the years; however, the gap remains.

Agriculture:Guatemala's most important agricultural products are coffee, sugar, and bananas, which are major exports. Other valuable crops include corn, beans, cardamom, fruits and vegetables, and livestock such as cattle, pigs, sheep, and chickens. The agricultural sector accounted for about 9.2 percent of Guatemala's GDP in 2023.

About 31.4 percent of the labor force worked in agriculture in 2018, and approximately 41.2 percent of the land in Guatemala was used for agriculture, both as cropland and pasture.

Tourism: Boasting many active volcanoes and some of the world's most impressive ruins, Guatemala is a popular tourist destination. Due to the country's turbulent past, however, some tourists have been hesitant to visit. The government has worked to encourage the tourism industry as an important economic driver. In 2019 travel and tourism contributed 6.2 percent of GDP, though the industry was heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic the following year. However, the tourism sector largely recovered in subsequent years; for example, according to INGUAT, the Guatemalan government's tourism agency, tourism increased 87 percent between 2022 and 2023.

Tourist attractions in Guatemala City include its many art and textile museums, as well as the Maya art exhibits at the archaeological museum. There are also Maya markets, which sell handmade items such as textiles and carved figures, and pottery, throughout the city. The ruins of Tikal and Huehuetenango are also popular tourist sites, as is the historic former capital city of Antigua.

Government

Guatemala is a constitutional democratic republic. The government has a turbulent history of civil war and political unrest. It has been difficult for Guatemala to achieve democracy because of many military takeovers, civilian governments, and dictatorships. The Guatemalan Republic has been more stable since the constitution took effect in January 1986, although periodic protests and outbreaks of violence have rocked the country, including major nationwide protests in 2015 and 2023.

The Guatemalan government is headed by the chief of state, or president, who is elected (along with the vice president) to a four-year term by popular vote. The president then selects a Council of Ministers. Guatemala's legislative branch consists of the unicameral Congress of the Republic. Its 158 members are elected to four-year terms. The Congress elects the thirteen justices of Guatemala's Supreme Court of Justice.

There are twenty-two departments (administrative subdivisions) in Guatemala. The governors of these departments are appointed by the president.

Interesting Facts

• The national instrument in Guatemala is the marimba, a type of wooden xylophone. A typical marimba is so large that six people can play it at once.
• The Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala, also lends its name to the country's unit of currency.
• In 2016, the first Holocaust museum in Central America opened in Guatemala.
• In 2018, Guatemala was the first country to follow the United States in moving its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

Bibliography

"Economic Impact Reports." World Travel and Tourism Council, 2020, wttc.org/Research/Economic-Impact. Accessed 31 May 2022.

"Guatemala." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/Country-Profiles/GTM.pdf. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

"Guatemala." The World Bank, 2021, data.worldbank.org/country/guatemala. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

"Guatemala." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 19 Oct. 2023, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guatemala/. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

"Guatemala." World Health Organization, 2023, www.who.int/countries/gtm/en/. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

Human Development Insights, United Nations Development Programme, Sept. 2022, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 16 Dec. 2024.

“2019 Report on International Religious Freedom: Guatemala.” US Department of State, 2020, www.state.gov/reports/2019-report-on-international-religious-freedom/guatemala. Accessed 15 Sept. 2020.‌