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Guatemala

Continents
Guatemalan flag

Guatemala is located in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize.

Guatemala has borders with Belize for 266km, Honduras for 256km, Mexico for 962km and El Salvador for 203km.

Land in Guatemala is mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau.

Guatemalan land covers an area of 108890 square kilometers which is slightly smaller than Tennessee

As for the Guatemalan climate; tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands.

Guatemalan(s) speak Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca).

Guatemala country profile

Guatemalan Map
Places of note in Guatemala
Guatemala
Mixco
Villa Nueva
Petapa
San Juan Sacatepéquez
Quetzaltenango
Villa Canales
Escuintla
Chinautla
Chimaltenango
Chichicastenango
Huehuetenango
Amatitlán
Totonicapán
Santa Catarina Pinula
Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa
Puerto Barrios
San Francisco El Alto
Cobán
San José Pinula
San Pedro Ayampuc
Jalapa
Coatepeque
Sololá
Mazatenango
Chiquimula
San Pedro Sacatepéquez
Antigua Guatemala
Retalhuleu
Zacapa
Jutiapa
Jacaltenango
Santiago Atitlán
Momostenango
Palín
Regions of Guatemala
Alta Verapaz
Baja Verapaz
Chimaltenango
Chiquimula
El Progreso
Escuintla
Guatemala
Guatemala (general)
Huehuetenango
Izabal
Jalapa
Jutiapa
Petén
Quetzaltenango
Quiché
Retalhuleu
Sacatepéquez
San Marcos
Santa Rosa
Sololá
Suchitepéquez
Totonicapán
Zacapa

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.


Guatemala Country Profile

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.

Guatemalan natural resources include petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

no natural harbors on west coast

Guatemalan religion is Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs.

Natural hazards in Guatemala include numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms.





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