1.767 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
1.644 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - consumption:
9,227 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - imports:
14,230 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
Exports:
$45 million (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
transshipments of refined petroleum products, construction
materials, fish, food and beverage products
Imports:
$701 million (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Debt - external:
$NA
Exchange rates:
the US dollar is used
Communications ::Guam
Telephones - main lines in use:
65,500 (2008)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
98,000 (2004)
Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system, integrated with US facilities for
direct dialing, including free use of 800 numbers
domestic: modern digital system, including cellular mobile service
and local access to the Internet
international: country code - 1-671; major landing point for
submarine cables between Asia and the US (Guam is a trans-Pacific
communications hub for major carriers linking the US and Asia);
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 3, FM 11, shortwave 2 (2005)
Television broadcast stations:
3 (2006)
Internet country code:
.gu
Internet hosts:
23 (2009)
Internet users:
85,000 (2008)
Transportation ::Guam
Airports:
5; note - 2 serviceable (2009)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2009)
Roadways:
total: 1,045 km (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Apra Harbor
Military ::Guam
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 37,563
females age 16-49: 36,083 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 1,677
female: 1,581 (2009 est.)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the US
Transnational Issues ::Guam
Disputes - international:
none
page last updated on October 28, 2009
======================================================================
@Guatemala (Central America and Caribbean)
Introduction ::Guatemala
Background:
The Mayan 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, by some estimates, some 1 million
refugees.
Geography ::Guatemala
Location:
Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El
Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean
Sea) between Honduras and Belize
Geographic coordinates:
15 30 N, 90 15 W
Map references:
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
total: 108,889 sq km
country comparison to the world: 106
land: 107,159 sq km
water: 1,730 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Tennessee
Land boundaries:
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256
km, Mexico 962 km
Coastline:
400 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Terrain:
mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone
plateau
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Natural resources:
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
Land use:
arable land: 13.22%
permanent crops: 5.6%
other: 81.18% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,300 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
111.3 cu km (2000)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 2.01 cu km/yr (6%/13%/80%)
per capita: 160 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent
earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and
other tropical storms
Environment - current issues:
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, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
no natural harbors on west coast
People ::Guatemala
Population:
13,276,517 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 68
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39.4% (male 2,664,058/female 2,573,006)
15-64 years: 56.8% (male 3,655,184/female 3,884,331)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 231,652/female 268,286) (2009 est.)
Median age:
total: 19.4 years
male: 18.9 years
female: 20 years (2009 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.066% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Birth rate:
27.98 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
Death rate:
5.11 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
Net migration rate:
-2.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Urbanization:
urban population: 49% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 27.84 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 79
male: 30.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 25.35 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.29 years
country comparison to the world: 142
male: 68.49 years
female: 72.19 years (2009 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.47 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
59,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
3,900 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan
Ethnic groups:
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)
Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Languages:
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized
Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam,
Garifuna, and Xinca)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.1%
male: 75.4%
female: 63.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 10 years
male: 11 years
female: 10 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
2.6% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 154
Government ::Guatemala
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala
Government type:
constitutional democratic republic
Capital:
name: Guatemala City
geographic coordinates: 14 37 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
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
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended 25 May 1993;
reinstated 5 June 1993; amended November 1993
Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed
forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election
day
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January
2008); Vice President Jose Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14
January 2008); Vice President Jose Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January
2008)
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 September
2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011)
election results: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent
of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%
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 September 2007 (next to be held in September
2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - UNE 30.4%, GANA 23.4%,
PP 18.9%, FRG 9.5%, PU 5.1%, other 12.7%; seats by party - UNE 48,
GANA 37, PP 30, FRG 15, PU 8, CASA 5, EG 4, PAN 4, UCN 4, URNG 2, UD
1
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad is Guatemala's
highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year
terms); 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)
Political parties and leaders:
Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or
FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE
Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO]; Grand
National Alliance or GANA [Alfredo VILLA]; Guatemalan National
Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Hector NUILA]; Guatemalan Republican
Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; National Advancement Party or PAN
[Juan Guillermo GUTIERREZ]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Juan
Jose ALFARO Lemus]; Nationalist Change Union or UCN [Mario ESTRADA];
Patriot Party or PP [Ret. Gen. Otto PEREZ Molina]; Unionista Party
or PU [Fritz GARCIA-GALLONT]
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
International organization participation:
BCIE, CACM, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO
(correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
MINUSTAH, MONUC, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, SICA, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCL,
WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco VILLAGRAN de Leon
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952
FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908
consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los
Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, Providence, San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Stephen G. MCFARLAND
embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address: APO AA 34024
telephone: [502] 2326-4000
FAX: [502] 2326-4654
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
Economy ::Guatemala
Economy - overview:
Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries
with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Argentina, Brazil,
and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-tenth of
GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee,
sugar, and bananas are the main products, with sugar exports
benefiting from increased global demand for ethanol. The 1996
signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed
a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has
pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. The
Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered into force in
July 2006 and has since spurred increased investment in the export
sector, but concerns over security, the lack of skilled workers and
poor infrastructure continued to hamper foreign participation. The
distribution of income remains highly unequal with more than half of
the population below the national poverty line. Other ongoing
challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating
further assistance from international donors, curtailing drug
trafficking and rampant crime, and narrowing the trade deficit.
Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States,
it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows
serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly
two-thirds of exports. Economic growth will slow in 2009 as export
demand from US and other Central American markets drop and foreign
investment slows amid the global slowdown.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$68.75 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 81
$66.1 billion (2007 est.)
$62.18 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$38.98 billion (2008 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 103
6.3% (2007 est.)
5.4% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,300 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
$5,200 (2007 est.)
$5,000 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 13.1%
industry: 25%
services: 61.9% (2008 est.)
Labor force:
4.056 million (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 50%
industry: 15%
services: 35% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
3.2% (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Population below poverty line:
56.2% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.3%
highest 10%: 42.4% (2006)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
55.1 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 13
55.8 (1998)
Investment (gross fixed):
18.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Budget:
revenues: $4.693 billion
expenditures: $5.338 billion (2008 est.)
Public debt:
25.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
32% of GDP (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
11.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
6.8% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
NA%
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
13.39% (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 63
12.84% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$6.106 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
$6.227 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$9.7 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 51
$8.928 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$14.82 billion (31 December 2008)
country comparison to the world: 67
$13.96 billion (31 December 2007)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep,
pigs, chickens
Industries:
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum,
metals, rubber, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
1.4% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 118
Electricity - production:
8.425 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Electricity - consumption:
7.115 billion kWh (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - exports:
131.9 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
8.11 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
15,550 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Oil - consumption:
76,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Oil - exports:
21,850 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89
Oil - imports:
72,440 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
Oil - proved reserves:
83.07 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008)
country comparison to the world: 72
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
Natural gas - proved reserves:
2.96 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Current account balance:
-$1.932 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
-$1.754 billion (2007 est.)
Exports:
$7.848 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
$7.012 billion (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables,
cardamom
Exports - partners:
US 39.4%, El Salvador 12.6%, Honduras 9.5%, Mexico 6.6%, Nicaragua
4.2%, Costa Rica 4.1% (2008)
Imports:
$13.42 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
$12.48 billion (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials,
grain, fertilizers, electricity
Imports - partners:
US 36.7%, Mexico 9.7%, China 5.8%, El Salvador 4.8% (2008)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$4.471 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
$4.139 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$6.5 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
$5.908 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Exchange rates:
quetzales (GTQ) per US dollar - 7.5895 (2008 est.), 7.6833 (2007),
7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004)
Communications ::Guatemala
Telephones - main lines in use:
1.449 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 65
Telephones - mobile cellular:
14.949 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 42
Telephone system:
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of
Guatemala
domestic: state-owned telecommunications company privatized in the
late 1990s opening the way for competition; fixed-line teledensity
11 per 100 persons; fixed-line investments are being concentrated on
improving rural connectivity; mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds
100 per 100 persons
international: country code - 502; landing point for both the
Americas Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1) and the SAM-1 fiber
optic submarine cable system that together provide connectivity to
South and Central America, parts of the Caribbean, and the US;
connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2008)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000)
Television broadcast stations:
26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997)
Internet country code:
.gt
Internet hosts:
132,049 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 69
Internet users:
1.96 million (2008)
country comparison to the world: 70
Transportation ::Guatemala
Airports:
371 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 21
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 13
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 3 (2009)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 358
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 84
under 914 m: 270 (2009)
Pipelines:
oil 480 km (2008)
Railways:
total: 332 km
country comparison to the world: 120
narrow gauge: 332 km 0.914-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 14,095 km
country comparison to the world: 124
paved: 4,863 km (includes 75 km of expressways)
unpaved: 9,232 km (2000)
Waterways:
990 km
country comparison to the world: 66
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable
during high-water season (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Military ::Guatemala
Military branches:
Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force
Military service age and obligation:
all male citizens between the ages of 18 and 50 are liable for
military service; conscript service obligation varies from 12 to 24
months; women can serve as officers (2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,861,696
females age 16-49: 3,062,967 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,401,297
females age 16-49: 2,725,572 (2009 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 165,910
female: 163,760 (2009 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.4% of GDP (2006)
country comparison to the world: 165
Transnational Issues ::Guatemala
Disputes - international:
annual ministerial meetings under the OAS-initiated Agreement on the
Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue
to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the
Caribbean Sea; the Line of Adjacency created under the 2002
Differendum serves in lieu of the contiguous international boundary
to control squatting in the sparsely inhabited rain forests of
Belize's border region; Mexico must deal with thousands of
impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the
porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
IDPs: undetermined (the UN does not estimate there are any IDPs,
although some NGOs estimate over 200,000 IDPs as a result of over
three decades of internal conflict that ended in 1996) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
current situation: Guatemala is a source, transit, and destination
country for Guatemalans and Central Americans trafficked for the
purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor; human
trafficking is a significant and growing problem in the country;
Guatemalan women and children are trafficked within the country for
commercial sexual exploitation, primarily to Mexico and the United
States; Guatemalan men, women, and children are also trafficked
within the country, and to Mexico and the United States, for forced
labor