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Guatemala
A country of striking features and
a strong indigenous culture, Guatemala's natural beauty and powerful
identity are in stark contrast to its bloody past and troubled
present.
Mountainous, heavily forested and dotted with Mayan ruins, lakes,
volcanoes, orchids and exotic birds, Guatemala is among the most
beautiful countries in Central America. It has a sizeable indigenous
population, the Maya, who make up about half of its total populace
and continue to speak Mayan languages and follow Mayan traditions.
Guatemala's beauty and strength of identity have not been matched by
its cohesion and prosperity. In 1996 the country emerged from a
36-year-long civil war in which more than 200,000 people were killed
or disappeared.
Country Map |
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Government type: |
Constitutional
Democratic Republic |
Capital: |
Guatemala |
Natural resources: |
Petroleum, nickel,
rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
Agriculture - products: |
Sugarcane, corn,
bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens
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Industries: |
Sugar, textiles and
clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber,
tourism |
Ethnic groups: |
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Mestizo (mixed
Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish
called Ladino) approximately 55%
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Amerindian or
predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%,
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whites and others 2%
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Religions: |
Roman Catholic,
Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs |
Languages: |
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Spanish 60%,
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Amerindian languages 40% (more than 20 Amerindian languages,
including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)
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Literacy: |
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Labor force: |
4.2 million
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Unemployment rate: |
8% |
Labor force - by occupation: |
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Agriculture 50%,
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Industry 15%,
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Services 35%
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Population below poverty line: |
60% |
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