Daily Almanac for
Jul 3, 2009
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World > Countries > Guatemala

Guatemala

Facts & Figures
Map of Guatemala
Map of Guatemala

President: Álvaro Colom Caballeros (2008)

Land area: 41,865 sq mi (108,430 sq km); total area: 42,042 sq mi (108,890 sq km)

Population (2009 est.): 13,276,517 (growth rate: 2.0%); birth rate: 27.9/1000; infant mortality rate: 27.8/1000; life expectancy: 70.3; density per sq km: 119

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Guatemala City, 2,655,900 (metro. area), 1,128,800 (city proper)

Other large cities: Mixco, 287,600; Villa Nueva, 138,900

Monetary unit: Quetzal

More Facts & Figures

Flag of Guatemala
Index
  1. Guatemala Main Page
  2. Protracted Civil War Results in Huge Number of Civilian Deaths
  3. Army Blamed for Most of the Abuses in Civil War
  4. Guatemala Signs Several Trade Agreements

Geography

The northernmost of the Central American nations, Guatemala is the size of Tennessee. Its neighbors are Mexico on the north and west, and Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador on the east. The country consists of three main regions—the cool highlands with the heaviest population, the tropical area along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and the tropical jungle in the northern lowlands (known as the Petén).

Government

Constitutional democratic republic.

History

Once the site of the impressive ancient Mayan civilization, Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524 and became a republic in 1839 after the United Provinces of Central America collapsed. From 1898 to 1920, dictator Manuel Estrada Cabrera ran the country, and from 1931 to 1944, Gen. Jorge Ubico Castaneda served as strongman.

Next: Protracted Civil War Results in Huge Number of Civilian Deaths
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