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Communications

Airports [time series]

430 total, 381 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

10 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 unimproved

Waterways (Inland waterways) [time series]

260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water season

Merchant marine [time series]

1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil, 275 km

Ports [time series]

Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km government owned, 90 km privately owned

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

fairly modern network centered in Guatemala [city]; 97,670 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$113 million, 1% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 2,097,234; 1,372,623 fit for military service; 110,949 reach military age (18) annually

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal crops--sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock--cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer

Budget [time series]

revenues $1.05 billion; expenditures $1.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $270 million (1989 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

quetzal (plural--quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $7.8 billion

Electricity [time series]

819,000 kW capacity; 2,594 million kWh produced, 280 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

free market quetzales (Q) per US$1--5.4 (April 1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500 (1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note--black-market rate 2.800 (May 1989)

Exports [time series]

$1.24 billion (f.o.b., 1990); commodities--coffee 24%, sugar 9%, bananas 8%, beef 4%; partners--US 28%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$2.8 billion (December 1990 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$11.1 billion, per capita $1,180; real growth rate 3.5% (1990 est.)

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments

Imports [time series]

$1.77 billion (c.i.f., 1990); commodities--fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles; partners--US 40%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 4.0% (1988); accounts for 18% of GDP

Industries [time series]

sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

60% (1990 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for 26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of exports. Manufacturing accounts for about 15% of GDP and 12% of the labor force. In 1990 the economy grew by 3.5%, the fourth consecutive year of mild growth. Government economic policies, however, were erratic in 1990--an election year--and inflation shot up to 60%, the highest level in modern times.

Unemployment rate [time series]

13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1989 est.)

Geography

Climate [time series]

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Coastline [time series]

400 km Continental shelf: not specific; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Tennessee

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

claims Belize, but boundary negotiations to resolve the dispute are underway

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Land boundaries [time series]

1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

Land use [time series]

arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures 12%; forest and woodland 40%; other 32%; includes irrigated 1%

Natural resources [time series]

crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle

Note [time series]

no natural harbors on west coast

Terrain [time series]

mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten)

Area (Total area) [time series]

108,890 km2; land area: 108,430 km2

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Guatemala

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left guerrilla groups--Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR), and PGT dissidents

Constitution [time series]

31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Juan Jose CASO Fanjul; Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 745-4952 through 4954; there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco; US--Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024); telephone [502] (2) 31-15-41

Executive branch [time series]

president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia) Chief of State and Head of Government--President Jorge SERRANO Elias (since 14 January 1991); Vice President Gustavo ESPINA Salguero (since 14 January 1991) National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge CARPIO Nicolle; Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Jorge SERRANO Elias; Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo; National Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen; National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon; Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario SOLARZANO Martinez; Popular Alliance 5 (AP-5), Max ORLANDO Molina; Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos CHAVARRIA; National Authentic Center (CAN), Hector MAYORA Dawe; Alliance for '90 led by Rios MONTT, consisting of three parties--Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar RIVAS; Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel GIRON; Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Berna ROLANDO Mendez

Legal system [time series]

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

Republic of Guatemala

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

Federated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and Labor Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for Campesino Unity (CUC)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 18 President--runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results--Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%; Congress--last held on 11 November 1990 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results--UCN 25.6%, MAS 24.3%, DCG 17.5%, PAN 17.3%, MLN 4.8%, PSD/AP-5 3.6%, PR 2.1%; seats--(116 total) UCN 41, DCG 28, MAS 18, PAN 12, Alliance for '90 11, MLN 4, PR 1, PSD/AP-5 1

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

People

Birth rate [time series]

35 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European ancestry) 56%, Indian 44%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

58 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

2,500,000; agriculture 60%, services 13%, manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 3%, utilities 0.8%, mining 0.4% (1985)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

61 years male, 66 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

55% (male 63%, female 47%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Guatemalan(s); adjective--Guatemalan

Net migration rate [time series]

- 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

8% of labor force (1988 est.)

Population [time series]

9,266,018 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant, traditional Mayan

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.8 children born/woman (1991)