Guatemala

The Guatemala (or Guatemala ) is a country of Central America surrounded by the Mexico, the Belize, the Caribbean Sea, the Honduras, the El Salvador and the Pacific Ocean. It belongs to the Latin America (the official language is the Spanish ). Its name would come from word Nahuatl Coactlmoctl-lan , which also means “the country of the bird which eats snakes” or even word Quauhtlemallan , of the nahuatl, which means “place with many trees”. Its national currency is the Quetzal, making to reference to the bird crowned whose Mayas used the long feathers of the tail like luxury articles.

History

See also: History of Guatemala

Maya civilization appeared approximately 1.000 years before the Christian era. It developed in almost all current Guatemala. Pedro de Alvarado, a Spanish Conquistador , destroyed and subjected brutally the people Maya of Central America between 1523 and 1527.

Guatemala émancipa of the Spanish authority in 1821, forming then part of the Mexico. Very quickly, it separated from Mexico to form with other areas the plain Provinces of Central America. A war burst in 1838 and was completed in 1840, through which Guatemala acquired its current territory.

During nearly one century, many dictators are succèderent.

Guatemala was the first producer of bananas and tropical fruits of the Caribbean, its single resource, but all its grounds, all its economy, were with the hands of the United Fruit Company which intalla in 1901 in the country.

In 1945, Juan Jose Arévalo, the president lately elected, founds a new era of social investments, as well as a labor regulation and the right to strike. In June 1954, its successor Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán, founds a tax on exports and decides a land reform (Decree 900) which obliges inter alia United Fruit Company to yield an important part of its uncultivated lands (thus unutilised).

In answer, a true coup d'etat is then set up at a meeting between President Eisenhower and the Dulles brothers, who occupy at the US government the two most important stations: Allen Dulles is the number one of the CIA and sits at the board of directors of United Fruit, his/her brother John Foster Dulles directs the State Department. In addition, the Dulles brothers have the most important law firm of Wall Street and have as a customer United Fruit. Thus, the CIA reverses Arbenz Guzman and installs in its place a military junta directed by the General Carlos Castillo Armas.

During the following years, country resistance will after a fashion try to be organized. In the Years 1960, a movement of Guérilla will manage to be organized, gathering ideologists of left, several rebellious officers as well as many peasants.

In 1982, the coup d'etat of the general Efraín Ríos Montt announces the darkest moment of the Guatemalan history. This last set up, little time after its entry with the capacity, civil Patrols of self-defense (CAP), recruited militiamans of force by the army and having like objective of éradiquer the guerilla. The general puts in action his policy of the " ground brûlée": thus, 440 villages will be completely shaved, nearly 200.000 Maya will be massacred or thrown by helicopter in the Pacific Ocean. 40.000 refugees flee towards the Mexico. The guerilla reacts by melting an armed movement, URNG (Guatemalan national revolutionary Union). The conflict takes then forms of Civil war.

In 1986, the country pressures are right of the dictatorial modes: the election of the president Vinicio Cerezo gives the capacity to the hands of the citizens. Its successor, Jorge Serrano, foments a new coup d'etat but is finally relieved little of time afterwards and replaced by Ramiro de León Carpio, which at this time occupied charges it with ombudsman and which was named by the Parliament to supplement the presidential period of Mr. Serrano. This procedure was not 100% constitutional, but the country had fallen into a legal vacuum because the Constitution considered the situation in which neither the president nor the vice-president (both are flee of the country after the failure of the blow while resigning of their stations) is not able to deal with the presidency.

The December 29th 1996, a historical agreement is signed with the guerilla and the conflict ends. Alvaro Arzu becomes president in 1996. Democratic elections are organized in 1999. The presidential mandate of Alfonso Antonio Portillo Cabreras begins the January 14th 2000. Óscar Rafael Shepherd Perdomo, the current president reaches the capacity as of 2004, with the head of a party pro-states-unien.

See also: Political of Guatemala

Guatemala is a presidential République. The elections legislative and presidential take place at the same time every 4 years. The president is at the same time the Head of the State and the chief of the government. The president and the ministers whom it names are with the head of the executive power. The legislature is made up only of only one room cash 113 deputies.

Subdivisions

See also: Departments of Guatemala

Guatemala is divided of 22 departments:

  1. Alta Verapaz
  2. Baja Verapaz
  3. Chimaltenango
  4. Chiquimula
  5. El Petén
  6. El Progreso
  7. Quiche
  8. Escuintla
  9. Guatemala
  10. Huehuetenango
  11. Izabal
  12. Jalapa
  13. Jutiapa
  14. Quetzaltenango
  15. Retalhuleu
  16. Sacatepéquez
  17. San Marcos
  18. Santa Rosa
  19. Sololá
  20. Suchitepéquez
  21. Totonicapán
  22. Zacapa

Geography

See also: Geography of Guatemala

Guatemala is a mountainous country, except along coasts where plains are found. The climate is tropical, though more moderate in altitude. The majority of the big cities are located in the south of the country. Among the big cities, let us quote the towns of Guatemala, Antigua, Quetzaltenango and Escuintla. Large the Lac Izabal is located close to the coast giving on the Caribbean Sea.

  • Given geographical :
    • Surface: 108.890 km ²
    • Density: 119 hab. /km ²
    • Littoral: 400 km
    • minimal Altitude: 0 m (oceans Atlantic and Peaceful)
    • maximum Altitude: 4.211 m (volcano Tajumulco)

Land borders

Guatemala has 1.687 km of borders (classified 95 {{E}}), of which:

Principal cities

  • Ciudad of Guatemala
  • Quetzaltenango
  • Antigua

Demography

See also: Demography of Guatemala

  • Population : 14,655,189 inhabitants (in 2005)
    • 0-14 years: 42,4%
    • 15-64 years: 54,2%
    • 65 years and +: 3,3%
  • Life expectancy :
    • Men: 67,37 years (in 2005)
    • Women: 70,84 years (in 2005)
  • Growth rate : 2,6% (in 2001)
  • Birth rate : 34,61 ‰ (in 2001)
  • Death rate : 6,79 ‰ (in 2001)
  • infantile Death rate : 45,79 ‰ (in 2001)
  • Fertility rate : 4,53 children/woman (in 2005)
  • Rate of migration : - 1,63 ‰ (in 2005)

More half (from 40% to 55%) of the inhabitants are of Maya ascent . One calls in Spanish ladinos the autochtones and the mongrels (of European and indigenous blood) occidentalized. The majority of the Guatemalans saw in rural areas, even if the urbanization has intensified for several years. The downward Blacks d´esclaves account for 2% of the poulation. The principal religion is the Catholicisme, but of many elements of the local traditions were introduced there to form what one now calls a Maya Syncrétisme. Approximately 40% of the Guatemalans are Protestant and nearly practical 1% always the Maya ancestral religion.

Languages

See also Maya Languages

The Spanish is the only official language; they are however not all the Amerindians who include/understand it. Since the peace agreements of December 1996, the Constitution is available in the four languages most spoken after Spanish, that is to say the quiche, the mam, the cakchiquel and the kekchi. Moreover, official documents are translated in certain 23 languages autochtones:

  • Achí - 85,552 inhabitants (1990 & 2000)
  • Aguacateco - 18,000 inhabitants (1998)
  • Cakchiquel - 452,900 inhabitants (1990, 1991,1993,1997,1998 & 2000)
  • Chortí - 30,000 inhabitants (2000)
  • Chuj - 22,130 inhabitants (1991)
  • Garifuna - 16,700 inhabitants)
  • Itzá - 1,800 inhabitants (2001)
  • Ixil - 69,000 inhabitants (1986, 1991 & 1998)
  • Jacalteco - 88,700 inhabitants (1998)
  • Kanjobal - 77,700 inhabitants (1998)
  • Kekchi - 400,000 inhabitants (1998)
  • Mam - 360,279 inhabitants (1992, 1998 & 2000)
  • Nebajixil
  • Pokomam - 49,010 inhabitants (1990)
  • Poqomchi' - 50,000 inhabitants (1998)
  • Quiche - 2,083,026 inhabitants (1991, 1994 & 2000)
  • Sacapulteco - 36,823 inhabitants (1991)
  • Sipacapense - 8,000 inhabitants (2000)
  • Tacaneco - 20,000 inhabitants (1991)
  • Tectiteco - 1,265 inhabitants (2000)
  • Tzutujil - 83,800 inhabitants (1998)
  • Uspanteko - 3,000 inhabitants (1998)
  • Yucatec - 2,600 inhabitants (1990)

disappeared Languages

  • Chicomuceltec - 100 inhabitants (1982)
  • Xinca

Economy

See also: Economy of Guatemala

Agriculture represents a quarter of GDP, two thirds of exports. This sector occupies also half of the active population. The Coffee, the Sugar and the Banane S are principal exports of the country. The manufactured goods and construction accounts for 20% of the GDP. The end of the civil war made disappear the largest obstacle with the overseas investments. President Alvaro Arzu followed a policy of modernization of the economy and liberalization.

The hurricane Mitch, which struck the country in 1998, caused damage, however less serious than in the adjoining countries.

Culture

See also: Culture of Guatemala

The Maya culture is always very present at Guatemala, just like the influence of the culture of the Spanish colonists . Thus, of many women always wear the traditional dress, the corte the traditional skirt, and the ouipil, the shirt. Several Maya ruins are always visible in the country through various archeological sites, of which the Temple of the large jaguar in the famous city of Tikal. The architecture of many buildings was strongly influenced by the Spaniards, in particular in the colonial cities such Antigua. The Guatemalan kitchen, mainly containing Corn, is very diversified, including/understanding mets the such Frijol be or the Tamal be.

Statistics

  • Telephone lines : 1.450.000 (in 2005)
  • Cellphones : 4.640.000 (in 2005)
  • Radios : 1.835.000 (in 2003)
  • Television stations : 2,3 million (in 2003)
  • Users of Internet : 165.000 (in 2003)
  • Many suppliers of access Internet : 9 (in 2003)
  • Roads : 13.856 km (including 4.370 tarred km) (in 1998)
  • Railways : 884 km
  • inland Waterways : 990 km
  • Many airports : 477 (including 11 with tarred tracks) (in 2000)

Codes

Guatemala has as codes: and also
  • LG, now uncommon prefix, according to the list of prefixes ICAO of registration of the aircraft

See too

External bonds

  • Official site of the government of Guatemala
  • Congress of the Republic of Guatemala
  • Tourist Official site Office of Guatemala
  • Site of the Collective Guatemala
  • Petition for the judgment of the persons in charge of the genocide in Guatemala
  • Photographs of Guatemala

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