About the Country

Anthem

Click here to listen to the Guatemalan National Anthem (mp3 format) Music by Rafael Alvarez Ovalle (1896) Lyrics by José ... [more]

Economy

Overview: Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural secto... [more]

Flag

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 re... [more]

Geography

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 c... [more]

Government

Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: Republica de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala Government type: c... [more]

History

People

Population: 14,655,189 (July 2005 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 3,185,037/female 3,033,947) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 4,019,052/female 3,928,984) 65 years and over: 3.3... [more]

Political Background

The Maya 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 18... [more]

Transportation

Railways: total: 886 km narrow gauge: 886 km 0.914-m gauge (2004) Highways: total: 14,118 km paved: 4,871 km (including 74 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,247 km (1999) Waterways... [more]



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