guatemala

Capital: Guatemala City Population: 13,824,463 Official Languages: Spanish Time Zone: −6 Dialing Code: +502

Government: Unitary presidential Area: 108,889 km2 largest city: Guatemala City Currency : Quetzal (GTQ) ISO 3166 code: GT

Basic Info

Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its area is 108,890 km2 (42,043 mi2) with an estimated population of 13,276,517.

Geography

Guatemala lies between latitudes 13° and 18°N, and longitudes 88° and 93°W.

The country is mountainous with small desert and sand dune patches, hilly valleys, except for the south coastal area and the vast northern lowlands of Petén department. Two mountain chains enter Guatemala from west to east, dividing the country into three major regions: the highlands, where the mountains are located; the Pacific coast, south of the mountains; and the Petén region, north of the mountains. All major cities are located in the highlands and Pacific coast regions; by comparison, Petén is sparsely populated. These three regions vary in climate, elevation, and landscape, providing dramatic contrasts between hot, humid tropical lowlands and colder, drier highland peaks. Volcán Tajumulco, at 4,220 m, is the highest point in the Central American states.

Climate

Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Religion

50–60% of the Guatemalan population is Catholic, 40% Protestant, 3% Eastern Orthodox and 1% follow the indigenous Mayan faith. Catholicism was the official religion during the colonial era. However, the practice of Protestantism has increased markedly in recent decades. More than one third of Guatemalans are Protestant, chiefly Evangelicals and Pentecostals. It is common for relevant Mayan practices to be incorporated into Catholic ceremonies and worship when they are sympathetic to the meaning of Catholic belief; this phenomenon is known as inculturation. The practice of traditional Mayan religion is increasing as a result of the cultural protections established under the peace accords. The government has instituted a policy of providing altars at every Mayan ruin found in the country so that traditional ceremonies may be performed there.

Administrative divisions

Guatemala is divided into 22 departments (departamentos) and sub-divided into about 334 municipalities (municipios).

1	Alta Verapaz	See Other Map
2	Baja Verapaz
3	Chimaltenango
4	Chiquimula
5	Petén
6	El Progreso
7	El Quiché
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

Guatemala is heavily centralized. Transportation, communications, business, politics, and the most relevant urban activity takes place in Guatemala City. Guatemala City has about 2 million inhabitants within the city limits and more than 5 million within the urban area. This is a significant percentage of the population (14 million).

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