Guatemala
| Repblica de Guatemala (es) | |||||
| Guatemala (en) | |||||
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| National motto : Libertad | |||||
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| Official language | Spanish | ||||
| Capital | Guatemala 14 37'N 90 31'W / 14 617, 90 517 14 37'N 90 31'W / 14,617, 90,517 | ||||
| Largest city | Guatemala | ||||
| Form of State | Republic | ||||
| - President | lvaro Colom Caballeros Hab. 125.6 inhabitants / km 2 | ||||
| Independence - Date | Of Spain 15 September 1821 | ||||
| Demonym | Guatemalan | ||||
| HDI ( 2004 ) | 0.673 (medium) ( 117th ) | ||||
| Currency | Quetzal 1 ( GTQ ) | ||||
| Time Zone | UTC -6 | ||||
| National anthem | Guatemala Feliz | ||||
| ISO 3166-1 code | JWP, GT | ||||
| Internet domain | . Gt | ||||
| Indicative Telephone | +502 | ||||
1 the dollar also U.S. legal value | |||||
Guatemala or Guatemala, in the long form or the Republic of Guatemala Republic of Guatemala, Spanish is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico , the Belize , the Caribbean Sea on Honduras , the Salvador and the Pacific Ocean. It is part of Latin America (the official language is the Spanish ). Its name comes from the word Nahuatl Coactlmoctl-lan, which means "land of the bird that eats snakes" or even the word Quauhtlemallan, also from Nahuatl, meaning "place with lots of trees . Its currency is the quetzal , referring to the sacred bird whose Maya used the long tail feathers as luxuries.
Summary |
History
Civilization Maya appeared about 1000 years before the Christian era. It developed in almost all of Guatemala today. Pedro de Alvarado , a conquistador Spanish , destroyed and brutally subdued the Mayan people of Central America between 1523 and 1527.
Guatemala achieved independence from Spanish rule in 1821 , then part of Mexico. Soon, he parted from Mexico to train with other regions in the United Provinces of Central America. A war broke out in 1838 and ended in 1840 , through which Guatemala gained its present territory.
For nearly a century, many dictators and succeeded favored European immigrants and American interests. The Indians found themselves deprived of their farms and had to flee to the arid lands of north.
Guatemala was the largest producer of bananas and tropical fruits in the Caribbean, its only resource, but all its land, its economy, were in the hands of the United Fruit Company to settle here in 1901 in the country. Politics Guatemala is a Republic multiparty presidential. The legislative and presidential elections are held every 4 years together. The president is both head of state and head of government. The president and the ministers he appoints are heads of executive power. The legislature is composed of only one chamber had 113 members. Guatemala is divided into 22 departments: Guatemala is a mountainous country, except along coasts where there are plains. The climate is tropical, though more moderate altitude. Most major cities are located in the south. Among major cities include the cities of Guatemala , Antigua , Quetzaltenango and Escuintla. The Grand Lake Izabal is located near the coast overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Guatemala has 1,687 km of borders ( ranked 95th ), including: Located between 16th and 13th parallel north, Guatemala has a tropical regime in the Peten (west of Belize ) and the coastal plains, wider along the Atlantic and along the Pacific. Mountainous areas cover about half the country and enjoy a temperate climate, which varies according to altitude. Nearly half (40% to 55%) of residents have ancestors from Maya. Spanish called Ladino indigenous and mestizo (of European and indigenous blood) Westernized. The majority of Guatemalans live in rural areas, although urbanization is increasing for several years. The Garifuna represent 2% of the population. The main religion is Catholicism (Catholics make up between 50 and 60% of the population), but many elements of local traditions were introduced to form what is now called a syncretism Maya. About 40% of Guatemalans are Protestant , and nearly 1% still practice ancient Mayan religion. See also Mayan Languages The Spanish is the only official language, however, all Indians do not understand it. Since the peace accords of December 1996 , the Constitution is available in the four most spoken languages after Spanish or K'iche, Mam, Cakchiquel, and the Kekchi. In addition, official documents are translated into some 23 dialects: Extinct languages The Garifuna, descended from black slaves imported from Africa at the time of colonization are present along the Atlantic coast from south of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico to Honduras, through Guatemala and Belize. Agriculture accounts for one quarter of GDP , two thirds of exports. This sector also occupies half the workforce. The coffee , the sugar and bananas are the main exports. Manufactured goods and construction account for 20% of GDP. The end of the civil war took away the biggest obstacle to foreign investment. President Alvaro Arzu pursued a policy of economic modernization and liberalization. But agriculture in the country is above all food including the Mayas. In rural areas average, each family is often forced to send one or more of its members in the fincas (large farms as the United Fruit Company) mainly located on the coast where land is more fertile in order to survive the community. The rising price of oil has only increased the economic crisis in the vast majority of the population that is 60% Amerindian. The Hurricane Mitch , which struck the country in 1998 , caused damage, but less severe than in neighboring countries. Guatemala is a co-signer, since May 2004, the Free Trade Agreement of Central America. Its main suppliers are the United States , far ahead of Mexico and China. On the export side, the primary partners are the United States , the El Salvador and Honduras. Culture Maya is still very present in Guatemala, as the influence of culture settlers Spanish. Thus, many women still wear traditional dress, the corte skirt traditional and ouipil, shirt. Many Mayan ruins are still visible in the country through various archaeological sites , including the great temple of the jaguar in the famous city of Tikal. The architecture of many buildings was strongly influenced by the Spaniards, especially in colonial towns like Antigua. Guatemalan cuisine is mainly based on corn , is very diverse, with dishes like the frijoles or tamales. The discovery and dissemination of Guatemalan music of the Renaissance and Baroque by the composer and musicologist Dieter Lehnhoff is very important for the culture of Guatemala. Guatemala has the code: and also Category Guatemala directory dmoz Belize Clipperton Island (France) Costa Rica Guatemala Honduras Nicaragua Panama Salvador Anguilla (United Kingdom) Antigua and Barbuda Aruba (Netherlands) Bahamas Barbados Bonaire (Netherlands) Cayman Islands (United Kingdom) Cuba Curacao (Netherlands) Dominican Republic Dominica Grenada Guadeloupe (France) Haiti Jamaica Martinique (France) Montserrat (United Kingdom) Isle of Navasse (U.S.) Puerto Rico (U.S.) Saba (Netherlands) St. Barthelemy (France) Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint-Eustache (Netherlands) Saint-Martin (France) Sint Maarten (Netherlands) Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Lucia Trinidad & Tobago Turkey Islands and Caicos (UK) Virgin Islands United States (U.S.) British Virgin Islands (UK) Subdivisions
Geography
Land boundaries
Major cities
Climate
Rainfall is variable due to the proximity of two oceans, with a pronounced dry season from November to April. From May to November, heavy rains fall on the country. Demographics
Languages
Economy
Culture
Date Name Notes January 1 New Year May 1 Labor Day May 10 Mother's Day June 17 Father's Day June 30 Army Day August 15 Day of the Virgin of the Assumption Only in the capital September 15 Independence Day October 20 Revolution Day November 1 Toussaint December 7 Quema del Diablo December 24 Nochebuena December 25 Christmas December 31 Nochevieja Statistics
Codes
See also
External Links
North America 
Central America Caribbean South America
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