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It is bordered by ] to the north, ] to the northeast, and ] and ] to the southeast. It is bordered by ] to the north, ] to the northeast, and ] and ] to the southeast.


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== History ==
''Main article: ]''

From the ] ] to the ] ], the lowlands area of the ] and ] regions of Guatemala were several indigenous states on the central highlands. ] is known for the fact that, after failing to conquer it by the sword the Spanish entered by the Church, with missionaries who defended the Indians from the cruel treatments of the Spanish army. Many Pre-Columbian Mayan books were lost due to the policy of the Spaniards during the colonial period of burning them. However, several survive, including: The "]", "Anales de los Kakchiqueles", and "Chilam Balam", books that were discovered and preserved by Spanish missionary friars. The name "Goathemala" was given by the Spanish conquistadores to this land, which derives from indigenous words that mean "Land of many trees".

During the Spanish colonial period, Guatemala was a ] (Capitania General de Goathemala) of Spain. It extended from the Soconusco region - located in what is now the southern part of Mexico (states of ], ], ], and ]) - to ]. From a political point of view, this region was not as rich in mineral resources (gold and silver) as Mexico and Peru were. Therefore, it did not have the same importance as those two Viceroyalties had. Its main products were ], ], and anil (dye obtained from ] plant to dye textiles).

Tired of being forced to trade exclusively with Spain, the Guatemalan elite declared independence of Spain in ], ]. At that time, the Guatemalan Republic included the ] region, as well as what are now the countries of ], ], ], and ]. Such a big country had a mere 1.5 million habitants, mostly concentrated on the urban centers of the young Republic.

However, in 1822, the province of El Salvador convinced the other Guatemalan provinces to join the ], an idea created by ]. This Empire was short-lived, however, and a year later Guatemala separated itself from Mexico after Iturbide was forced to abdicate and his empire collapsed. As a result of this annexation, Guatemala lost the Soconusco region, which is now part of Mexico. After this, the Guatemalan provinces formed the ], also referred to as the Central American Federation (Federacion de Estados Centroamericanos). The Capital City remained ], which to this day continues to be the biggest and most modern urban center in the entire Central American region.

A politically unstable period followed, aggravated by the collapse of the world market for añil (indigo), main export product from the region to Europe. This resulted in each province separating itself from the Federation, beginning with the province of Costa Rica. This confederation fell apart in ] to ], and Guatemala became an independent nation.

Guatemala has long claimed all or part of the territory of neighboring ], which used to be part of the Guatemalan Republic since Colonial times. However, ] occupied this territory, and Belize remains English-speaking to this day. While Guatemala recognized Belize's independence in ], the territorial dispute between them has not yet been finalized. Negotiations are currently underway under the auspices of the ] to conclude the dispute. For details, see: , and the OAS page .

Guatemalan history has been marked by the scenario of the Cold War between the ] and the ]. The ], supported by a small group of Guatemalan citizens, orchestrated the overthrow of the ] Guatemalan government in ]. This was known as ] and led to over thirty years of unrest in the nation in which over 100,000 Guatemalans were killed, mostly indigenous Mayan Indians, more than 450 Mayan villages were destroyed, and over one million people became refugees. This is alleged to be one of the worst ]s in modern times. Contributing reasons include US support of every successive, non-democratic government in Guatemala. From the 1950s until the 1990s, the U.S. directly supported Guatemala's army by supplying it with combatant training, weaponry, and money. The U.S. sent the ] to Guatemala to transform its Army into a "modern counter-insurgency force," making their army the most powerful and sophisticated in Central America.

Further involvement of the CIA in Guatemala included the training of 5,000 anti-] ] for what would become the failed ].

] marked the end of a bloody 36-year war with the guerrilla ] (URNG). The signing of the peace treaty was orchestrated by the government of democratically elected President ]. Since then, the country has enjoyed successive democractic elections, most recently in ]. However, corruption is still rampant throughout all levels of government. A huge cache of National Police files discovered in December of 2005 revealed methods of public security officials to quell unrest of citizens during the civil war .

Militarily, the Guatemalan army defeated the URNG. However, due to staunch political support from the governments of ], ], and ], the URNG was able to continue with its activities. in ], the ] was awarded to ], an ex-URNG member.


== Politics == == Politics ==

Revision as of 17:26, 12 January 2006

For the city, see Guatemala City.

Template:Guatemala infobox The Republic of Guatemala is a country in Central America, in the south of the continent of North America, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize to the northeast, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast.

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Politics

Main article: Politics of Guatemala

Guatemala's unicameral parliament, the Congreso de la República (Congress of the Republic) with 158 seats, is elected every four years, concurrently with the presidential elections. The President of Guatemala acts as the head of state and head of government. In his executive tasks, he is assisted by a cabinet of ministers, which he appoints.

See also: Guatemala election, 2003

Departments

Main article: Departments of Guatemala

The departments of Guatemala

Guatemala is divided into 22 departments (departamentos):

  1. Alta Verapaz
  2. Baja Verapaz
  3. Chimaltenango
  4. Chiquimula
  5. El 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. Suchitepequez
  21. Totonicapán
  22. Zacapa

Geography

File:Gt-map.jpg
Map of Guatemala

Main article: Geography of Guatemala

Except for the south coastal area, and the vast lowlands of the Peten in the north, Guatemala is mountainous, with a hot tropical climate – more temperate in the highlands, and drier in the easternmost departments. All of the major cities are situated in the southern half of the country; the major cities are the capital Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango and Escuintla. The large lake Lago de Izabal is situated close to the Caribbean coast. Its situation on the Atlantic Ocean has left it a target for hurricanes, including Hurricane Mitch in 1998 and Hurricane Stan in 2005, in which upwards of 1,500 died.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Guatemala

The agricultural sector accounts for one quarter of GDP, two-thirds of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. Manufacturing and construction account for one-fifth of GDP.

The signing of the peace accords in December 1996, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively little damage to Guatemala compared to its neighbors.

Remaining challenges include beefing up government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, and increasing the efficiency and openness of both government and private financial operations..

In 2005 Guatemala's congress ratified the Dominican Republic - Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) between several Central American nations and the U.S.. However, owing to the extensive damage and economic impacts caused by Hurricane Stan in October 2005, the goverment is in period of stand-by analyis and acceptance as it contemplates how it will be possible to implement the mechanisms and stipulations of the DR-CAFTA by the due starting date in February of 2006.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Guatemala

According to the CIA World Fact Book, Mestizos (mixed Amerindian-Spanish; locally called Ladino) and Europeans (primarily of Spanish, German, English, Italian, and Scandinavian descent) comprise 60% of the population and Amerindians comprise approximately 40% of the population (K'iche (Quiché) 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1%).

CIA World Fact Book - http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gt.html

Though most of Guatemala's population is rural, urbanization is accelerating. Guatemala City (approx. 3 million) is expanding at an amazing rate, and Quetzaltenango (approx. 150 thousand) is growing rapidly as well. Generally impoverished farmers move to the outskirts of the city temporarily or permanently seeking higher wages. These barrios are virtually lawless. In addition, since 2001 the US has been deporting at a high rate. Many Guatemalans return from Southern California with advanced skills in organized crime. Crime is epidemic in Guatemala City and is a growing concern in Xela and other smaller cities.

Smaller towns which are blessed with steady tourism, such as the towns around Lago Atitlan, are faring better. There is a measure of increasing prosperity and decreasing interference from the army. A lot of building is going on. It remains to be seen how well these places can adapt to the changing conditions, particularly the influx of foreigners and their vices.

The predominant religion is Roman Catholicism, into which many indigenous Guatemalans have incorporated traditional forms of worship. Protestantism and traditional Maya religions are practiced by an estimated 33% and 1% of the population, respectively.

Although the official language is Spanish, it is not universally understood among the indigenous population; various Mayan languages are still spoken, especially in rural areas. This is less true among the younger generation because the parents are doing everything possible to teach their children Spanish. There are still many more remote rural areas where opportunities to learn Spanish are limited.

The Peace Accords signed in December 1996 provide for the translation of some official documents and voting materials into several indigenous languages (see summary of main substantive accords).

Religion

Roman Catholicism was by far the strongest religion during the colonisation times. However, Protestant denominations have swept the nation. Around 1 in 3 Guatemalans are Protestant chiefly Evangelical, and Pentecostal. The remainder are Roman Catholic.

Non-Christian religions are shrinking. Indigenous beliefs are on a decline because of successful Protestant conversions. The Jewish population hovers around the 1,000 member mark.

The actual Roman-Catholic leader of Guatemala is cardinal Archbishop Rodolfo Quezada Toruño, ascended to cardinal in october 2003 by Pope John Paul II.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Guatemala

Influences of the Maya and the Spanish colonists are strong throughout Guatemala. In the cities, European influence (especially German) is well evidenced. Much of the clothing and food is still made in the traditional Mayan way in small villages in the highlands, and many Mayan ruins can be found. Along the small Caribbean coast, there are influences of African culture in the religious ceremonial songs, dances and food.

See also: Music of Guatemala

Miscellaneous topics


External links

http://www.casaxelaju.com Volunteer work, internship and Spanish programs

Central America
Sovereign states
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