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GUATEMALA
Map of GUATEMALA
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Location:
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Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize |
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Geographic coordinates:
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15 30 N, 90 15 W |
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Area:
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total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than Tennessee |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km |
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Coastline:
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400 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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Climate:
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tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
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Terrain:
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mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable land: 13.22%
permanent crops: 5.6%
other: 81.18% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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1,300 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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111.3 cu km (2000) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 2.01 cu km/yr (6%/13%/80%)
per capita: 160 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms |
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Environment - current issues:
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deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Population:
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13,002,206 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 40.1% (male 2,653,915/female 2,565,841)
15-64 years: 56.2% (male 3,539,874/female 3,762,471)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 222,303/female 257,802) (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan |
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Ethnic groups:
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Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census) |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs |
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Languages:
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Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.1%
male: 75.4%
female: 63.3% (2002 census) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala |
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Government type:
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constitutional democratic republic |
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Capital:
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name: Guatemala
geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W
time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in April; ends last Friday in September; note - there is no DST planned for 2007-2009 |
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Administrative divisions:
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22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa |
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Independence:
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15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Source: http://cia.gov
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