Guatemala

A complete guide to the culture of this Central American country.

Copyright 2007 by NC Studios and Productions

Last Update: 5/21/07

   Officially, the rolling hills and greenery of Guatemala are known as the Republic of Guatemala. The capital of this republic is Guatemala City with other large cities such as the city of Quetzaltenango, or Escuintla being important. The climate in Guatemala is temperate with tropical feelings on the coasts. This, coupled with the lush, mountainous,

and fertile plains of Guatemala make the country a prime place for tourists to visit in order to just take in the scenery.

   The government of Guatemala is similar to

ours in that it is made up of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. Their government is also based off of a constitution. Their current government, though, is recently established. Ethnic issues between the Ladinos and Mayans of Guatemala have led to many disagreements. In 1960, an all out civil war erupted between the government and guerillas enlarged by angry Indians. Peace accords were signed on December 29, 1996 ending this 36 year conflict. Before then, the 1985 Constitution called for an establishment of their current form of government. In 1993,

this Constitution was amended. However, popular opinion of a democratic system of government is the lowest in all of Central America.

   In 2002, the GDP of an estimated $23 billion slowed the real growth to 2.2 percent. This is less than the population growth. In 1998, even with the economy posed for rapid growth because of the recent Constitution, Guatemala experienced an economic pull-back. This resulted from the collapse of coffee prices negatively effecting the incomes of many rural families. Currently, the United States is Guatemala’s largest trading partner. The United States also spearheads the group of donors (France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and Japan) increasing development project financing since 1996.

   Roughly 80 percent of Guatemalans live in poverty. The wealthiest 10 percent hoard about half of the total income while the richest 20 percent hold almost two thirds of the total income.