corey marineau guatemalabisstudents.cratercomets.com/student_portfolios/...the children that die on...

Corey Marineau Guatemala

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Table of Contents

Introduction ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4-5

Issue --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5-6

Non-Profit -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6-7

Geographical Area Analysis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

Economic Analysis Part I ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8-11

Economic Analysis Part 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-13

Political System ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13-16

Trade Laws and Legal Analysis ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 16-17

Population ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17-22

Diet and Nutrition -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23-24

Housing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25-27

Transportation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 27-30

Labor ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30-32

Education ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 32-34

Clothing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34-35

Recreation and Leisure -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35-36

Language ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 37-39

Religion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39-41

Bibliography -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42-43

Non-Profit Print Ad ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Issue Brochure ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Images --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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Etiquette Information ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Country Selection Letter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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International Marketing Project

2012

Introduction

Guatemala is placed right between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. It is slightly smaller

than the state of Tennessee at 108,890 square kilometers. Guatemala is located at the southern tip

of Mexico in Central America. Guatemala is bordered by Mexico to the north, Belize Honduras,

and the Caribbean Sea to the east, El Salvador to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west.

Guatemala’s landscape is mainly made up of mountainous terrain and heavy forests. Along the

Pacific and above the southern highlands rises a string of volcanoes. Of these huge volcanoes,

three are still active today.

Guatemala’s government is capitalistic and its main renewable recourses are coffee, sugar,

apparel, and bananas. Coffee is Guatemala’s biggest export making US$586.3 million. Its non-

renewable recourses include natural gas and oil. The total GDP in Guatemala is $74.64 billion,

which is fairly high compared to countries of similar size and location. The main export partner

of Guatemala is the United States making up almost 75% of the total trades. However Guatemala

also trades with Mexico, Japan, Netherlands, Canada, Chile, and many other countries.

Guatemala imports many different goods like fuels, machinery and transport equipment,

construction materials, grain, fertilizers, and electricity. Unemployment rates in Guatemala are

fairly low at 4.1%, which means it is very easy to find a job in this country.

Guatemala’s government is a Constitutional Democratic Republic. It has three branches of

government that are nearly the same as here in the U.S. The three branches are the legislative,

executive, and the judicial. The only difference is that the legislative branch has 158 members.

The suffrage age in Guatemala is 18 years, but people who are in the military are not allowed to

vote and are actually confined to the barracks on Election Day. This is to prevent any military

coup from happening and this is one of the reason Guatemala has the stable government that it

does.

The population of Guatemala is 14,099,032 making it the 70th

most populated country in the

world. The birthrates and growth rates are both approximately half of similar countries in

population and size. The life expectancy rate in Guatemala is a little over 71 years, which is

significantly higher than these similar countries. The most populated city in Guatemala is

Guatemala City with nearly a million people. Of these people, nearly 60% are in the age range of

15-65 years old. And only 40% of the people in Guatemala live in urban communities. That

leaves the other 60% that are out living in rural communities in harsher lifestyles.

There are just under 5,000 kilometers of paved roads and just over 9,000 kilometers of unpaved

roads in Guatemala. This would make transporting goods a very simple process. There are only

five sea ports along the coasts of Guatemala, but there are nearly 400 airports; nearly 10 of which

being paved. Spanish is the official language in Guatemala, but there are also many Amerindian

languages that are spoken. Roman Catholic and protestant are the two main religions in

Guatemala. There are also many people who believe in the ancient Mayan beliefs, but this

number has gone down drastically in the past few decades.


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The Issue

In every country, there are various things that can be improved. In the case of Guatemala, there

are countless problems for the lower class including lack of proper housing, major infectious

diseases, impurity of the water supply in many rural villages, under par education for the

children, and many other highly important issues. However, the largest problem of all by far is

the malnutrition of the lower class citizens in Guatemala. 17.7% of Guatemala’s children under

the age of five are chronically underweight, which is over 15 times the percentage of

underweight children in the United States. The only way this percentage will get better is if

something substantial is done by someone in the United States. This country needs help as soon

as possible (cia.gov, 2012).

According to medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com, malnutrition is defined as Malnutrition

is the condition that develops when the body does not get the right amount of the vitamins,

minerals, and other nutrients it needs to maintain healthy tissues and organ function. It is

extremely important for young children, infants, teenagers, and pregnant women to be well

nourished. Malnutrition can be accelerated by diarrhea, excessive sweating, heavy bleeding, or

kidney failure. Many of these illnesses occur in Guatemala without treatment. This is yet

another reason that it is necessary for the United States to intervene.

Malnutrition is not only an extremely irritating thing to live with; it also has many other effects

on the human body and intelligence. Studies show that chronic malnutrition stunts growth, as

well as lowers the children’s IQ scores. The rural areas of Guatemala have the 4th

highest

percentage of malnourished children out of any other part of the world. This problem not only

has all of these negative impacts on the children, but it also causes trouble with the law because

the starving kids are forced to steal food to survive. Anyone who thinks that malnutrition is the

least of our worries here on Earth, think about this. Malnutrition is responsible for one-third of

the children that die on this planet, which is approximately 7,000 kids per day. Malnutrition is a

major problem that is overlooked by most Americans because their fortunateness to have food on

their table every night (cia.gov, 2012).

Helping improve the malnutrition rate of children in Guatemala won’t only improve the

everyday lives of the children who live there, but will also help out the United States. By

increasing the amount of nourished children in Guatemala, the IQ rate of all of the citizens in the

country will go up. In the process a smarter Guatemala will be formed. This will help the United

States become closer to the countries in Central America by doing nice things for them to help

them out. There isn’t a downside to helping these starving kids.

There are many problems in Guatemala that need improving. Like the lack of housing for the

lower class or the many deadly diseases; but the most important problem Guatemala is going

through is the lack of nutrition that the children are getting. The best way to fix this problem is to

construct many farms in the uninhabited sections of Guatemala and give all of the food to the

unnourished people of this country. This may seem like an unfeasible task, but with the prices of

everything in Guatemala being so much lower than in the U.S. it makes this task possible.

Guatemala is the perfect place to start our non-profit organization.


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Guatemalan Food Bank

Mission Statement:

Our main focus is to provide every lower class person with the proper amount of food. The

malnutrition rate in Guatemala is extremely high, especially among children, so our goal is to

reduce the amount of Guatemalan living in these harsh conditions.

What We Do:

There are major levels of malnutrition in Guatemala, especially for the children. In order to grow

enough food to feed all of these starving people, it is necessary to purchase a lot of land to build

farms. There is a lot of land in Guatemala that is unused and is covered in forests. The soil under

these forests would be perfect for the farms that the Guatemalan Food Bank needs to grow

products quickly. These forests are also very near many of the rural villages that these famished

people live.

All the money that is earned or donated to the Guatemalan Food Bank is put toward many

different things. Roads will need to be built to transport the food from the farms to the villages.

Then there is all of the crops and farming equipment that needs to be purchased to plant and

harvest the crops. The workers of these farms also need to be paid and possible more farms can

be built. This is what all of the donated money will go towards in the Guatemalan Food Bank

industry.

Ways You Can Help:

● Donate Money: All donations are extremely appreciated and this non-profit could not

function without these donations. Any amount is accepted in checks or cash.

● Buy Shoes from Nike: Buy any shoe from Nike with the Guatemalan Food Bank logo

on the sole and 10% of the profit will go towards feeding the malnourished children in

Guatemala. A Nike factory will soon be opened in Guatemala to employ the lower class

in Guatemala.

● Volunteer Your Time: We are in need of many volunteers that would be working here

in the U.S. by sending the donations and the supplies to Guatemala. Any amount of your

time that you could donate would be much appreciated.

Partnerships/Sponsors

● Nike

● Dutch Bros

● Mazda

● Central Point Eye Care

● TBS


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Geographical Area Analysis

Guatemala is located at the southern tip of Mexico in Central America. It is placed right between

the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Guatemala is slightly smaller than the state of

Tennessee at 108,890 square

kilometers. There are some

natural hazards in Guatemala

that include numerous

volcanoes and sporadic

violent earthquakes. There are

also hurricanes and other

tropical storms on the

Caribbean coast. There is a lot

of soil erosion and water

pollution in Guatemala as

well.

Guatemala is bordered by

Mexico to the north, Belize

Honduras, and the Caribbean

Sea to the east, El Salvador to

the south, and the Pacific

Ocean to the west. Guatemala

takes up 108,890 square

kilometers; 107,159 of it is

land, and the other 1,730 is

water. The lowest point in

Guatemala is at the Pacific

Ocean at zero meters and the

highest point is on the top of

Volcan Tajumulco at 4,211

meters to the tip

(nationsencyclopedia, 2012).

The northeastern part of Guatemala and along the coast is relatively hot year round with an

average temperature of 68°F and sometime rising up to nearly 100°F. In these areas, nights are

very nice and clear. At higher elevations near the center of the country, the rainy season runs

from May through September. This rainy season is characterized by clear skies in the mornings

and heavy rainfall during the afternoon and night. Temperatures also drop dramatically during

the night.

Guatemala’s landscape is mainly made up of mountainous terrain and heavy forests. Along the

Pacific and above the southern highlands rises a string of volcanoes. Of these huge volcanoes,

three are still active today. There are basins within these volcanic areas that hold most of the

country’s population. Lake Atitlán was formed in one of these basins that did not have a river

outlet. This lake could be used as a major water source for the farms that we build. There is also

a low tableland called El Petén that is a monstrous 36,300 square kilometers, nearly one third the


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surface area of the country. But due to dense forest, only 40,000 people live in this immense

area. I believe that this would be a perfect place to cut out some of this forest and replace them

with farms to provide food all over the country (nationsencyclopedia, 2012).

I believe that the overall geography, climate, location, and terrain, of Guatemala make it a

perfect place to start our non-profit organization. The low tableland of EL Petén is a perfect

place to start our organization due to the lack of citizens in this part of the country and the

nutrient soil from the dense forest that was once there. BIS Inc. would thrive in a country like

Guatemala.

Geographical Benefits:

Variety of elevations making it possible to grow many foods.

Very warm average temperature making crops grow well.

There are many areas that are forested that would make perfects spots for farms.

Nutrient soil left behind from the dense forests that are in Guatemala.

Economic Analysis 1

Government Classification: Capitalism

Guatemala has a capitalistic government. The definition of constitutional according to

(indexmundi.com, 2009) is “A government by or operating under an authoritative document

(constitution) that sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the

nature, functions, and limits of that government.”

Guatemala has the greatest population out of any Central American country, but has roughly

one-half the GDP per capita of all of the other countries around the Caribbean Sea. The

Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) was put into place

in July of 2006, which increased investing in exports. The largest increases came with

nontraditional products like ethanol. There are two main statistics that I would like to bring

forward. First, the gap between the rich and the poor is enormous. The richest 20 percent of the

citizens gets over 50 percent of the income made in the country. Second, more than half the

population of Guatemala is below the national poverty line and a little less than 15 percent are in

extreme poverty. Nearly one out of every two kids under the age of five are at a state of chronic

malnutrition. This is one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world. These stats are very

sad and I believe that BIS Inc. can change these statistics for the better by replacing sections of

the dense forests with farms to feed all of these starving people. This can change so many lives

for the better (indexmundi.com, 2012).

http://www.indexmundi.com/




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Renewable Resources:

Coffee: A hot drink made from the roasted and ground beanlike seeds of a tropical shrub

(googledictionary). Coffee is one of the main exported products in Guatemala, but the

main importance of coffee to this country lies in the large labor investment in the

production of coffee.

Sugar: Sweet crystalline substance obtained from various plants, used as a sweetener.

Second most exported product in Guatemala behind coffee (nationsencyclopedia).

Apparel: Cloths and other textiles worn and sold by the citizens of Guatemala. Over

800,000 people are employed in the apparel industry in Guatemala. The U.S. is the main

buyer of these textiles from Guatemala (nationsencyclopedia).

Bananas: A delicious fruit that is one of the main exported agricultural products in

Guatemala. Bananas made Guatemala 160.4 million dollars in 1989

(nationsencyclopedia).

Nonrenewable Resources:

Oil: A viscous liquid derived from petroleum, used as a fuel or a lubricant.

(googledefinition). Guatemala produces 13,070 bbl/day (barrels per day), imports 78,550

bbl/day, and exports 15,300 bbl/day. Plays a huge part in Guatemala’s economy.

(CIAfactbook).

Natural Gas: Flammable gas, consisting largely of methane and other hydrocarbons,

occurring naturally underground and used as fuel (googledefinition). Guatemala does not

use the nearly 300 billion cubic meters of natural gas in the ground.

Industries:

Sugar: Growing, selling and exporting all sugar products. Made 315.3 mi llion

dollars in profit in 1998 (nationsencyclopedia).

Textiles and clothing: More than 80,000 people in Guatemala work in this

industry. Sold 1 billion dollars’ worth of tex tiles to the U.S. alone in 1998

(nationsencyclopedia).

Furniture: Some furniture companies in Guatemala are Antigua Furniture,

Godmans’ keystone, and Guatemalan Manufacturers.

Petroleum: Guatemala is the only oil producing country in Central America.

One of the main petroleum companies in Guatemala is Perenco Guatemala

Limited (upsidedownworld).

Tourism: The main tourist attractions in Guatemala include Mayan ruins,

steaming volcanoes, lush jungles, and warm beaches.

Exchange Rate: There are 7.69 Guatemalan quetzals per U.S. dollar.


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Total GDP Purchasing Power Parity:

Guatemala: The GDP Purchasing Power Parity for Guatemala is $74.64 billion. It is 82

nd in

comparison to the rest of the world.

Burkina Faso: The GDP Purchasing Power Parity for Burkina Faso is $21.83 billion. It is 123rd

in


Mali: The GDP Purchasing Power Parity for Mali is $18.26 billion. It is 132nd

in comparison to

the rest of the world.

Nicaragua: The GDP Purchasing Power Parity for Nicaragua is $18.77 billion. It is 129th

in


0 20 40 60 80

GDP in billions

(PPP)

Co

un

try

Total GDP Purchasing Power Parity

Comparison Graph

Nicaragua

Mali

Burkina Faso

Guatemala

(cia.gov, 2012)

Guatemala’s high GDP (PPP) is significant because it means that our business will be easier to

start in Guatemala than Mali, Nicaragua, or Burkina Faso; even though the size, population,

political system, and economic development in all of these countries are all similar.


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(cia.gov, 2012)

(cia.gov, 2012)

This number is important to our business because it shows that the people of Guatemala are

capable of helping us much more than in most other countries. The gross national income per

capita of Guatemala is nearly 3000, so the people of Guatemala will be able to help our

company. Our goal is to increase this number even more by providing jobs at our farms.

0 2 4 6

Real GrowthRate

% Growth

Total GDP Real Growth Rate Comparison Graph

Nicaragua

Burkina Faso

Mali

Guatemala

0 1000 2000 3000

Income Per Capita ($)

Co

un

try

Gross National Income Per Capita

Nicaragua

Burkina Faso

Mali

Guatemala


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Economic Analysis 2

International Trade Statistics:

Major Exports:

● Coffee

● Sugar

● Petroleum

● Apparel

● Bananas

● Fruits and vegetables

● Cardamom

(nationsencyclopedia, 2012)

Coffee is the biggest export in Guatemala. It was one of the country’s original commercial

developments of the 19th

century and is now the third largest exporter of coffee in the world.

Today coffee profits accounts for US$586.3 million, which is almost double the amount of profit

made from Guatemala’s second leading export, sugar. Sugar profits US$315.3 million and the

sugar industry in Guatemala is still expanding today mainly because sugar is produced in its

natural form, and then processed within the country before exporting it. This amplifies the price

greatly. Bananas are another commonly exported product from Guatemala. However, the banana

industry in Guatemala is declining due to drops in prices and a European Union Policy that

restricts other countries imports on bananas. Many of the banana factories in Guatemala are

moving their headquarters to Ecuador because the labor laws are less strict and the workers

require less pay. The production of different apparel and textiles plays a huge role in Guatemala.

There are currently over 80,000 people working in this industry in Guatemala alone. Petroleum

plays a small part in Guatemala’s GDP at 3%. Fruits, vegetables, and cardamom play an even

less significant role than that of petroleum (nationsencyclopedia, 2012).

Dollar Value of Exports:

Coffee: US$586.3 million

Sugar: US$315.3 million

Petroleum: US$100.3 million

Apparel: US$80.5 million

Bananas: US$45.6 million

Fruits and vegetables: US$35.9 million

Cardamom: US$22.6 million



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Export Partners:

Major Imports:

● fuels

● machinery and transport equipment

● construction materials

● grain

● fertilizers

● electricity


Inflation Rates: Guatemala: 6.2%

Burkina Faso: 3.6%

Mali: 3.6%

(cia.gov, 2012)

United States

Mexico

Japan

Netherlands

Canada

Chile

Dominican Republic

Saudi Arabia

Germany

Italy

0.00% 2.00% 4.00% 6.00% 8.00%

Category 1

Mali

Burkina Faso

Guatemala


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Unemployment Rates:

Guatemala: 4.1% of the people

Mali: 30% of the people

Burkina Faso: 77% of the people

(cia.gov, 2012)

The unemployment rate in Guatemala is very low compared to other countries that are about the

same size. This is a good thing, but there are still many people that are unemployed. Our farms

provide steady jobs and income for these people who are unemployed.

Political System

Introduction:

Guatemala would be a perfect place to start BIS Inc. because it has a nearly identical government

as the United States. Guatemala has a constitutional democratic republic government. Just like in

the United States, it is divided into three branches; the executive, legislative, and judicial branch.

These leaders of these branches are also very similar to the United States. I believe that these are

important qualities for a country to have because we can understand how to make our

organization thrive.

Government Type: Constitutional Democratic Republic.

Constitutional: A government by or operating under an authoritative document (constitution) that

sets forth the system of fundamental laws and principles that determines the nature, functions,

and limits of that government.

Democratic republic: A state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to

vote for officers and representatives responsible to them (indexmundi, 2012).

0.00% 20.00% 40.00% 60.00% 80.00%

Unemployment (%)

Burkina Faso

Mali

Guatemala

http://www.indexmundi.com/guatemala/government_type.html


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Branches of Government:

There are three branches of government in Guatemala; the executive, legislative, and judicial

branches. These branches are very similar to the branches in the United States; they just have a

few minor differences like the terms at which the members can serve. The executive branch of

the Guatemalan government consists of the president. The president can only serve for one four-

year term. The legislative branch contains 158 members of congress who can serve for as many

four-year terms as they are elected for. The judicial branch only consists of 13 Supreme Court

members that serve for five-year terms. Just like the legislative branch, there is not a maximum

amount of terms that the Supreme Court members can serve. Beyond these branches of

government there are 22 governors and 333 mayors and city councils (state.gov).

Political Parties:

Four of the major political parties in Guatemala are The National Unity of Hope (UNE), The

Grand National Alliance (GANA) The Patriot Party (PP) The Guatemalan Republican Front

(FRG). In the election in 2011, The National Unity of Hope party came in second to The Patriot

Party with 993,198 votes (22.57%). The Patriot Party won the election with 1,171,337 votes

(26.62%). The Patriot Party holds 57 out of the 158 seats in congress, which is easily the most

out of any of the parties (state.gov, 2012).


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Leadership:

Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments

Date of Information: 2/24/2012

Pres. Otto Fernando PEREZ MOLINA

Vice Pres. Ingrid Roxana BALDETTI Elias

Min. of Agriculture, Livestock, & Food Efrain MEDINA

Min. of Communications, Infrastructure, & Housing Alejandro SINIBALDI

Min. of Culture & Sports Carlos BATZIN

Min. of Defense Ulises Noe ANZUETO Giron, Maj. Gen.

Min. of Economy Sergio DE LA TORRE

Min. of Education Cynthia DEL AGUILA

Min. of Energy & Mines Erick ARCHILA

Min. of Environment & Natural Resources Roxana SOBENES

Min. of Foreign Relations Harold Osberto CABALLEROS Lopez

Min. of Finance Pavel CENTENO

Min. of Govt. Hector Mauricio LOPEZ BONILLA

Min. of Labor Carlos CONTRERAS

Min. of Public Health & Social Assistance Francisco ARREDONDO

Attorney Gen. Claudia PAZ Y PAZ Bailey

Solicitor Gen. Larry Mark ROBLES Guibert

Sec. Gen. of the Presidency Gustavo MARTINEZ

Pres., Bank of Guatemala Edgar BARQUIN

Ambassador to the US Julio Armando MARTINI Herrera

Permanent Representative to the UN, New York Gert ROSENTHAL Koenigsberger

There are also 22 departments with appointed governors and 333 municipalities with elected

mayors and city councils (cia.gov, 2012).

Stability of Government:

The government in Guatemala is fairly stable because the most recent revolt or coup that was

attempted was in 1993 when President Elias started a self-coup. And the coup was unsuccessful

because the Guatemalan Supreme Court immediately removed Elias from office for violating

constitutional order. The government in Guatemala seems to be doing a good job keeping order.

The government is very stable (Wikipedia.org, 2012).

Legal System: Civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts (indexmundi, 2012).


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Suffrage:

Universal, 18 years of age, but people who are active in the armed forces may not vote and are

confined to the barracks on Election Day to prevent any military coups from happening in

Guatemala (Indexmundi, 2012).

Flag:

The Guatemalan flag contains two colors; sky blue and white. The two sky blue stripes represent

the fact that Guatemala is placed in between two Oceans, the Pacific to the west, and the

Caribbean Sea (Atlantic Ocean) to the east. It also makes reference to Guatemala’s state song,

“The sky over the country.” The middle white part represents purity and peace. The Guatemalan

coat of arms is placed on the center of the flag. There is a scroll on the coat of arms containing

the date September 15, 1821, the date Central America gained its independence from Spain. The

coat of arms also contains the state bird, the Resplendent Quetzal, symbolizing liberty. The

crossed rifles show Guatemala’s willingness to defend itself with force if needed. The crossed

swords represent honor and the bay laurel crown is a symbol for victory (Wikipedia, 2012).


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Trade Laws and Legal Analysis

Introduction:

There are many trade laws that have to do with Guatemala. There are tariffs on importing and

exporting goods, import taxes, and laws on importing restricted and prohibited goods. There was

also one big trade agreement between six Central American countries, including Guatemala, and

the United States. This section will tell you about all of these trade laws and agreements.

Tariffs:

In Guatemala, 80 cigarettes or 3 ½ ounces of tobacco, 2 bottles of liquor or spirits, and any

amount of perfume can be imported by any person without any charge. More than these given

amounts are unable to be brought into Guatemala. Other items that are not able to be brought into

Guatemala are illegal drugs, any types of weapons or ammunition, milk and milk products, any

wild plant or plant products, counterfeit goods, pornographic material, and any culturally

valuable artifacts because they are banned from entering or exiting the country without

permission. The tariffs on exports are the same as on the imports. Also, cats and dogs that are

being imported of exported require a veterinarian health certificate and must have a certificate

stating that the animal has had its rabies shot. Only pedigreed animals are allowed to enter the

country for free (guatemala.visahq.com, 2012).

Trade Agreements:

In early August of 2004, the United States signed the CAFTA-DR (Dominican Republic-Central

America-United States Free Trade Agreement). This agreement was the first free trade

agreement between the United States and any countries in Central America. The six Central

American countries that were involved were Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras,

Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. This treaty created new economic opportunities for all

of these countries by eliminating a lot of tariffs. It also opened more markets that didn’t exist

before the agreement. In 2009, the United States exported $19.5 billion to the CAFTA-DR

countries. These countries combine to be the United States twelve largest trading partner

(ustr.gov, 2012).

Import Taxes:

In Guatemala, Import duties are generally small, ranging from 0-15%, but some products like

those dealing with agriculture that exceed the quota have higher tax rates. The textile and shoe

import taxes have dropped since 2005 along with many other taxes. There is also a 10% value

added tax, which is a lot like a sales tax because in the end, only the last consumer is charged this

tax. But this tax is also charged to the companies buying the product from the manufactures

(nationsencyclopedia, 2012) .


18

Prohibited and Restricted Imports:

When going to Guatemala, there are certain items that you are unable to import into the country.

Some of them are just like in most other countries, like illegal drugs, weapons or ammunition,

explosives, counterfeit money and goods, and pornographic material. But there are also some

items that are prohibited from entering the country that differ from most other countries, like

milk and milk products, wild plants and plant products, and any culturally valuable artifact that is

banned from entering or exiting the county without permission. A couple items that are restricted

when entering Guatemala are cats and dogs. These animals must have a veterinarian health

certificate those proves that the animals have been vaccinated for Rabies. Also only pedigreed

pets will be allowed to enter the country for free (guatemala.visahq.com, 2012).

Population

Introduction:

When starting a non-profit organization that grows food for people who can’t afford it, the three

most important statistics that involves population are growth rates, life expectancy rates, and the

most populated cities. The growth rate in Guatemala is fairly low when compared to other

countries of similar populations. One of the main reasons of this is the malnutrition of the people,

mainly the children, in Guatemala. We could fix this problem, therefor increasing the growth rate

in this country. The life expectancy rate of Guatemala is actually fairly high compared to other

countries, but is still substantially lower than the U.S. Obtaining food for the people of

Guatemala would raise the life expectancy rate of the country. If we built our organization near

one of the bigger cities there would be more people to feed because of the large lower class.

Total Populations:

Guatemala: 14,099,032 (July 2012 est.). 70th

most populated country in the world.

Burkina Faso: 17,275,115 (July 2012 est.). 61st most populated country in the world.

Mali: 14,533,511 (July 2012 est.). 68th

most populated country in the world.

(cia.gov, 2012)


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Growth Rates:

Guatemala: 1.948% (2012 est.) 57th fastest rate in the world.

Burkina Faso: 3.073% (2012 est.). 9th

fastest rate in the world.

Mali: 2.613% (2012 est.). 22nd


(cia.gov, 2012)

This means that the total population is not growing as rapidly as the other countries of similar

size. This is a good thing because the country is not going to be as overpopulated as these other

countries.

Birth Rates:

Guatemala: 26.48 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) 50th highest rated country.

Burkina Faso: 43.2 births/1,000 population (2012 est.). 5th

highest rated country.

Mali: 45.15 births/1,000 population (2012 est.). 3rd


(cia.gov, 2012)

The birthrates are also really low compared to other countries, which also means that Guatemala

is not going to be as populated as these other countries.

0 2 4

GrowthRates (%)

Guatemala

Burkina Faso

Mali:

40 45 50

BirthRates/thousand

Guatemala

Burkina Faso

Mali


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Life Expectancy Rates:

Guatemala: Total population: 71.17 years. 141st highest rate in the world. male: 69.29 years.

Female: 73.14 years (2012 est.)

Burkina Faso: Total Population: 54.07 years. 202nd

highest rate in the world. Male: 52.09 years

Female: 56.1 years (2012 est.).

Mali: total population: 53.06 years. 206th

highest rate in the world. Male: 51.43 years

Female: 54.73 years (2012 est.)

(cia.gov, 2012)

The life expectancy rate in Guatemala is approximately 20 years longer than the life expectancy

rates in other countries of similar size, which is a good thing because the people who are working

at the farms will be healthier and work longer.

0 50 100

LifeExpectancy

Rates(years)

Guatemala

Burkina Faso

Mali


21

Distribution of Population:

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 38.1% (male 2,678,340/female 2,582,472)

15-64 years: 58% (male 3,889,573/female 4,130,698)

65 years and over: 3.9% (male 252,108/female 291,272) (2011 est.)

(cia.gov, 2012)

This shows that the majority of the population is in working age. These are the people we will be

targeting when we go hiring people to work on the farms. We will give these people a steady

income so they can support the 38.1% of the population that is children.

Sex ratio: At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2012 est.)

(cia.gov, 2012)

0 20 40 60

Population(%)

0-14

15-64

65+


22

Most Populated Cities: 1. Guatemala City: 994,938 people

2. Mixco: 473,080 people

3. Villa Nueva: 406,830 people

4. Petapa: 141,455 people

5. San Juan Sacatepéquez: 136,886 people

(geonames.org, 2012)

The top three most populated cities in Guatemala are Guatemala City, Mixco, and Villa Nueva.

Guatemala City is the biggest city in Central America and is populated by 994,938 people. As

walk through Guatemala City you will see many amazing sights like museums and huge malls

that put the malls in the USA to shame. But the luxuries of food and water are only available to

the “Haves” and not the “Have-nots.” The same thing goes in the other big cities of Mixco and

Villa Nueva. The lower class of that lives in these cities need food and that’s what BIS Inc. can

provide for these people. I believe that we can start our company near one of these big cities and

ship food into the cities for the less fortunate people living there.

Diet and Nutrition

Typical Meals: There is not a so-called “Traditional meal” in Guatemala, but there are many foods that have

slowly entered the everyday Guatemalan diet over time. Corn and black beans have stayed in the

Guatemalan diet since the time of the Mayans. The corn is normally served in form of a thin corn

pancake called a tortilla. The black beans are eaten along with the corn at almost every meal.

They are normally refried or baked, but occasionally they are simply eaten whole. Cheese, rice,

and eggs are also eaten often at every meal. The country’s most common meats are turkey, beef,

and chicken. They are roasted, grilled, or fried and accompanied by rice and beans. A thick meat

and vegetable stew called Pepián is a very commonly served dish in Guatemala. Meats are also

served with a spicy chili sauce. Seafood is popular along the coast and offers many delicious

species of sea creatures. The most popular fruits and vegetables in Guatemala are yucca, carrots,

plantains, celery, cucumbers, and radishes. And the main sugar product is the wonderfully

pleasant doughnut (foodbycountry.com, 2012).

0 500,000 1,000,000

# ofPeople

Guatemala City

Petapa

Mixco

San JuanSactenequez

Villa Nueva


23

Meat Consumption per Capita:

Guatemala: 27.04 kg per capita.

Mali: 21.6 kg per capita.

Ecuador: 51.71 kg per capita.

United Stated: 122.79 kg per capita.

(cia.gov, 2012)

This shows that Guatemala does not have a much meat as other countries. This means that they

need much more food to feed themselves. This is what our farms are there for.

Underweight Children:

Guatemala: 17.7% of children under 5 years of age. 42

nd most in the world.

Mali: 27.9% of children under 5 years of age. 22nd

most in the world.

Ecuador: 6.2% of children under 5 years of age. 76th

most in the world.

United States: 1.3% of children under 5 years of age. 119th

in the world.

(cia.gov, 2012)

In Guatemala, the percentage of underweight children is fairly high at 17.7%. This is what our

non-profit organization will be focusing on and it is very important to lower this number.

0 100 200

kg ofmeat

Meat Consumption per Capita

United States

Guatemala

Mali

Ecuador

0 10 20 30

% ofChildren

% of Underweight Children

United States

Guatemala

Mali

Ecuador


24

Calorie Supply per Capita:

Guatemala: 2,227 calories

Mali: 2,237 calories

Ecuador: 2,641 calories

United States: 3,754 calories

(cia.gov, 2012)

Guatemala averages just over 2000 calories per capita. This is much less than the U.S. and our

organization plans to change this number and get more food for the people in Guatemala.

Housing and Communication

Introduction:

The types of houses in Guatemala are a lot different from the houses seen in the United States.

This is because the people in Guatemala life with many generations in each household. The kids,

parents, and grandparents all live in one household with only a few people working for a livable

salary. The difference between the lower class and the upper class are seen in both countries, but

the lower class in Guatemala is much poorer than the lower class in the United States. The

houses of the lower class in Guatemala have dirt floors and roofs patched with dry vegetation.

Whereas the lower class in the U.S. have houses with floors and good roofs. The upper class in

Guatemala are the only people who have running water and electricity, which is different than in

the U.S. where everyone has these simple necessities of life. The overall housing in Guatemala is

not nice, but livable.

0 2,000 4,000

Caloriesper

Capita

Calorie Supply per Capita

United States

Guatemala

Mali

Ecuador


25

Typical House Structure:

The houses of the low income population in Guatemala are not very nice. The floors are usually

just dirt, and there are exposed wooden beams on the ceilings. The roofs are usually made from

dry vegetation and the houses are rarely furnished.

Electricity and running water are precious luxuries

only reserved for the upper class. Travelers traveling

through Guatemala usually stay in a bed and breakfast

or a nice hotel. These are normally among the upper

class houses that have access to running water and

electricity. These people who have money in

Guatemala normally have tile floors and furnished

houses, just like in the U.S. only slightly smaller. The

national

average

of people per household is 5.3 people. There are

many earthquakes in Guatemala so houses are made

of hollow concrete blocks designed to resist them.

Many steel rods reinforce the wall, and the spaces in

between the rods are filled with concrete. Windows

are mainly made of wood; however some are made

of metal, which is more expensive. The average

house in Guatemala costs $2,100 U.S. dollars.


26

Housing Statistics:

Average People per Room:

Guatemala: 5 people per room

Nicaragua: 2.6 people per room

Pakistan: 3 people per room

United States: 0.5 people per room

(www.ucl.ac.uk, 2012)

There is not very much livable housing in Guatemala. Our organization is going to give people

the steady income and job employment needed to build a nice house. This will lessen the people

per room statistic in Guatemala.

Urbanization:

Guatemala: 40% people living in urban communities

Nicaragua: 57% people living in urban communities

Pakistan: 33% people living in urban communities

United States: 77% people living in urban communities

(nationsmaster.com, 2012)

This shows that Guatemala is highly reliant on the agriculture industry. This is why these farms

need to be built to feed all of these non-urbanized cities.

0 2 4 6

Peopleper

Room

Average People per Room

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Pakistan

United States

0 50 100

% ofpeople

Urbanization

Guatemala

Nicaragua

Pakistan

United States

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/


27

Communication:

In Guatemala, there are approximately 1.5 million main telephone lines used. This is 65th

most

out of any country in the world. There are also a little over 18 million cell phone lines used in

Guatemala, which is 46th

most out of all the countries. There is one fairly modern network

centered in the main cities of Guatemala. There are four privately owned national television

channels in Guatemala. There is also a multi-channel and satellite and cable services available.

There is only one government-owned radio station, but there are hundreds of privately-owned

radio stations in Guatemala. There are nearly 350,000 internet hosts and nearly 2.3 internet users.

This is 72nd

in the world for internet users (Wikipedia, 2012).

Transportation

One popular means of transportation within the cities of Guatemala are called “Chicken Buses.”

These are recycled U.S. school buses that are often colorfully painted. These are primarily used

in cities for short-distance trips. Besides these old school buses, there are also many Guatemalan

bus and van companies that most people use to get to their destination when they arrive at the

airports. There are also a few first class bus systems in Guatemala that are much safer and have

air conditioning for longer trips. There are 4,863 kilometers of paved roads and 9,232 kilometers

of unpaved roads. A lot of these buses are overcrowded and not very comfortable to ride in. In

one recent accident that happened in February of 2008 an overfilled bus drove off the road

killing 45 passengers and injuring 20 more. This shows the danger of the public transportation

system in Guatemala (Wikipedia, 2012).

Chicken Bus


28

(Wikipedia, 2012) Transport Analysis:

Roadways:

Paved: 4,863 kilometers

Unpaved: 9,232 kilometers

(cia.gov, 2012)

There are many roadways in Guatemala which would make transporting the food from the farms

to the people in Guatemala much easier.

Seaports and Airports:

Ports:

Total: 5

Atlantic Ocean: Puerto Barrios and Santo Tomás de Castilla.

Pacific Ocean: Champerico, Puerto Quetzal, and Puerto San José.

Airports:

Total: 372 airports

(cia.gov, 2012)

This is important because it shows that it will not be too difficult to transport the seeds and other

materials needed on the farms from the U.S. to the farms in Guatemala.

0 5,000 10,000

Typesof

Roadways

Unpaved

0 200 400

Ports

Airports and Seaports

Airports

Seaports


29

Airports:

Paved:

Total: 13 airports

2,438 to 3,047 meters: 3 airports


914 to 1,523 meters: 4 airports

Under 914 meters: 3 airports (2010)

Unpaved:

Total: 359

2,438 to 3,047 meters: 1 airport


914 to 1,523 meters: 84 airports

Under 914 meters: 271 airports (2010)

(cia.gov, 2012)

This shows that there are not too many major airports in Guatemala. This means that we will

have to ship the goods in smaller planes in order to get the goods as close as possible to the farms

in Guatemala.

0 100 200 300

Unpaved

Paved

Lengths of Runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

914 to 1,523 m

Under 914 m


30

Railways and Waterways:

Railways:

Total: 332 km. 118 th in the world.

Waterways:

Total: 990 km (260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during

high-water season). 66 th most in the world. (2010)

(cia.gov, 2012)

Labor

Job Market and Availability:

Obtaining a job in Guatemala is a fairly easy thing to do if you have the right qualifications. The

process is nearly the same as in the United States. The easiest ways to find a job that is right for

you in Guatemala is to look through the local newspapers or on some internet websites. The

minimum working age is 14, which was established by the Codigo de Trabajo. The employers

treat their employees very well in Guatemala. The number one pet peeve for Guatemalan

employers is tardiness. Most Guatemalan people are very punctual so this is very rarely a

problem. The normal employees in Guatemala do not have much say in what goes on in the

company; however they do have opportunities to move up in management and become one of the

decision makers of the company. Most companies give out some, but not all of the following

benefits; life, disability, medical, accident, and retirement pension. In Guatemala, there are not

any jobs that require a single race, sex, or religion. However there are certain jobs that, for

example, it would help if you were native from Guatemala. These jobs probably all require you

to work well with other native people in Guatemala and require a Spanish speaking person.

0 500 1000

1st Qtr Waterways

Railways


31

Industries:

Some of the main jobs in Guatemala are truck driving or delivering food products, taxi driving,

selling foods or goods in outdoor markets, washing cloths (usually by hand), Making corte’s

(traditional women’s dresses, farming, making handmade crafts to sell, running a store. There are

many industries that create jobs in Guatemala including coal, machine building, armaments,

textiles, footwear and apparel, petroleum, cement, chemicals, fertilizers, toys, food processing;

transportation equipment, including automobiles and ships, electronics, telecommunications

equipment, real state, brewing, and tourism. There are four main job sectors in Guatemala. They

are nearly the same sectors as in the United States; government jobs, engineering jobs, teaching

and education jobs, and the biggest job sector in Guatemala, agriculture. More than 50% of

Guatemala’s workforce is involved in agricultural work.

Percentage of Occupations:

(cia.gov, 2012)

0% 20% 40% 60%

% ofPeople

Agriculture

Industry

Services


32

Workday:

The standard work week by law is 44 hours per week. The minimum wages in Guatemala is

$4.27 per hour. A person who works 44 hour weeks at minimum wage in Guatemala makes

approximately $10,000 per year. This is substantially less than the $8.80 per hour that is the

minimum wage in the United States. The standard work week in the U.S. is 40 hours; there for a

minimum wage worker makes approximately $18,000 per year. The average shop or business in

Guatemala are generally open from 8am to noon, and then from 2pm to 6pm. Most are open

Monday through Saturday, but there are also many variations. Most banks are open from 9am to

5pm, Monday through Friday, and 9am to 1pm on Saturday. Government offices are usually

open by 8am and close around 4pm. Most of the big, official business jobs are better conducted

during the morning hours. Restaurants are typically open from 7am to 9pm and bars are open

from 10am or 11am to 10pm or 11pm. Men and women both wear lightweight suits to work or

any business activity. There are eight national holidays in Guatemala, first is New Year’s Day on

January 1st, second is Easter at the beginning of April, third is Labor Day on May 1st, fourth is

Army day on June 30th, fifth is Independence Day on September 15th, sixth is Revolution Day

on October 20th, seventh is All Saints Day on November 1st, and last is Christmas Day on

December 25th. Most businesses do not work on any of these national Holidays. Most business

people in Guatemala prefer to be called by Mr., Mrs., or Miss, followed by their last name. Also,

most business cards have one half of the card translated into Spanish, but it is not required.

Punctuality is a well admired quality to have in Guatemala. Being late is looked down upon

greatly. Topics that are usually avoided during business conversations include racism, Mayan vs.

Guatemalan issues, poverty, and politics. When doing business, it is best to let the host start the

business talking (guatemalacustoms.com, 2012).

Education

General Description:

In Guatemala, schooling at the primary level, 1st through 6

th grade, is both free and required by

law to attend. The country of Guatemala has improved dramatically at providing schools for the

primary levels and the percentage of kids who attend has gone from below 40% in the early

1990s to over 75% today. But the children of Ladino decent have a much better chance of getting

this education than the children of the original Mayan decent. The literacy rate for rural

indigenous young adults is only 76%, which is 20% lower than the literacy rate for the urban

non-indigenous young adults. There is also nearly a ten percent decrease for girls of Mayan

decent. In these urban villages, less than 15% of the classrooms meet the minimum standard for a

classroom space. And this percentage drops to 0% when you walk into the rural villages of the

indigenous Mayan people. These conditions are directly related to a lack of funding for the

schools in this country (www.avivara.org).


33

Enrolment Levels:

Guatemala:

Primary: Total 88%; 91% male; 85% female

Secondary: Total 31%; 33% male; 29% female

Tertiary: 9.5% total people of tertiary age

United States:

Primary: Total; 96%; 95% male; 97% female

Secondary: Total 91%; 89% male; 91% female

Tertiary: 89% total people of tertiary age

(cia.gov, 2012)

Literacy Rates: (People 15 and over who can read and write)

Guatemala: Total 69.1%; male 75.4%; female 63.3%

United States: Total 99%; male 99%; female 99%

Germany: Total 99%; male 99%; female 99%

China: Total 92.2%; male 96%; female 88.5%

(cia.gov, 2012)

This statistic shows that the schooling in Guatemala is only slightly worse than the schooling in

the United States. This is not the issue that we will be focusing on because the schooling in

Guatemala is fairly good.

0 50 100

Tertiary

Secondary

Primary

Guatemala

United States

0 50 100

LiteracyRate (%)

Literacy Rates

Guatemala

United States

Germany

China


34

School Life Expectancy: (Primary through tertiary schooling)

Guatemala: Total 11 years; male 11 years; female 10 years

United States: Total 16 years; male 15 years; female 17 years

Germany: Total 16 years; male 16 years; female 16 years

China: Total 12 years; male 11 years; female 12 years

(cia.gov, 2012)

The years of schooling in Guatemala is only slightly less than that of the 1st world nations. This

means that we will not be worrying about the education of the children in Guatemala.

Evaluation:

In Guatemala, it is quite obvious that the people are less educated due to the number of years that

the average person attends school, the percentage of people who attend all the levels of

schooling, and the literacy rates compared to the first world countries. This may seem like a bad

thing for our non-profit organization but I view it as a great thing. Our food could give the

education systems in Guatemala one less expense to worry about. If we donate enough food to

these schools to pay for the children’s lunches then the school systems could spend more money

on building nicer classrooms and getting better supplies for the students to learn from. Our non-

profit organization could indirectly help increase Guatemala’s literacy rates over the next couple

decades.

Clothing

Business Attire:

Most days in Guatemala are fairly warm; so during a business day, most males wear a

lightweight suit, which is nearly the same as a suit in the United States, but is made of a lighter

material. The women normally wear either a skirt or a dress. In

Guatemalan business, the most important quality that a person can have

is punctuality. Being late is looked down on greatly.

0 10 20

Years ofSchooling

School Life Expectancy

Guatemala

United States

Germany

China


35

Native or Ceremonial Attire:

The women in the native Mayan tribes of Guatemala wear hand-woven and decorated clothing.

This clothing is fairly expensive and takes a very long time for the women of the tribe to make.

Some of the mean men wear snickers and sashes that are woven as well,

but it is rare to see men wearing the traditional Mayan clothing called

Traje. The men have started wearing mass produced clothing because it is

much cheaper and does not take as long to make. Both men and women of

the Mayan society carry bags that are also hand woven by the women.

Expected Visitor’s Attire:

It is very warm during the day in Guatemala, so most tourists wear shorts

and a light t-shirt. When the sun goes down at higher altitudes the

temperature drops dramatically so most tourists

bring a light sweater or a long sleeve shirt for

night times. Tourists normally avoid wearing

clothing that is too revealing like short shorts or

tank tops because the native people of Guatemala

are much more conservative than the people in

the United States. Wearing revealing clothes just

draws unwanted attention. It is suggested that

people bring a raincoat or an umbrella for the

rainy season. Most people wear casual walking

shoes or sandals with straps around the ankles to

make walking easier.

Casual Attire:

Casual attire is mainly worn in the more rural areas of Guatemala. Casual attire is mostly worn

by tourists and kids, and rarely by business men and women. Casual attire normally consists of

shorts and hand woven shirts made by the

women. Many people are changing to mass

produced t-shirts because they are much cheaper

and easier to make.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/antigua-guatemala/416977385/


36

Recreation and Leisure

“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.” Dr. Seuss once said. This quote

describes Guatemala perfectly. There are so many amazing activities to do and breathtaking

things to see in this country. From the ancient Mayan ruins to a spectacular zip-line ride through

the luscious rainforests; from watching Guatemala’s national football (soccer) team to white-

water rafting near an active volcano; there is always some type of remarkable activity to do. Or

even if you are in the mood for a delicious dinner and a relaxing walk on a clean beach,

Guatemala is the perfect place for any type of fun that you want to have. If you are looking for a

place to have a good time, Guatemala is the place to go.

In Guatemala, there are many incredible tourist attractions that one could

attend. Some of the most popular attractions include hiking through the

ancient Mayan ruins, zip-lining through the rainforest, and climbing up an

active volcano. In the outskirts of Antigua, there is a free canopy zip line

tour for all tourists in Guatemala. There are also many Mayan ruins that are

in Guatemala. These civilizations flourished from around 700 BC to 900

AD. These temples are awesome pieces of history and are incredibly

intricate. There are 37 different volcanoes in Guatemala that tours are

available in. Any of these tourist attractions would surely make anyone’s

vacation a great one.

There are many sports activities that take place in

Guatemala. The main national sport is the Guatemalan

football (soccer) team. The team plays internationally and

the players are very skilled. Another popular activity that

the people in Guatemala enjoy is white-water rafting.

There are rivers that wind in-between volcanoes and there

are tours that take you all over Guatemala. This would be a

very exciting activity for anyone who wants an adventure.

There are many restaurants in Guatemala that serve delicious foods. All restaurants are fairly

inexpensive compared to the United States and the quality of

food is just about the same, if not better. There are also many

beaches that are clean and are great places for relaxing walks.

Guatemala also has many comfortable hotels to stay at.

Overall, Guatemala is a great place to stay when looking for a

relaxing vacation.


37

When visiting Guatemala, it is a great idea to visit all of the popular tourist attractions in this

country. The Mayan temples, zip lines through the rainforests, and hiking up active volcanoes

are no doubt a fun part of the Guatemalan experience. The sports and activities that can be seen

in Guatemala are amazing sites to see and to take part in. And even if you are just looking for a

relaxing vacation, Guatemala is the place to go. So when Dr. Seuss said “Today was good.

Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one,” he might of well as been talking about Guatemala.

Entry/Exit Requirements:

In order to enter or exit Guatemala to or from the United States, you must have a valid U.S.

passport, regardless of your age. There is an exit tax that must be paid when leaving Guatemala,

around $20, and is normally added onto the price of the airline ticket. Also an airport security fee

of a little less than three dollars. Minors under 18 years of age do not need special permission

from their parents to enter or leave Guatemala. U.S. citizens will need a visa for a stay of over 90

days; however it is not required for a stay less than that.

Language

Introduction:

In Guatemala, there are very few English speakers. When we start our non-profit organization in

this country, we will be required to hire workers who can speak Spanish. There are also many

people who speak an Amerindian language. So it might be in our best interests to hire a translator

if we need help communicating with the Native people of Guatemala.

National/Official Language:

Spanish is the official language of Guatemala. 60% of the population speaks Spanish.

Dialects/Minor Languages:

40% of Guatemalan citizens speak one of the many Amerindian languages. There are 23 official

Amerindian languages recognized in Guatemala, including

Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca. The other 60% of the population

speaks Spanish (indexmundi, 2012).


38

World Languages:

Top 10 Most Spoken Languages in the World: (number of speakers given in parenthesis)

● Mandarin Chinese (1.12 billion)

● English (480 million)

● Spanish (320 million)

● Russian (285 million)

● French (265 million)

● Hindi/Urdu (250 million)

● Arabic (221 million)

● Portuguese (188 million)

● Bengali (185 million)

● Japanese (133 million)

(2.ignatius.edu, 2012)

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world with a little over one billion

speakers. English is second with less than 500 million speakers. The next eight are all fairly close

ranging from 320-133 million speakers.

0

500

1000

1500

Language

Man

dar

in C

hin

ese

Engl

ish

Span

ish

Ru

ssia

n

Fren

ch

Hin

di/

Urd

u

Ara

bic

Po

rtu

gues

e

Ben

gali

Jap

anes

e

Top 10 Most Spoken Languages in the World (million speakers)


39

Top 10 Most Influential Languages in the World: (number of points is given in parenthesis)

● English (37)

● French (23)

● Spanish (20)

● Russian (16)

● Arabic (14)

● Chinese (13)

● German (12)

● Japanese (10)

● Portuguese (10)

● Hindi/Urdu (9)

(2.ignatius.edu, 2012)

The most influential language in the world is English because most business meetings are held in

English. English is also spoken in many different countries. The second and third most

influential languages, French and Spanish, are also spoken in many different countries. All of the

other languages are spoken by many people in the area of the world that the language originated.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Language

Engl

ish

Fren

ch

Span

ish

Ru

ssia

n

Ara

bic

Ch

ines

e

Ger

man

Jap

anes

e

Po

rtu

gues

e

Hin

du

/Urd

u

Top 10 Most Influential Languages in the World (points)


40

Religion

General Description:

There are many indigenous Mayan beliefs in Guatemala, but the two main religions are Roman

Catholic and Protestant. The amount of the people who still have the Mayan beliefs has

decreased dramatically over the last several decades. On the contrary, the percentages of Roman

Catholics and Protestants in Guatemala increased rapidly over the years.

Types of Religions:

There are two main religions in Guatemala, Roman Catholic and Protestant, and many

indigenous Mayan beliefs. The Roman Catholics believe that the truth is found in the Bible, and

is interpreted by the church. They also believe that the truth can be found by attending church.

Protestants believe in the 66 books of the Old and New Testament, just like the Roman

Catholics. Catholics believe in forgiveness of sins through confessions.

Roman Catholic: 75% of population

Protestant: 33% of population

Indigenous Mayan beliefs: 2% of population

(cia.gov, 2012)

Roman Catholic is the most popular religion, just like in all of the other Central and South

American countries.

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Roman CatholicProtestant

Indigenous MayanBeliefs

Major Religions (%)


41

Effects of Religions:

In Guatemala, the people of Roman Catholic religion attend church quite often. As do the people

of the Protestant religion. The people of the ancient Mayan beliefs do not attend church, they

worship from their houses. Many of the Mayan people are very religious and religion controls

their lives. There are also many people in Guatemala who are not very religious and do not

attend church. Many Roman Catholic people attend confessions to confess all of their sins. This

is the only way for these people to get forgiveness.


42

Work Cited Page

"Background Note: Guatemala." U.S Department of State. n.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2012.

<http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2045.htm>.

"CAFTA-DR (Dominican Republic-Central America FTA)." Office of the United States Trade

Representative. n.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2012.

<http://www.ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/cafta-dr-dominican-republic-

central-america-fta>.

"Central American and The Caribean." Centry Intelligence Agency. n.p., n.d. Web. 4 May 2012.

<https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gt.html>.

"Culture of Guatemala." Everyculture. n.p. n.p. Web. 25 Apr. 1012.

<http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Guatemala.html>.

"Export Import for Good." International Trade Centre. n.p., n.p. Web. 2 May 2012.

<http://www.intracen.org/country/guatemala/>.

"Flag of Guatemala." Wikipedia. n.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2012.

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Guatemala>.

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