GUATEMALARepublic of Guatemala

A BEAUTY THAT HURTS

TABLE OF CONTENTSGUATEMALA

LOCATION CULTURE PEOPLE

ECONOMICSHISTORY

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FURTHER READINGS

POLITICS

CURRENT INTERNAL SITUATION

CURRENT EXTERNAL SITUATION

LOCATION Guatemala is

located in Central America.

Area 108,889 Km.

Highest Point; 4,220m Volcan Tajamulco.

Lowest Point; Sea Level.

GEOGRAPHY 66% of the country

is mountainous

62% is covered by forests.

Four topographical regions

Eighteen short rivers

Four major lakes

THE PEOPLE Population: 10,510,000

Density: 97/km2

Capital: Guatemala

Urban 39%

Ethnic Groups: Ladinos 56%, Amerindian 44%

THE PEOPLE Languages:

Spanish, Amerindian

Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, tribal religionist

67 female, 62 male

Literacy: 55%

THE CULTURE

Arte4 Maya Tz’utuhil Museaum and Gallery

HISTORICALHighlights

Mayan Civilization

The Fishing and Farming Villiages

Pedro de Alvarado came to conquer Guatemala 1523

Independence from Spain came in 1821

HISTORICALHighlights

A succession of military presidents

Protest and repression became more violent

Civil war broke out

New government January 2000!

The POLITICS Government: Republic

Parties: Christian Democratic, Democratic Party of National Cooperation, National Centrist Union, Revolutionary, others

Suffrage: Universal, over 18.

Membership: OAS, UN.

Subdivisions: 22 Departments.

The ECONOMICS

GDP: $12, 600,000,000

Per capita: $1,342

Monetary Unit: Quetzal(Q)

Public Debt; USD 2, 301,000,000

The ECONOMICS Imports: USD $2,647,629,800

Exports: USD 1,502,610,4000

Trade Partners: Exports: U.S., El. Salvador, Germany, Japan

Exports: Coffee, sugar, bananas, beef.

Imports:Fuel, machinery, grain, fertilizer, transportation equipment

CURRENT SITUATION INTERNAL RELATIONS

THE PEOPLE

ECONOMY AND THE LAND

HISTORY AND POLITICS

CURRENT SITUATION INTERNATIONAL

RELATIONS SITUATIONAL UPDATE!

VISIT FROM THE CANADIAN FOREIGN AID MINISTER !

SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS!!

URGENT ACTIONSOLIDARITY WORK WITH GUATEMALA

Canada Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network

Project Accompaniment Amnesty International United Nation Human Rights

Commission Arch Bishops Office for Human Rights Canada World Youth Peace Brigades

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LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES

http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/ca/guatemala/

100 TIPS http://www.1000traveltips.org/

guatemal.htm

FURTHER READINGS I, Rigoberta Menchu is the autobiography of Guatemala's Indian

Nobel Peace Prize winner - a very moving story of Mayan life and government repression.

Time and the Highland Maya by Barbara Tedlock is an anthropological study of the Quiché Indians of Momostenango.

Unfinished Conquest: The Guatemalan Tragedy by Victor Perera looks at the history of the Maya and their situation in modern Guatemala.

The Central America Fact Book by Tom Barry & Deb Preusch examines the economic, political and military role of the USA in Central America.

Birds of Guatemala by Hugh C Land is a field guide to - surprisingly enough - the birds of Guatemala.

lamor of Innocence: Central American Short Stories, edited by Barbara Paschke & David Volpendesta, contains 31 short stories by writers from the region.