The 2008 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

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

      Geography - note:

      no natural harbors on west coast

      People

       Guatemala

      Population:

      13,002,206 (July 2008 est.)

      Age structure:

      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.)

      Median age:

      total: 19.2 years male: 18.6 years female: 19.7 years (2008 est.)

      Population growth rate:

      2.11% (2008 est.)

      Birth rate:

      28.55 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Death rate:

      5.19 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Net migration rate:

      −2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

      Sex ratio:

      at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

      Infant mortality rate:

      total: 28.79 deaths/1,000 live births male: 31.21 deaths/1,000 live births female: 26.24 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth:

      total population: 69.99 years male: 68.22 years female: 71.86 years (2008 est.)

      Total fertility rate:

      3.59 children born/woman (2008 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

      1.1% (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

      78,000 (2003 est.)

      HIV/AIDS - deaths:

      5,800 (2003 est.)

      Major infectious diseases:

      degree of risk: intermediate food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever vectorborne disease: dengue fever and malaria (2008)

      Nationality:

      noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan

      Ethnic groups:

      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)

      Religions:

      Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

      Languages:

      Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized

       Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam,

       Garifuna, and Xinca)

      Literacy:

      definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.1% male: 75.4% female: 63.3% (2002 census)

      School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

      total: 10 years male: 11 years female: 10 years (2006)

      Education expenditures:

      2.6% of GDP (2006)

      Government

       Guatemala

      Country name:

      conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala

       conventional short form: Guatemala

       local long form: Republica de Guatemala

       local short form: Guatemala

      Government type:

      constitutional democratic republic

      Capital:

      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

      Administrative divisions:

      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

      Independence:

      15 September 1821 (from Spain)

      National holiday:

      Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

      Constitution:

      31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President Jorge SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993

      Legal system:

      civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

      Suffrage:

      18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day

      Executive branch:

      chief of state: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Alvaro COLOM Caballeros (since 14 January 2008); Vice President Rafael ESPADA (since 14 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term (may not serve consecutive terms); election last held 9 September 2007; runoff held 4 November 2007 (next to be held September 2011) election results: Alvaro COLOM Caballeros elected president; percent of vote - Alvaro COLOM Caballeros 52.8%, Otto PEREZ Molina 47.2%

      Legislative branch:

      unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 9 September 2007 (next to be held in September 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - UNE 30.4%, GANA 23.4%, PP 18.9%, FRG 9.5%, PU 5.1%, other 12.7%; seats by party - UNE 48, GANA 37, PP 30, FRG 15, PU 8, CASA 5, EG 4, PAN 4, UCN 4, URNG 2, UD 1

      Judicial branch:

      Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad is Guatemala's highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (13 members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms)

      Political parties and leaders:

      Center of Social Action or CASA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democracy Front or

       FRENTE [Alfonso CABRERA]; Democratic Union or UD [Manuel CONDE

       Orellana]; Encounter for Guatemala or EG [Nineth MONTENGRO];