About
Why this fanlisting?
This is such a beautiful country, Guatemala has its smaller older villages/town, and it also has it's very modern cities and sights to see. Most of what the media shows is the poor side of the country. There is so much to see, it is tropical, humid in the highlands, amazing mountains, & volacanoes as well. Sadly they are prone to earthquakes. I was born in Guatemala. I came to the united states when I was 2 years old. I do not remember anything about it, just what I have seen the one time we took a road trip when I was 13, and some videos that I have added in the videos page, check them out if you are curious.
Geography
What does Guatemala mean?: Etymology. The name "Guatemala" comes from the Nahuatl word Cuauhtemallan (nahwiki), or "place of many trees", a derivative of the K'iche' Mayan word for "many trees" or perhaps more specifically for the Cuate/Cuatli tree Eysenhardtia.Location: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize
Climate: Tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Terrain: Mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau
Natural Resources: Petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower
Natural Hazards: Numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms.
Environment - international agreements: 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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
People
Population: Definition Field Listing Rank OrderAge structure: Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 41.1% (male 2,573,359/female 2,479,098)
15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,353,630/female 3,468,184)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 194,784/female 224,490) (2006 est.)
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)
Government Information
Capital City: Guatemala
»History of Guatemala
The Mayan civilization flourished throughout much of Guatemala and the surrounding region long before the Spanish arrived, but it was already in decline when the Mayans were defeated by Pedro de Alvarado in 1523-24. During Spanish colonial rule, most of Central America came under the control of the Captaincy General of Guatemala.
The first colonial capital, Ciudad Vieja, was ruined by floods and an earthquake in 1542. Survivors founded Antigua, the second capital, in 1543. In the 17th century, Antigua became one of the richest capitals in the New World. Always vulnerable to volcanic eruptions, floods, and earthquakes, Antigua was destroyed by two earthquakes in 1773.
Independence Day: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
Quetzal - The national symbol of Guatemala is the quetzal - a bird that signifies freedom because it dies in captivity.
Government Type: Constitutional demographic republic
Population Demographics
Population: 12,293,545Life Expectancy:
Male - 67.65 years
Female - 71.18 years (2006 est.)
Economic Information
Currency: Quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed
GDP: $56,860,000,000 (USD)
Industries: Sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
Exports: Coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom
Import: Fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity
Geography Information
Total Area: 108,890 sq kmLand Area: 108,430 sq km
Water Area: 460 sq km
Highest Point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Want to know more, drop by here & here. Check out the live videos from guatemala here.