Guatemala

Guatemala, whose official name is the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. Guatemala is bounded to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize and by the Gulf of Honduras, to the east by Honduras, to the southeast by El Salvador, and to the south by the Pacific Ocean. The Petén region, a large, low-lying, rectangular area is prone to flooding and consists of a large part of northern Guatemala. Southern Guatemala is dominated by a string of 27 volcanoes extending for about 180 miles between Mexico and El Salvador.Located within the tropics and with elevations ranging between sea level and more than 13,000 feet. Guatemala experiences a diversity of climates.

A brief look at the history of Guatemala: Beginning in the early 20th century, it was ruled by a series of dictators backed by the United Fruit Company and the United States government. In 1944, the authoritarian leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic military coup, initiating a decade-long revolution that led to sweeping social and economic reforms. A U.S.-backed military coup in 1954 ended the revolution and installed a dictatorship. From 1960 to 1996, Guatemala endured a bloody civil war fought between the US-backed government and leftist rebels, including genocidal massacres of the Maya population perpetrated by the military. Since a United Nations-negotiated peace accord, Guatemala has achieved both economic growth and successful democratic elections, although it continues to struggle with high rates of poverty and crime, drug cartels, and instability.

With an estimated population of around 17.2 million,  it is the most populous country in Central America and has the 11th largest national population in the Americas. Guatemala is a representative democracy; its capital and largest city is Guatemala City. On the basis of cultural traits, the population is divided into two main ethnic groups, Ladinos and Maya, who make up the vast majority of Indians in Guatemala and form several cultures.

Guatemala is a less-developed country largely dependent upon traditional commercial crops such as coffee, sugar, and bananas as the basis of its market economy. The government has attempted to revitalize the economy by fostering the diversification and expansion of nontraditional exports such as cut flowers and snow peas, and free trade zones and assembly plants have been established to encourage the expansion and decentralization of manufacturing.. Remittances from Guatemalans living abroad accounted for a larger source of foreign income than exports and tourism combined. The United States is Guatemala’s primary trading partner in both imports and exports. Other trading partners include Mexico, China, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Canada, and Panama.

The inadequacy of Guatemalan medical and health services, particularly in rural areas, is reflected in the high rates of intestinal diseases and infant mortality. Rural settlements tend to radiate around the cabeceras of the hundreds of municipios into which the country is divided. The living conditions in the vast majority of these settlements contrast sharply with the modern amenities of Guatemala City. Running water and up-to-date sanitary facilities are lacking in most homes. In rural areas, even many of those who have attended primary schools are functionally illiterate as adults. Impoverishment and a low premium paid upon education contribute to these low literacy levels.

Britannica (2021). *Guatemala*. Retrieved March 27, 2021,  from https://www.britannica.com/place/Guatemala

United States Department of Justice (2021). *Guatemala*. Retrieved March 27, 2021,  from  https://www.justice.gov/eoir/country/guatemala-topical