GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT GUATEMALA

Guatemala is located in Central America and borders Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize. It has both Atlantic and Pacific coasts and covers 108,889 km². The country consists of 22 provinces.

Topographically, Guatemala contains several mountainous chains. The most import of these includes 33 volcanoes, three of which are active.

Guatemala’s official language is Spanish. There are four primary indigenous languages (Quiché, cak´chiquel, Mam, Tzutujil), plus 17 minor languages.

In terms of population, Guatemala consists of 24 ethnic groups. Of these, 21 are descended from the Maya, and each has its own language. Nowadays, we can identify the Maya by their colorful, traditional clothing and their thousand-year-old traditions.

The population of Guatemala is approximately 14 million. The bulk of these are children and teenagers; some 49 % of the population is under age 17. The literacy rate is 77%, and the average rate of school desertion is 8.2 %.

Guatemala’s political regime is democratic. After 36 years of armed conflict, we signed a peace accord in 1996. The current president, Álvaro Colom, was elected in 2008 until 2012.

Guatemala is a subtropical country and has two seasons: rainy and dry. The annual average temperature fluctuates between 17 and 22 degrees centigrade.

Guatemala’s currency is the quetzal.