GUATEMALA Republic of Guatemala A BEAUTY THAT HURTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS GUATEMALA LOCATION CULTURE PEOPLE ECONOMICSHISTORY TAKE AN INTEREST IN GUATEMALA ! 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 n Population: 10,510,000 n Density: 97/km2 n Capital: Guatemala n Urban 39% n Ethnic Groups: Ladinos 56%, Amerindian 44%
THE PEOPLE n Languages: Spanish, Amerindian n Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, tribal religionist n 67 female, 62 male Literacy: 55%
THE CULTURE n Arte4 Maya Tz’utuhil Museaum and Gallery
HISTORICAL Highlights n Mayan Civilization n The Fishing and Farming Villiages n Pedro de Alvarado came to conquer Guatemala 1523 n Independence from Spain came in 1821
HISTORICAL Highlights n A succession of military presidents n Protest and repression became more violent n Civil war broke out n New government January 2000!
The POLITICS n Government: Republic n Parties: Christian Democratic, Democratic Party of National Cooperation, National Centrist Union, Revolutionary, others n Suffrage: Universal, over 18. n Membership: OAS, UN. n Subdivisions: 22 Departments.
The ECONOMICS n GDP: $12, 600,000,000 n Per capita: $1,342 n Monetary Unit: Quetzal(Q) n Public Debt; USD 2, 301,000,000
The ECONOMICS n Imports: USD $2,647,629,800 n Exports: USD 1,502,610,4000 n Trade Partners: Exports: U.S., El. Salvador, Germany, Japan n Exports: Coffee, sugar, bananas, beef. n Imports:Fuel, machinery, grain, fertilizer, transportation equipment
CURRENT SITUATION INTERNAL RELATIONS THE PEOPLE ECONOMY AND THE LAND HISTORY AND POLITICS
CURRENT SITUATION INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS n SITUATIONAL UPDATE! n VISIT FROM THE CANADIAN FOREIGN AID MINISTER ! n SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS!!
URGENT ACTION SOLIDARITY WORK WITH GUATEMALA n Canada Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network n Project Accompaniment n Amnesty International n United Nation Human Rights Commission n Arch Bishops Office for Human Rights n Canada World Youth n Peace Brigades
TAKE AN INTEREST IN GUATEMALA! n LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES n /guatemala/ n 100 TIPS n guatemal.htm
FURTHER READINGS n I, Rigoberta Menchu is the autobiography of Guatemala's Indian Nobel Peace Prize winner - a very moving story of Mayan life and government repression. n Time and the Highland Maya by Barbara Tedlock is an anthropological study of the Quiché Indians of Momostenango. n Unfinished Conquest: The Guatemalan Tragedy by Victor Perera looks at the history of the Maya and their situation in modern Guatemala. n The Central America Fact Book by Tom Barry & Deb Preusch examines the economic, political and military role of the USA in Central America. n Birds of Guatemala by Hugh C Land is a field guide to - surprisingly enough - the birds of Guatemala. n lamor of Innocence: Central American Short Stories, edited by Barbara Paschke & David Volpendesta, contains 31 short stories by writers from the region.