Official Name: Republic of Guatemala

Currency: Quetzal

Current Exchange Rate:  Currency Converter

Hemisphere: Northern

Continent: North

Location: Central America, bordering Mexico, Belize, the Caribbean Sea, Honduras, El Salvador, and the Pacific Ocean.

Area: 42,130 sq mi, 109,117 sq km

Form of Government: Republic with one legislative house (Congress of the Republic [158])

Population:  (2007) 12,728,000

Population Density: (2007) persons per sq mi 302.1, persons per sq km 116.6

Principal Language(s):  Spanish

Religions: (2005) Roman Catholic 57%, Protestant/independent Christian 40%; traditional Mayan religions 1%; other 2%.

Capital: Guatemala City

Capital Population: 942,348 (urban agglomeration [2001] 3,366,000).

Capital Average Temperature: N/A

Major Cities: (2002) urban populations of municipios): Guatemala City 942,348 (urban agglomeration [2001] 3,366,000); Mixco 277,400; Villa Nueva 187,700; Quetzaltenango 106,700; Escuintla 65,400

Topography: The central highland and mountain areas are bordered by the narrow Pacific coast and lowlands and fertile river valleys on the Caribbean. Numerous volcanoes in S, more than half a dozen over 11,000 ft.

Economy: G.D.P. (2007 est.) $67.45 billion.

G.D.P. per Capita: (2007 est.) $5,400.00

Vital Statistics: Birth rate per 1,000 population (2006): 29.6. Death Rate per 1,000 population (2006): 5.4. Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 2005) 4.30. Life expectancy at birth (2005): male 64.3 years; female 71.6 years.

Website:

www.visitguatemala.com/nuevo/mainE.asp

Reference Sources: The World Almanac 2009, The New York Times Almanac   2009, Time Almanac 2009, World Climate website.