Location Central America Capital Guatemala City Area 108,890 sq km water 460 sq km land 108,430 sq km Border countries Land boundary total: 1,687 km Mexico north Honduras east Belize east El Salvador south Oceans Coastline 400 km Pacific Ocean south and west Caribbean Sea east

Figures and map from CIA Factbook

Terrain
Mostly mountainous with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Petén) elevation extremes

lowest: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest: Volcán Tajumulco 4,211 m

Climate
lowlands (coastal plains and Petén) hot and humid
highlands cool year round

Natural resources
petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Age structure

• 0-14 years: 42.4%
• 15-64 years: 54.2%
• 65 years and over: 3.3%
• life expectancy at birth: total population: 65.14 years
• median age: total: 18.47 years

Rates

• population growth: 2.57% (2005 est.)
• birth: 34.11 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
• death: 6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
• net migration: -1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
• infant mortality total: 35.93 deaths/1,000 live births
• total fertility: 4.53 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Literacy (definition: age 15 and over can read and write)
total population: 70.6%
male: 78%
female: 63.3% (2003 est.)

Ethnic groups (approximate percentages)

• 55% mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindianin: in local Spanish called Ladino)
• 43% Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian
• 2% whites and others
  

Becky Harris Viaventure

Religions

• Roman Catholic
• Protestant
• traditional indigenous beliefs

Languages

• 60% Spanish
• 40% Amerindian languages (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages)

Government

Republic of Guatemala
Constitutional democratic republic
Administrative divisions: 22 departments
Legal system: civil law
Independence from Spain : 15 September 1821