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Guatemala (capital Guatemala City) and neighboring states

Wealth and National Well-Being

Country Comparisons:
2010: see chart (top)

World Factbook: "Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-tenth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products, with sugar exports benefiting from increased global demand for ethanol."

Agriculture accounts for two-thirds of exports -- coffee, sugar, bananas, fruits and vegetables.

Half of the labor force is in agriculture.

The top 10 percent in household income in 1998 did 46 percent of spending for consumers goods. For the lowest 10 percent of households this was 1.6 percent -- in other words, Guatemala has few between the wealthy and the relatively poor. 75 percent of the population is said to be below the poverty line, whatever that is.

People

Living in an urban area: 49%

Density estimated for 2005: 134.6 persons per square kilometer.

Migration
2009: More leaving than arriving. A net loss of 2.21 per 1,000 population, about the same as 2008.

Ethnicities and race
About 55 percent of the population is Mestizo. Approximately 43 percent is Amerindian, or predominantly Amerindian.

Literacy
Thirty-seven percent of females over 15-years-old cannot read. For men this figure is 22 percent.

Geography

Central America. South of Mexico. Slightly smaller than Tennessee. Capital: Guatemala City.

Government

Described as a constitutional democratic republic. Capital: Guatemala City.

Recent History

"Guatemala began a new era in December 1996 when thirty-six years of civil war formally ended with the signing of the peace accords." (From the International Freedom of Expression Exchange)

2005: "Public officials in Guatemala continue to use their position to harass the media, particularly to deter investigative and critical reporting."  (From the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, March 2005)

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/
http://www.ifex.org/