The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D.

After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821.

During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war.

In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 0-14 years: 40.8% (male 2,641,179/female 2,556,397) 15-64 years: 55.5% (male 3,426,376/female 3,642,157) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 213,801/female 248,201) (2007 est.)

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Median age: total: 18.9 years male: 18.3 years female: 19.5 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.152% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 29.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 5.27 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: -2.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.861 male(s)/female total population: 0.974 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

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Infant mortality rate: total: 29.77 deaths/1,000 live births male: 32.26 deaths/1,000 live births female: 27.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 69.69 years male: 67.94 years female: 71.52 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1.1% (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 78,000 (2003 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: 5,800 (2003 est.)

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Nationality: noun: Guatemalan(s) adjective: Guatemalan

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Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish - in local Spanish called Ladino) and European 59.4%, K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1% (2001 census)

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Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs

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Languages: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca)

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 69.1% male: 75.4% female: 63.3% (2002 census)

Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization. On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) entered in to force between the US and Guatemala. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with about 56% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit. Remittances from a large expatriate community that moved to the United States during the war have become the primary source of foreign income, exceeding the total value of exports and tourism combined.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $61.38 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $35.25 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 4.6% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $5,000 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 22.1% industry: 19.1% services: 58.7% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 5.02 million (2005 est.)

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Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 50% industry: 15% services: 35% (1999 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 3.2% (2005 est.)

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Population below poverty line: 56.2% (2004 est.)

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.6% highest 10%: 46% (1998)

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Distribution of family income - Gini index: 59.9 (2005)

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (2006)

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Investment (gross fixed): 15.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $3.84 billion expenditures: $4.431 billion; including capital expenditures of $750 million (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 18.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens

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Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

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Industrial production growth rate: 3.6% (2006 est.)

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Electricity - production: 7.2 billion kWh (2005)

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Electricity - consumption: 6.625 billion kWh (2005)

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Electricity - exports: 335 million kWh (2005)

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Electricity - imports: 23 million kWh (2005)

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Oil - production: 16,370 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 73,510 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - exports: 15,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - imports: 72,960 bbl/day (2006 est.)

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Oil - proved reserves: 526 million bbl (1 January 2005)

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Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 3.087 billion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Current account balance: -$1.533 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $3.71 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: coffee, sugar, petroleum, apparel, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom

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Exports - partners: US 44.8%, El Salvador 12%, Honduras 7.2% (2006)

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Imports: $9.911 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity

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Imports - partners: US 31.3%, Mexico 7.9%, China 6.1%, El Salvador 5%, South Korea 5%, Panama 4.6% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $4.061 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $3.908 billion (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $250 million (2000 est.)

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Currency (code): quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed

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Exchange rates: quetzales per US dollar - 7.6026 (2006), 7.6339 (2005), 7.9465 (2004), 7.9409 (2003), 7.8217 (2002)

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Fiscal year: calendar year