Guatemala
sovereign state in Central America From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
sovereign state in Central America From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Guatemala is a country in Central America. Its culture is a mix of both Mayan and Spanish cultures from the colonial period. Guatemala has many languages, a total of 23. Because of its natural beauty, it is a popular tourist destination. Its weather changes often because of the mountain range which crosses the center of the country.
Republic of Guatemala | |
---|---|
Motto: "País de la Eterna Primavera" "Land of the Eternal Spring"[1] | |
Anthem: Himno Nacional de Guatemala National anthem of Guatemala | |
Capital and largest city | Guatemala City 14°38′N 90°30′W |
Official languages | Spanish |
Demonym(s) | Guatemalan |
Government | Unitary presidential Constitutional republic |
Bernardo Arévalo | |
• Vice President | Karin Herrera |
Independence | |
• from Spain | September 15, 1821 |
Area | |
• Total | 108,889 km2 (42,042 sq mi) (107th) |
• Water (%) | 0.4 |
Population | |
• Census | 11,237,196 hab |
• Density | 129/km2 (334.1/sq mi) (85th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $73.022 billion[2] |
• Per capita | $4,965[2] |
GDP (nominal) | 2011 estimate |
• Total | $46.383 billion[2] |
• Per capita | $3,154[2] |
Gini (2007) | 55.1 high |
HDI (2011) | 0.574[3] medium · 131st |
Currency | Quetzal (GTQ) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
Driving side | right |
Calling code | +502 |
ISO 3166 code | GT |
Internet TLD | .gt |
The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City. Guatemala is the world's largest producer and exporter of cardamom.[4] Its neighbors are Belize, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras.
It has the largest population in Central America. More than fourteen million people live in the 22 Guatemalan departments. Most of the population is made up of mestizo (mixed race) people, who are a combination of Native and European people. Mestizo are 40% of the population. Native Mayan people are 49% of the population, while 9% are direct descendants of Spanish and German people. Black people are 2% of the population.
The capital was moved several times because of natural disasters. The first city was destroyed when the volcano Volcan de Agua erupted, forcing the move to what today is called Antigua Guatemala. This city was destroyed by earthquakes. Finally, the capital was moved to Guatemala City.
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