World Context: Guatemala

Source and mapping status

This page maps the site registry entry “Guatemala” to the supplied dataset entity “Guatemala.” Mapping status: exact-name. The source is a frozen 2025 snapshot; dates embedded in individual fields remain controlling.

• Source entity count: 1.
• Selected public fields present: 19.
• Independent corroboration in this page: none.

Place and environment

Location: Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize Area: total : 108,889 sq km; land: 107,159 sq km; water: 1,730 sq km Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands Terrain: two east-west trending mountain chains divide the country into three regions: the mountainous highlands, the Pacific coast south of mountains, and the vast northern Peten lowlands Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms; volcanism: significant volcanic activity in the Sierra Madre range; Santa Maria (3,772 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; Pacaya (2,552 m) is one of the country's most active volcanoes, with frequent eruptions since 1965; other historically active volcanoes include Acatenango, Almolonga, Atitlan, Fuego, and Tacana; see note 2 under "Geography - note" Environmental issues: deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

Population, settlement, and language context

Population: total: 18,255,216 (2024 est.); male: 9,050,684; female: 9,204,532 Population distribution: the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas Urbanization: urban population: 53.1% of total population (2023); rate of urbanization: 2.59% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) Languages: Spanish (official) 69.9%, Maya languages 29.7% (Q'eqchi' 8.3%, K'iche 7.8%, Mam 4.4%, Kaqchikel 3%, Q'anjob'al 1.2%, Poqomchi' 1%, other 4%), other 0.4% (includes Xinca and Garifuna) (2018 est.)

Public and legal context

Capital: name: Guatemala City; geographic coordinates: 14 37 N, 90 31 W; time difference: UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time); etymology: the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala" Government type: presidential republic Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Economy and connectivity context

Economic overview: developing Central American economy; steady economic growth fueled by remittances; high poverty and income inequality; limited government services, lack of employment opportunities, and frequent natural disasters impede human development efforts and drive emigration Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism Electricity access: electrification - total population: 99.1% (2022 est.); electrification - urban areas: 97.7%; electrification - rural areas: 98.2% Internet users: percent of population: 56% (2023 est.) Airports: 58 (2025) Ports: total ports: 3 (2024); large: 0; medium: 0; small: 2; very small: 1; ports with oil terminals: 2; key ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla

Interpretation and freshness boundary

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