GUATEMALA Republic of Guatemala A BEAUTY THAT HURTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS GUATEMALA LOCATION PEOPLE HISTORY POLITICS CULTURE ECONOMICS CURRENT INTERNAL SITUATION CURRENT EXTERNAL SITUATION TAKE AN INTEREST IN GUATEMALA ! FURTHER READINGS

LOCATION § § Guatemala is located in Central America. Area 108, 889 Km. Highest Point; 4, 220 m Volcan Tajamulco. Lowest Point; Sea Level.

GEOGRAPHY v v v 66% of the country is mountainous 62% is covered by forests. Four topographical regions Eighteen short rivers Four major lakes

n Population: 10, 510, 000 THE PEOPLE n Density: 97/km 2 n Capital: Guatemala n Urban 39% n Ethnic Groups: Ladinos 56%, Amerindian 44%

THE PEOPLE n n Languages: Spanish, Amerindian Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, tribal religionist n 67 female, 62 male n Literacy: 55%

THE CULTURE n Arte 4 Maya Tz’utuhil Museaum and Gallery

HISTORICAL Highlights n Mayan Civilization n The Fishing and Farming Villiages n n Pedro de Alvarado came to conquer Guatemala 1523 Independence from Spain came in 1821

HISTORICAL Highlights n A succession of military presidents n Protest and repression became more violent n Civil war broke out n New government January 2000!

The POLITICS n n n Government: Republic Parties: Christian Democratic, Democratic Party of National Cooperation, National Centrist Union, Revolutionary, others Suffrage: Universal, over 18. n n Membership: OAS, UN. Subdivisions: 22 Departments.

The ECONOMICS n GDP: $12, 600, 000 n Per capita: $1, 342 n Monetary Unit: Quetzal(Q) n Public Debt; USD 2, 301, 000

The ECONOMICS n Imports: USD $2, 647, 629, 800 n Exports: USD 1, 502, 610, 4000 n n n Trade Partners: Exports: U. S. , El. Salvador, Germany, Japan Exports: Coffee, sugar, bananas, beef. Imports: Fuel, machinery, grain, fertilizer, transportation equipment

CURRENT SITUATION INTERNAL RELATIONS v THE PEOPLE v ECONOMY AND THE LAND v HISTORY AND POLITICS

CURRENT SITUATION INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS n n n SITUATIONAL UPDATE! VISIT FROM THE CANADIAN FOREIGN AID MINISTER ! SUMMIT OF THE AMERICAS!!

URGENT ACTION SOLIDARITY WORK WITH GUATEMALA n n n n Canada Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network Project Accompaniment Amnesty International United Nation Human Rights Commission Arch Bishops Office for Human Rights Canada World Youth Peace Brigades

TAKE AN INTEREST IN GUATEMALA! n n LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES http: //lanic. utexas. edu/la/ca /guatemala/ 100 TIPS http: //www. 1000 traveltips. org/ guatemal. htm

FURTHER READINGS n n n I, Rigoberta Menchu is the autobiography of Guatemala's Indian Nobel Peace Prize winner - a very moving story of Mayan life and government repression. Time and the Highland Maya by Barbara Tedlock is an anthropological study of the Quiché Indians of Momostenango. Unfinished Conquest: The Guatemalan Tragedy by Victor Perera looks at the history of the Maya and their situation in modern Guatemala. The Central America Fact Book by Tom Barry & Deb Preusch examines the economic, political and military role of the USA in Central America. Birds of Guatemala by Hugh C Land is a field guide to surprisingly enough - the birds of Guatemala. lamor of Innocence: Central American Short Stories, edited by Barbara Paschke & David Volpendesta, contains 31 short stories by writers from the region.