female: 18.6 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.61% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
34.58 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
6.79 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
−1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 36.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 36.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 37.71 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 65.19 years
male: 64.3 years
female: 66.13 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
4.6 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.1% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
78,000 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
5,800 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan
Ethnic groups:
Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in
local Spanish called Ladino), approximately 55%, Amerindian or
predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2%
Religions:
Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs
Languages:
Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized
Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam,
Garifuna, and Xinca)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.6%
male: 78%
female: 63.3% (2003 est.)
Government Guatemala
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala
local short form: Guatemala
local long form: Republica de Guatemala
Government type:
constitutional democratic republic
Capital:
Guatemala
Administrative divisions:
22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta
Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso,
Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten,
Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa
Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa
Independence:
15 September 1821 (from Spain)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
Constitution:
31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May
1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following
ouster of president; amended November 1993
Legal system:
civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces
may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo (since
14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas (since 14
January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and
head of government
head of government: President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER Perdomo
(since 14 January 2004); Vice President Eduardo STEIN Barillas
(since 14 January 2004); note - the president is both the chief of
state and head of government
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 9 November 2003; runoff held 28 December 2003
(next to be held NA November 2007)
election results: Oscar BERGER Perdomo elected president; percent of
vote - Oscar BERGER Perdomo (GANA) 54.1%, Alvaro COLOM (UNE) 45.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica
(158 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 9 November 2003 (next to be held NA November
2007)
note: for the 9 November 2003 election, the number of congressional
seats increased from 113 to 158
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
GANA 49, FRG 41, UNE 33, PAN 17, other 18
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad is Guatemala's
highest court (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year
terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the
Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the
Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the President, one
elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala,
and one by Colegio de Abogados); Supreme Court of Justice or Corte
Suprema de Justicia (thirteen members serve concurrent five-year
terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their
number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also
supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to
five-year terms)
Political parties and leaders:
Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democratic