Learn more about the Nation of Guatemala

Guatemala is land of mountains, forests and lakes located in Central America. It shares a portion of its border with Mexico, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador.

After the arrival of the Spanish in the 1500's, Guatemala remained a colony of Spain until gaining independence in 1821. From 1961 until 1996, Guatemala was engaged in a 36-year civil war, during which over 200,000 people, died or vanished.

After the civil war a wide range of other serious issues including organized crime and gang violence in the cities; inequality of wealth distribution with severe rural poverty; high rates of illiteracy, infant mortality and undernourishment; drugs trafficking; and violence against women.Since end of the civil war economic development has grown due to the removal of by foreign trade barriers. Agriculture - which includes coffee, bananas and sugar - remains the anchor of the economy at national level, while providing a livelihood for individuals and families, especially those living in rural areas. Size: 42,000 square miles making it slightly smaller than Scotland & Wales combined.

Population: 14,647,083 as of July 2014.

Languages: Spanish is the official language spoken by the majority of the population);  There are also 23 recognized indigenous Amerindian languages.

Religion: Themajority of the population follows the Roman Catholic church, indigenous Mayan beliefs, or a blend of the two. However, Evangelical Christianity is growing as more and more people are coming into a relationship with Jesus.

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