Guatemala

The country name comes from the Nahuatl Cuauhtēmallān, "place of many trees", a translation of K'iche' Mayan K’ii’chee’, "many trees" (that is, "forest").Guatemala's abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contribute to Mesoamerica's designation as an important biodiversity hotspot.

Here are a few facts that provide a very brief introduction to the country. We hope you’ll do more learning on your own too!

*Country General Info*
Guatemala on the web	U.S. Department of State: Consular Information Sheet
US DOS: Country Background Note	World Factbook
Guatemala online news	Guatemala in the news
US Embassy in Guatemala
*Travel in Guatemala*
Visit Guatemala	Around Antigua
Enjoy Guatemala	Maya Ruins
Lonely Planet Guatemala	Mayan Culture
Virtual Tourist	Lake Atitlan info
Guatemala map	Voltage Guide for travelers
Guatemala atlas map

The Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de Guatemala, [re'puβlika ðe ɣwate'mala]), is a country in Central America
The first proof of human settlers in Guatemala goes back to 10,000 BC. Early Guatemalan settlers were hunters and gatherers, and pollen samples from Petén and the Pacific coast indicate that maize cultivation was developed by 3500 BC.
El Mirador is a large pre-Columbian site of the Maya civilization, located in the north of the department (county/ state) of El Petén. El Mirador was by far the most populated city in the pre-Columbian America, and contained the largest pyramid in the world. Mirador was the first politically organized state in America, named the Kan Kingdom in ancient texts. US and Guatemala signed MOU to protect El Mirador Mayan ruins.
The largest ruined city is at lake Tikal where pyramids rise above a jungle that is home to jaguars, howler monkeys and brightly colored parrots and quetzal.
The Classic period of Mesoamerican civilization was also the height of the Maya civilization, and the largest concentration of those sites is in Petén.
In the Colonial Era, the Spanish organized several expeditions to Guatemala, beginning in 1518. In 1821, Guatemala declared itself independent from Spain and officially proclaimed its incorporation into the Mexican Empire.
Throughout the history of Guatemala, the economic and political structures have been dominated by the white (European) eelite.
From 1944 through 1996, Guatemala was subject to a long-lasting civil and a 35-year guerrilla war marked with a lot of turmoil, coup d'etat and major civil rights violations. A peace accord between the guerrillas and the government, negotiated by the United Nations was signed in 1996.
Since 1996, Guatemala has witnessed successive democratic elections, most recently in 2003 and in September of 2007. The current government has signed free trade agreements with the United States and the rest of Central America through CAFTA, and other agreements with Mexico, and Panama.
Guatemala's highlands lie on top of the Caribbean and North American tectonic plates, and experience frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity. Guatemala has 37 volcanoes, four of them active: Pacaya, Santiaguito, Fuego and Tacaná. The last major earthquake was on February 4, 1976. Latest tremors were recorded as recently as June 2007, but with no loss of life or damage.
Tikal National Park, was the first mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guatemala is a country of distinct fauna and it has 1246 known species. Quetzal bird is the national symbol.
According to the CIA World Fact Book, Ladinos (45%) and people of European descent (15%) (primarily of Spanish, but also those of German, English, Italian, and Scandinavian descent) comprise 60% of the population while Amerindians comprise approximately 40% (K'iche 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9%, Q'eqchi 6.3%, other Mayan 8.6%, indigenous non-Mayan 0.2%, other 0.1%)
Guatemala's GDP per capita is US$5,000, however, this developing country is among the 10 poorest countries in Latin America. The distribution of income remains highly unequal with approximately 7.1 million (56.2%) of the population below the poverty line and just over 3.2% unemployed.
Guatemala has the highest per-capita adoption rate in the world with close to 5,000 babies adopted. About 95 percent of the babies go to the United States with more than 25,000 Guatemalan children placed in U.S. homes since 1990. Rural people are extremely sensitive to foreigners taking baby/ child pictures as there have been many cases of child abductions.
The agricultural sector accounts for about 1/4th of GDP, two-fifths of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, textiles, fresh vegetables, and bananas are the country's main exports. Also economically important are remittances from Guatemalans working abroad (cca 280 thousand). The rate of inflation was 5.7% in 2006.
Although Spanish is the official language, it is not universally spoken among the indigenous population. Twenty-one distinct Mayan languages are spoken, as well as several non-Mayan Amerindian languages. According to Decreto Número 19-2003, twenty-three languages are recognized as National Languages.
Catholic Christianity (Latin Rite Catholicism) was the only religion during the colonial era. However, Protestantism has increased markedly in recent decades, especially under the reign of dictator and evangelical pastor General Efraín Ríos Montt. More than one third of Guatemalans are Protestant, chiefly Evangelicals and Pentecostals (40% of population). Practicing of traditional Mayan religion has increased since the peace accords were signed.
Only 69.1% of the population aged 15 and over are literate, the lowest literacy rate in Central America. Public elementary and secondary-level schools are free, though the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, and transportation makes them less accessible to poorer population. There is 1 public and 9 private universities in the country.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guatemala, http://www.insideworld.com