279 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
279 lines
22 KiB
Plaintext
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GUATEMALA
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 108,890 km2; land area: 108,430 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than Tennessee
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Land boundaries: 1,687 km total; Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km,
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Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km
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Coastline: 400 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: not specific;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Disputes: claims Belize, but boundary negotiations to resolve the
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dispute are underway
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Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
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limestone plateau (Peten)
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Natural resources: crude oil, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
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Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and
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pastures 12%; forest and woodland 40%; other 32%; includes
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irrigated 1%
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Environment: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent
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violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other
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tropical storms; deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
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Note: no natural harbors on west coast
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PEOPLE
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Population: 9,266,018 (July 1991), growth rate 2.5% (1991)
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Birth rate: 35 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 2 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 58 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 61 years male, 66 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Guatemalan(s); adjective--Guatemalan
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Ethnic divisions: Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European
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ancestry) 56%, Indian 44%
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Religion: predominantly Roman Catholic; also Protestant,
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traditional Mayan
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Language: Spanish, but over 40% of the population speaks an Indian
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language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche,
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Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
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Literacy: 55% (male 63%, female 47%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 2,500,000; agriculture 60%, services 13%,
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manufacturing 12%, commerce 7%, construction 4%, transport 3%,
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utilities 0.8%, mining 0.4% (1985)
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Organized labor: 8% of labor force (1988 est.)
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Guatemala
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Type: republic
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Capital: Guatemala
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Administrative divisions: 22 departments (departamentos,
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singular--departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango,
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Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal,
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Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu,
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Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez,
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Totonicapan, Zacapa
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Independence: 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
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Constitution: 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986
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Legal system: civil law system; judicial review of legislative
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acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821)
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Executive branch: president, vice president, Council of Ministers
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral Congress of the Republic
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(Congreso de la Republica)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de
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Justicia)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Jorge SERRANO
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Elias (since 14 January 1991); Vice President Gustavo ESPINA Salguero
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(since 14 January 1991)
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Political parties and leaders:
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National Centrist Union (UCN), Jorge CARPIO Nicolle;
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Solidarity Action Movement (MAS), Jorge SERRANO Elias;
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Christian Democratic Party (DCG), Alfonso CABRERA Hidalgo;
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National Advancement Party (PAN), Alvaro ARZU Irigoyen;
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National Liberation Movement (MLN), Mario SANDOVAL Alarcon;
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Social Democratic Party (PSD), Mario SOLARZANO Martinez;
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Popular Alliance 5 (AP-5), Max ORLANDO Molina;
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Revolutionary Party (PR), Carlos CHAVARRIA;
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National Authentic Center (CAN), Hector MAYORA Dawe;
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Alliance for '90 led by Rios MONTT, consisting of three
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parties--Democratic Institutional Party (PID), Oscar RIVAS;
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Nationalist United Front (FUN), Gabriel GIRON;
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Guatemalan Republican Front (FRG), Berna ROLANDO Mendez
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held
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11 November 1995);
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results--Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO
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Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%;
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Congress--last held on 11 November 1990 (next to be held
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11 November 1995);
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results--UCN 25.6%, MAS 24.3%, DCG 17.5%, PAN 17.3%, MLN 4.8%,
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PSD/AP-5 3.6%, PR 2.1%;
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seats--(116 total) UCN 41, DCG 28, MAS 18, PAN 12, Alliance for '90
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11, MLN 4, PR 1, PSD/AP-5 1
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Communists: Guatemalan Labor Party (PGT); main radical left
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guerrilla groups--Guerrilla Army of the Poor (EGP), Revolutionary
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Organization of the People in Arms (ORPA), Rebel Armed Forces (FAR),
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and PGT dissidents
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Other political or pressure groups: Federated Chambers of Commerce
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and Industry (CACIF), Mutual Support Group (GAM), Unity for Popular and
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Labor Action (UASP), Agrarian Owners Group (UNAGRO), Committee for
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Campesino Unity (CUC)
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Member of: BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA,
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IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL,
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IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN,
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UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Juan Jose CASO Fanjul;
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Chancery at 2220 R Street NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202)
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745-4952 through 4954;
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there are Guatemalan Consulates General in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles,
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Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco;
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US--Ambassador Thomas F. STROOCK; Embassy at 7-01 Avenida de la
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Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City (mailing address is APO Miami 34024);
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telephone 502 (2) 31-15-41
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Flag: three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side),
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white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white
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band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national
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bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE
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SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain)
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all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed
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swords and framed by a wreath
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy is based on agriculture, which accounts for
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26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds
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of exports. Manufacturing accounts for about 15% of GDP and 12% of the
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labor force. In 1990 the economy grew by 3.5%, the fourth consecutive
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year of mild growth. Government economic policies, however, were erratic
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in 1990--an election year--and inflation shot up to 60%, the highest
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level in modern times.
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GDP: $11.1 billion, per capita $1,180; real growth rate 3.5%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment rate: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1989 est.)
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Budget: revenues $1.05 billion; expenditures $1.3 billion,
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including capital expenditures of $270 million (1989 est.)
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Exports: $1.24 billion (f.o.b., 1990);
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commodities--coffee 24%, sugar 9%, bananas 8%, beef 4%;
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partners--US 28%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy
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Imports: $1.77 billion (c.i.f., 1990);
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commodities--fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain,
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fertilizers, motor vehicles;
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partners--US 40%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador
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External debt: $2.8 billion (December 1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate 4.0% (1988); accounts
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for 18% of GDP
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Electricity: 819,000 kW capacity; 2,594 million kWh produced,
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280 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals,
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petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism
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Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of
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economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal
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crops--sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom;
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livestock--cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer
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Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the
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international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial
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eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1
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billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $7.8 billion
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Currency: quetzal (plural--quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
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Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1--5.4
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(April 1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500
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(1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note--black-market rate 2.800
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(May 1989)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km
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government owned, 90 km privately owned
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Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel,
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and 12,140 unimproved
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Inland waterways: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km
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navigable during high-water season
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Pipelines: crude oil, 275 km
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Ports: Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
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Merchant marine: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
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4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
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Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 430 total, 381 usable; 11 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 3 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 19 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: fairly modern network centered in Guatemala
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city ; 97,670 telephones; stations--91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave;
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connection into Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean
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INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 2,097,234; 1,372,623 fit for
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military service; 110,949 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $113 million, 1% of GDP (1990)
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