Page 48 - STRATEGY Magazine (G)

GUATEMALA: COUNTRY OVERVIEW
Into Its Own: Guatemala Turns from Turmoil to Progress
Despite decades of upheaval in the struggle for independence and self-rule, Guatemala has survived as an independent nation and secured a unique place on the world stage thanks to abundant human capital and favorable geography. The work now is to develop a government and economy in which both Guate- malans and foreigners can feel confident.
The Republic of Guatemala is the most populous nation in Central America, with an estimated 16.25 million residents. At 2.8 percent a year, the country’s population growth rate surpasses its Latin American neighbors and doubles the population approximately every 25 years. The populace claims a diverse cultural heritage encompassing 25 sociolinguistic groups, and while the nation’s official language is Spanish, 23 Am- erindian tongues are also recognized as national lan- guages. Local currency is the quetzal and the exchange rate is approximately GTQ 7.66 per US $1.00.
The northernmost country in Central America, Gua- temala is bordered by Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Belize. It boasts unique biodiversity, including the largest contiguous forest in Mesoamerica, wide-rang- ing mountains bounded by narrow coastal plains, and tropical, humid lowlands blanketed with rainforests, coffee estates, and banana plantations. Owing to aver- age year-round temperatures of 72°F (22°C), Guatema-
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la’s weather is eternally comfortable, neither too hot nor too cold, and varies principally between the dry and rainy seasons. It is a region well suited to human habitation and agricultural production.
HISTORY OF FOREIGN DOMINATION
For centuries, the territory that is modern-day Guatemala comprised the core of the ancient Maya civilization that extended across Mesoamerica. Most of the country was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century, becoming part of the viceroyalty of New Spain—a colony made up of Spain’s possessions in the New World north of the Isthmus of Panama.
In 1821, with the Declaration of Independence of the Mexican Empire, Mexico and Central America asserted their freedom from three centuries of Spanish rule
and formed the First Mexican Empire, though Central America soon rejected the union and seceded peace- fully in 1823, forming the United Provinces of Central
LATIN AMERICA SPECIAL REPORT