Guatemala

A Beautiful Yet Torn Country

The northernmost of the Central American nations, Guatemala is the size of Tennessee. Its neighbors are Mexico on the north and west, and Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador on the east. The country consists of three main regions—the cool highlands with the heaviest population, the tropical area along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, and the tropical jungle in the northern lowlands (known as the Petén).

History

Once the site of the impressive ancient Mayan civilization, Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524 and became a republic in 1839 after the United Provinces of Central America collapsed.

• Guatemala City alone has about 3 million people
  

• Apart from the main language Spanish, there are 21 Mayan dialects still used today
  

• It is a beautiful country with Mayan ruins, vibrant colors, cobblestone streets,
  and so much history
  

• There are numerous active volcanoes in Guatemala, one of which you can hike and roast marshmellows oatf
  

• Almost half of Guatemala’s population is under age 19, making it the youngest population in Latin America
  

• Guatemala is 6th in world for international homicide rates
  

• The distribution of income remains highly unequal with the richest 20% of the population accounting for more than 51% of Guatemala’s overall consumption. More than half of the population is below the national poverty line (60%), and 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty
  

• School Life Expectancy is 11 years for males and 10 years for females
  

• Guatemala has one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world for children under 5 years old
  

• The four main concerns in Guatemala are gangs, drugs, violence, and corruption