Guatemala Research Paper

Guatemala, which is formally named the Republic of Guatemala, is a country that lies in Central America and is bordered by Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, Belize, the Caribbean, Honduras, and El Salvador. The meaning of the name Guatemala being “land of trees,” fits perfectly seeing that the country is heavily forested and mountainous. The country of Guatemala assumes an area of 108,889 km² (42,042 sqmi) and has an estimated population of 12,701,000, which is the most populous in Central America. The languages most prevalent in Guatemala include Spanish and Amerindian languages, along with the religions including Roman Catholic, Protestant, and indigenous Mayan beliefs. The types of currency used are the Quetzal, the U.S. dollar, and others are allowed, but the GDP per capita remains U.S. $3,900. Within the economy, the Guatemalan industry flourishes in sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, and chemicals. The agriculture focuses on sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, and cattle, as with some of the exports, which are coffee, sugar, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom, and meat (Guatemala Facts, Guatemala Flag).
History of Guatemala …show more content…
The rest of the population is known as Ladinos (mostly mixed Maya-Spanish ancestry), who use Spanish and wear Western clothing, while the Maya speak almost 24 indigenous languages and wear traditional clothing and have traditional customs. Because of the divide between the upper class Ladinos and the lower class Mayans, warfare emerged, which brought the government to agree upon terms between the two (Guatemala Facts, Guatemala