Guatemala

Guatemala is situated in Central America between Mexico and Belize in the North and Honduras and El Salvador in the South.

 

Nearly half of the population of over 13 million are direct descendants of the Mayan Indians, who built one of the most advanced civilisations in ancient America. However, after nearly 300 years of Spanish rule, from 1524 to 1821, Spanish remains the official language.

 

The country is well known for its striking beauty and is home to the largest expanse of virgin rainforest in Central America. Guatemala has many exports including coffee, cotton, sugar, bananas, cardamom, meat and chilli peppers; however recent drought and the coffee crisis have hampered economic development.

 

Three decades of civil war between the army and leftist Mayan insurgents have left their mark on the country; the conflict ended in 1996 but great inequalities have remained, with poverty particularly prevalent in rural, indigenous communities. Education and literacy rates are very poor in some regions and the country is plagued by organised crime, drug trafficking and violent street gangs.