GUATEMALA

officially Republic of Guatemala, Spanish Repblica de Guatemala third largest country of Central America, covering 42,042 square miles (108,889 square km) in the northwestern corner of the isthmus. It is bordered on the north and west by Mexico; on the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean Sea (at the Gulf of Honduras); on the east by Honduras and El Salvador; and on the south, along its 150-mile (240-kilometre) coastline, by the Pacific Ocean. The population in 1990 was estimated to be 9,197,000. officially Republic of Guatemala, Spanish Repblica de Guatemala, The country of Central America. Its land borders are with Mexico to the west and north, Belize to the northeast, Honduras to the east, and El Salvador to the southeast. The Pacific Ocean marks its southern shores, and a short coastline in the northeast opens upon the Caribbean Sea. It has an area of 42,042 square miles (108,889 square kilometres). The capital, Guatemala City, is the region's major metropolitan centre. The dominance of an Amerindian culture within its interior uplands distinguishes Guatemala from its neighbours. Politically, Guatemala has a long history of unstable governments prone to frequent and often violent military overthrows. Additional reading Francis Gall (comp.), Diccionario geogrfico de Guatemala, 2nd ed., 4 vol. (197683), is a comprehensive work. General geographic aspects are covered in Richard F. Nyrop (ed.), Guatemala: A Country Study, 2nd ed. (1983). Economic and political studies include J.C. Cambranes, Coffee and Peasants: The Origins of the Modern Plantation Economy in Guatemala, 18531897 (1985); and Peter Calvert, Guatemala: A Nation in Turmoil (1985). Sevro Martnez Pelez, La patria del criollo (1970, reissued 1985), describes in detail the colonial social structure and the formation of the Creole mentality. Administration and social conditions Government The constitution adopted in 1986 defines the country as a sovereign democratic republic and divides power among three governmental branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Legislative power is delegated to a unicameral Congress elected every five years by direct, popular suffrage. Executive power is vested in the president and vice president, also elected every five years by popular vote. All citizens over the age of 18 are obliged to register and to participate in elections. The Supreme Court, with at least nine justices, has jurisdiction over all the tribunals of the country. The justices are elected by Congress for terms of four years. The national territory is divided into departamentos, each headed by a governor appointed by the president. The departments in turn are divided into municipios (municipalities), which are governed by councils presided over by mayors, elected directly by popular ballot. Broad guarantees are provided for the organization and functioning of political parties, except for the Communist Party and any other that is deemed to be dedicated to the overthrow of the democratic process. Only authorized political parties may nominate candidates for president, vice president, and Congress. Candidates for mayor and other municipal offices need not be nominated by political parties. There is a constant flux in the formation and demise of political parties. Those displaying the most continuity are the Revolutionary Party (Partido Revolucionario; PR), which has shifted from left to right in political orientation, the centrist Guatemalan Christian Democratic Party (Partido Democrcia Cristiana Guatemalteca; PDCG), the right-leaning Institutional Democratic Party (Partido Institucional Democrtico; PID), and the right-wing National Liberation Movement (Movimiento de Liberacin Nacional; MLN). Although constitutionally outside of politics, the army nevertheless represents a powerful element in political struggles and has often controlled the government. Education Education is in theory free, secular, and compulsory through the primary school. Secondary schools train teachers, agricultural experts, industrial technicians, and candidates for universities. An enrollment of 65 percent of those eligible to attend primary schools declines to less than 20 percent for secondary schools. In rural areas, even many of those who have attended primary schools (usually only to the third grade) are functionally illiterate as adults. Impoverishment and a low premium paid upon education contributes to the lowest level of literacy to be found in Central America. Universities are concentrated in the capital. The largest is the national University of San Carlos, founded in 1676. The private universities of Rafael Landvar, Del Valle, Francisco Marroqun, and Mariano Galvez have been founded since 1960.