Last update: 17.06.2004
Introduction
Numbers
Economy
Almolonga
November 1st
 

 

The land of diversity

If you ask anyone that know something about Guatemala what's typical about the country, they will all say "diversity". So far, I can't prove them wrong.

The Republic of Guatemala is the third largest country of Central America, situated in the north-western corner of the region. It is bordered on the north and west by Mexico; on the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean Sea; on the east by Honduras and El Salvador; and on the south, along its 240 km coastline, by the Pacific Ocean.

Being one of the bigger countries in Central America, it's also the most heavily populated. The capital, Guatemala City, is the region's major metropolitan centre.

During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had led to the death of more than 150,000 people and had created some 1 million refugees.