Cambodia (2003) | Guatemala (2002) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 20 provinces (khett, singular and plural) and 4 municipalities* (krong, singular and plural); Banteay Mean Cheay, Batdambang, Kampong Cham, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Spoe, Kampong Thum, Kampot, Kandal, Kaoh Kong, Keb*, Kracheh, Mondol Kiri, Otdar Mean Cheay, Pailin*, Phnum Penh*, Pouthisat, Preah Seihanu*, Preah Vihear, Prey Veng, Rotanah Kiri, Siem Reab, Stoeng Treng, Svay Rieng, Takev | 22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepequez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Solola, Suchitepequez, Totonicapan, Zacapa |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 39.3% (male 2,606,568; female 2,557,736)
15-64 years: 57.6% (male 3,599,216; female 3,962,520) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 148,287; female 250,437) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 41.8% (male 2,841,486; female 2,725,343)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 3,629,363; female 3,630,273) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 227,369; female 260,245) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, rubber, corn, vegetables | sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom; cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens |
Airports | 21 (2002) | 475 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 5
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 13 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 455 464
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 9 914 to 1,523 m: 9 123 under 914 m: 115 331 (2002) |
Area | total: 181,040 sq km
land: 176,520 sq km water: 4,520 sq km |
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km water: 460 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Oklahoma | slightly smaller than Tennessee |
Background | Following a five-year struggle, Communist Khmer Rouge forces captured Phnom Penh in 1975 and ordered the evacuation of all cities and towns; over 1 million displaced people died from execution or enforced hardships. A 1978 Vietnamese invasion drove the Khmer Rouge into the countryside and touched off almost 20 years of fighting. UN-sponsored elections in 1993 helped restore some semblance of normalcy as did the rapid diminishment of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1990s. A coalition government, formed after national elections in 1998, brought renewed political stability and the surrender of remaining Khmer Rouge forces in 1998. | Guatemala was freed of Spanish colonial rule in 1821. 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 100,000 people and had created some 1 million refugees. |
Birth rate | 27.28 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 34.17 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $396 million
expenditures: $607 million, including capital expenditures of $254 million (2001 est.) |
revenues: $2.1 billion
expenditures: $2.5 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | Phnom Penh | Guatemala |
Climate | tropical; rainy, monsoon season (May to November); dry season (December to April); little seasonal temperature variation | tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands |
Coastline | 443 km | 400 km |
Constitution | promulgated 21 September 1993 | 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; note - suspended 25 May 1993 by former President SERRANO; reinstated 5 June 1993 following ouster of president; amended November 1993 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Cambodia
conventional short form: Cambodia local long form: Preahreacheanachakr Kampuchea local short form: Kampuchea former: Khmer Republic, Kampuchea Republic |
conventional long form: Republic of Guatemala
conventional short form: Guatemala local long form: Republica de Guatemala local short form: Guatemala |
Currency | riel (KHR) | quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed |
Death rate | 9.26 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6.67 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $829 million (1999 est.) | $4.5 billion (2001 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Charles Aaron RAY
embassy: 27 EO Street 240, Phnom Penh mailing address: Box P, APO AP 96546 telephone: [855] (23) 216-436/438 FAX: [855] (23) 216-437/811 |
chief of mission: Ambassador John Randle HAMILTON
embassy: 7-01 Avenida Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City mailing address: APO AA 34024 telephone: [502] 331-1541/55 FAX: [502] 334-8477 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador ROLAND ENG
chancery: 4530 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-7742 FAX: [1] (202) 726-8381 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Antonio Fernando ARENALES Forno
chancery: 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 745-4952 FAX: [1] (202) 745-1908 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco |
Disputes - international | completed boundary demarcation with Thailand; accuses Vietnam of moving and destroying boundary markers and encroachments, initiating border incidents; accuses Thailand of preventing access to Preah Vihear temple ruins awarded to Cambodia by ICJ decision in 1962; maritime boundary with Vietnam hampered by dispute over offshore islands | the "Line of Adjacency", established as an agreed limit in 2000 to check squatters settling in Belize, remains in place while OAS assists states to resolve Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize and Guatemalan maritime access to the Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | $548 million pledged in grants and concessional loans for 2001 by international donors | $212 million (1995) (1995) |
Economy - overview | Cambodia's economy slowed dramatically in 1997-1998 due to the regional economic crisis, civil violence, and political infighting. Foreign investment and tourism fell off. In 1999, the first full year of peace in 30 years, progress was made on economic reforms and growth resumed at 5.0%. Despite severe flooding, GDP grew at 5.0% in 2000, 6.3% in 2001, and 5.2% in 2002. Tourism was Cambodia's fastest growing industry, with arrivals up 34% in 2000 and up another 40% in 2001 before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. Even given these stout growth estimates, the long-term development of the economy after decades of war remains a daunting challenge. The population lacks education and productive skills, particularly in the poverty-ridden countryside, which suffers from an almost total lack of basic infrastructure. Fear of renewed political instability and corruption within the government discourage foreign investment and delay foreign aid. The government is addressing these issues with assistance from bilateral and multilateral donors. | The agricultural sector accounts for about one-fourth of GDP, two-thirds of exports, and half of the labor force. Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products. Former President ARZU (1996-2000) worked to implement a program of economic liberalization and political modernization. The 1996 signing of the peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused relatively little damage to Guatemala compared to its neighbors. Ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, and increasing the efficiency and openness of both government and private financial operations. Despite low international prices for Guatemala's main commodities, the economy grew by 3% in 2000 and 2.3% in 2001. Guatemala, along with Honduras and El Salvador, recently concluded a free trade agreement with Mexico and has moved to protect international property rights. However, the PORTILLO administration has undertaken a review of privatizations under the previous administration, thereby creating some uncertainty among investors. |
Electricity - consumption | 110.6 million kWh (2001) | 4.797 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 840 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 123 million kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 119 million kWh (2001) | 5.929 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 65%
hydro: 35% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel: 50%
hydro: 45% nuclear: 0% other: 5% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Gulf of Thailand 0 m
highest point: Phnum Aoral 1,810 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m |
Environment - current issues | illegal logging activities throughout the country and strip mining for gems in the western region along the border with Thailand have resulted in habitat loss and declining biodiversity (in particular, destruction of mangrove swamps threatens natural fisheries); soil erosion; in rural areas, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water; toxic waste delivery from Taiwan sparked unrest in Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville) in December 1998 | deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping |
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Khmer 90%, Vietnamese 5%, Chinese 1%, other 4% | Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino), approximately 55%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2% |
Exchange rates | riels per US dollar - 3,912.08 (2002), 3,916.33 (2001), 3,840.75 (2000), 3,807.83 (1999), 3,744.42 (1998) | quetzales per US dollar - 8.0165 (January 2002), 7.8586 (2001), 7.7632 (2000), 7.3856 (1999), 6.3947 (1998), 6.0653 (1997) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King Norodom SIHANOUK (reinstated 24 September 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister HUN SEN (since 30 November 1998) and Deputy Prime Ministers SAR KHENG (since 1993) and TOL LAH (since 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is chosen by a Royal Throne Council; following legislative elections, a member of the majority party or majority coalition is named prime minister by the Chairman of the National Assembly and appointed by the king |
chief of state: President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (since 14 January 2000); Vice President Juan Francisco REYES Lopez (since 14 January 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 7 November 1999; runoff held 26 December 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera elected president; percent of vote - Alfonso Antonio PORTILLO Cabrera (FRG) 68%, Oscar BERGER Perdomo (PAN) 32% |
Exports | NA (2001) | $2.9 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Exports - commodities | timber, garments, rubber, rice, fish | coffee, sugar, bananas, fruits and vegetables, cardamom, meat, apparel, petroleum, electricity |
Exports - partners | US 60.2%, Germany 9.1%, UK 7.1%, Singapore 4.4% (2002) | US 57%, El Salvador 8.7%, Costa Rica 3.7%, Nicaragua 2.8%, Germany 2.6% (2000) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three horizontal bands of blue (top), red (double width), and blue with a white three-towered temple representing Angkor Wat outlined in black in the center of the red band | three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), white, and light blue with the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $20.42 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $48.3 billion (2001 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 40%
industry: 20% services: 40% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 23%
industry: 20% services: 57% (2000 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,600 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $3,700 (2001 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.5% (2002 est.) | 2.3% (2001 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 105 00 E | 15 30 N, 90 15 W |
Geography - note | a land of paddies and forests dominated by the Mekong River and Tonle Sap | no natural harbors on west coast |
Heliports | 2 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 12,323 km
paved: 1,996 km unpaved: 10,327 km (2000 est) |
total: 13,856 km
paved: 4,370 km (including 140 km of expressways) unpaved: 9,486 km (1998) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 33.8% (1997) |
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 46% (1998) (1998) |
Illicit drugs | narcotics-related corruption reportedly involving some in the government, military, and police; possible small-scale opium, heroin, and amphetamine production; large producer of cannabis for the international market; vulnerable to money laundering due to its cash-based economy and porous borders | major transit country for cocaine and heroin; minor producer of illicit opium poppy and cannabis for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (cocaine and heroin shipments); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem |
Imports | NA (2001) | $4.9 billion f.o.b. (2001) |
Imports - commodities | petroleum products, cigarettes, gold, construction materials, machinery, motor vehicles | fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, grain, fertilizers, electricity |
Imports - partners | Thailand 24.8%, Singapore 16.9%, China 12.1%, Hong Kong 10.9%, South Korea 5.5%, Vietnam 5.2% (2002) | US 35.2%, Mexico 12.6%, South Korea 7.9%, El Salvador 6.4%, Venezuela 3.9% (2000) |
Independence | 9 November 1953 (from France) | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
Industrial production growth rate | 16% (2001 est.) | 4.1% (1999) (1999) |
Industries | tourism, garments, rice milling, fishing, wood and wood products, rubber, cement, gem mining, textiles | sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism |
Infant mortality rate | total: 75.94 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 84.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
44.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.3% (2002 est.) | 7.6% (2001) (2001) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) | BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | 5 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 2,700 sq km (1998 est.) | 1,250 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Council of the Magistracy (provided for in the constitution and formed in December 1997); Supreme Court (and lower courts) exercises judicial authority | Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (thirteen members serve concurrent five-year terms and elect a president of the Court each year from among their number; the president of the Supreme Court of Justice also supervises trial judges around the country, who are named to five-year terms); Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitutcionalidad (five judges are elected for concurrent five-year terms by Congress, each serving one year as president of the Constitutional Court; one is elected by Congress, one elected by the Supreme Court of Justice, one appointed by the President, one elected by Superior Counsel of Universidad San Carlos de Guatemala, and one by Colegio de Abogados) |
Labor force | 6 million (1998 est.) | 4.2 million (1999 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 80% (2001 est.) | agriculture 50%, industry 15%, services 35% (1999 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 2,572 km
border countries: Laos 541 km, Thailand 803 km, Vietnam 1,228 km |
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km |
Land use | arable land: 20.96%
permanent crops: 0.61% other: 78.43% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 12.54%
permanent crops: 5.03% other: 82.43% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Khmer (official) 95%, French, English | Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40% (23 officially recognized Amerindian languages, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca) |
Legal system | primarily a civil law mixture of French-influenced codes from the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) period, royal decrees, and acts of the legislature, with influences of customary law and remnants of communist legal theory; increasing influence of common law in recent years | civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral consists of the National Assembly (122 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the Senate (61 seats; two members appointed by the monarch, two elected by the National Assembly, and 57 elected by "functional constituencies"; members serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly - last held 27 July 2003 (next to be held in July 2007); Senate - last held 2 March 1999 (next to be held in 2004) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - CPP 47%, SRP 22%, FUNCINPEC 21%, other 10%; seats by party - CPP 73, FUNCINPEC 26, SRP 24; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CPP 31, FUNCINPEC 21, SRP 7, other 2 (2003) |
unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (113 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 November 1999 (next to be held NA November 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FRG 63, PAN 37, ANN 9, DCG 2, UD/LOV 1, PLP 1; note - as of January 2003, the seat count is FRG 63, PAN 19, ANN 3, Unionista 10, URNG 5, UNE 6, independent 3, other 4 note: for the 7 November 1999 election, the number of congressional seats increased to 113 from 80; for the November 2003 election, the number of congressional seats will increase by 12-15 seats from the current 113 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 57.92 years
male: 55.49 years female: 60.47 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 66.85 years
male: 64.16 years female: 69.66 years (2002 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 69.9% male: 80.5% female: 60.3% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 63.6% male: 68.7% female: 58.5% (2000 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, bordering the Gulf of Thailand, between Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 527 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,328,371 GRT/3,294,028 DWT
ships by type: bulk 49, cargo 412, chemical tanker 2, combination bulk 4, container 17, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 2, multi-functional large-load carrier 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Aruba 1, Belize 11, Bulgaria 3, Cambodia 194, Canada 4, China 25, Cyprus 14, Egypt 10, Estonia 2, France 1, Georgia 1, Germany 1, Gibraltar 1, Greece 13, Honduras 8, Hong Kong 12, Iceland 1, Indonesia 2, Iran 1, Ireland 1, Italy 2, Japan 2, Jordan 1, North Korea, 1, South Korea, 25, Latvia 3, Lebanon 6, Liberia 7, Malaysia 1, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 4, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Panama 10, Romania 2, Russia 75, Saint Kitts and Nevis 4, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5, Singapore 17, Syria 20, Turkey 18, Ukraine 16, United Arab Emirates 3, United Kingdom 1, United States 5, Vietnam 3 (2002 est.) |
none (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF): Army, Navy, Air Force | Army, Navy (includes Marines), Air Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $112 million (FY01 est.) | $120 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3% (FY01 est.) | 0.6% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 3,275,533 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49: 3,186,894 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,829,535 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49: 2,080,504 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 165,395 (2003 est.) | males: 140,358 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 9 November (1953) | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
Nationality | noun: Cambodian(s)
adjective: Cambodian |
noun: Guatemalan(s)
adjective: Guatemalan |
Natural hazards | monsoonal rains (June to November); flooding; occasional droughts | numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms |
Natural resources | timber, gemstones, some iron ore, manganese, phosphates, hydropower potential | petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -1.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil 275 km |
Political parties and leaders | Buddhist Liberal Party or BLP [IENG MOULY]; Cambodian Pracheachon Party or Cambodian People's Party or CPP [CHEA SIM]; Khmer Citizen Party or KCP [NGUON SOEUR]; National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful, and Cooperative Cambodia or FUNCINPEC [Prince NORODOM RANARIDDH]; Sam Rangsi Party or SRP (formerly Khmer Nation Party or KNP) [SAM RANGSI] | Authentic Integral Development or DIA [Eduardo SUGER]; Democratic Union or UD [Rodolfo PAIZ Andrade]; Green Party or LOV [Rodolfo ROSALES Garcis-Salaz]; Guatemalan Christian Democracy or DCG [Vinicio CEREZO Arevalo]; Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG [Secretary General Alba ESTELA Maldonado]; Guatemalan Republican Front or FRG [Efrain RIOS Montt]; Movement for Guatemalan Unity or MGU [Jacobo ARBENZ Villanueva]; Movement for Principals and Values or MPV [Francisco BIANCHI]; National Advancement Party or PAN [Secretary General Leonel LOPEZ Rodas]; National Unity for Hope or UNE [Alvarado COLOM Caballeros]; New Nation Alliance or ANN, formed by an alliance of DIA, URNG, and several splinter groups most of whom subsequently defected [led by three co-equal partners - Nineth Varenca MONTENEGRO Cottom, Rodolfo BAUER Paiz, and Jorge Antonio BALSELLS TUT]; Patriot Party or PP [retired General Otto PEREZ Molina]; Progressive Liberator Party or PLP [Acisclo VALLADARES Molina]; Reform Movement or MR [Secretary General Alfredo SKINNER-KLEE]; Unionista Party [leader NA] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Agrarian Owners Group or UNAGRO; Alliance Against Impunity or AAI; Committee for Campesino Unity or CUC; Coordinating Committee of Agricultural, Commercial, Industrial, and Financial Associations or CACIF; Mutual Support Group or GAM |
Population | 13,124,764
note: estimates for this country take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2003 est.) |
13,314,079 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 36% (1997 est.) | 60% (2000 est.) |
Population growth rate | 1.8% (2003 est.) | 2.57% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Kampong Saom (Sihanoukville), Kampot, Krong Kaoh Kong, Phnom Penh | Champerico, Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, San Jose, Santo Tomas de Castilla |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 3, shortwave 3 (1999) | AM 130, FM 487, shortwave 15 (2000) |
Radios | - | 835,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 602 km
narrow gauge: 602 km 1.000-m gauge (2002) |
total: 884 km
narrow gauge: 884 km 0.914-m gauge (single-track) note: much of the railway is inoperable (2001 est.) |
Religions | Theravada Buddhist 95%, other 5% | Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal (active duty members of the armed forces may not vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day) |
Telephone system | general assessment: adequate landline and/or cellular service in Phnom Penh and other provincial cities; rural areas have little telephone service
domestic: NA international: adequate but expensive landline and cellular service available to all countries from Phnom Penh and major provincial cities; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
general assessment: fairly modern network centered in the city of Guatemala
domestic: NA international: connected to Central American Microwave System; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 21,800 (mid-1998) | 665,061 (June 2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 80,000 (2000) | 663,296 (September 2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (2003) | 26 (plus 27 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat plains; mountains in southwest and north | mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten) |
Total fertility rate | 3.58 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 4.51 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.8% (1999 est.) | 7.5% (1999 est.) |
Waterways | 3,700 km
note: navigable all year to craft drawing 0.6 m or less; 282 km navigable to craft drawing as much as 1.8 m |
990 km
note: 260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during highwater season |