Population: 12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)
Regime History: After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence 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 which left more than 100,000 people dead and created some 1 million refugees. The conflict between the army and paramilitaries on one side and the leftist guerrilla movement on the other began in the early 60s. It was marked by horrific violence that targeted primarily the Mayan communities in rural Guatemala. The conflict included the 1968 assassination of the U.S. ambassador to the country, and had its worst moments under General Efraín Ríos Montt, when scorched earth campaigns led to the razing of entire villages and the massacre of all their inhabitants. The country returned to electoral democracy with the election of President Cerezo in 1985, but the military still controlled all aspects of the counterinsurgency policy and was not under the control of civilian authorities. The civil war continued until peace agreements were signed in 1996. Since then, former dictator Ríos Montt's party has had notable electoral successes, leading to Ríos Montt's candidacy in the 2003 presidential election. He was soundly defeated. In other notable developments, in 2004 former president Portillo was accused of corruption and forced to flee to Mexico, and in 2005 the government apologized for the army's role in a peasant massacre during the civil war.
Organization: Constitutional Democratic Republic, with 22 departments (departamentos) that are somewhat like states in the United States, though they have less autonomy. It has a civil law system, but the Supreme Court can exercise judicial review of legislative acts.
Economy: Guatemala is the largest and most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-half that of Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. 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. The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, but widespread political violence and corruption scandals continue to dampen investor confidence. The distribution of income remains highly unequal, with perhaps 75% of the population below the poverty line. Other ongoing challenges include increasing government revenues, negotiating further assistance from international donors, upgrading both government and private financial operations, curtailing drug trafficking, and narrowing the trade deficit.
GDP per capita (purchasing power parity) is $5,000 (2006 est.).
Population below poverty line: 56.2% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: 3.2% (2005 est.)
Ethnic groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish or assimilated Amerindian - in local Spanish called Ladino) approximately 55%, Amerindian or predominantly Amerindian, approximately 43%, whites and others 2%