Guatemala 2006

Guatemala 2006

In 2006, Guatemala was located in Central America and bordered by Mexico to the north and west, Belize to the northeast, Honduras to the east, El Salvador to the southeast and Pacific Ocean to the south. The population of Guatemala in 2006 was estimated to be around 13 million people with a majority Mestizo heritage. Spanish was the official language but many Guatemalan citizens also spoke a variety of local languages such as Kaqchikel and K’iche’. The main religion is Christianity with a strong presence of traditional Mayan beliefs in some areas.

According to constructmaterials, Guatemala had been an independent nation since 1821 after centuries of foreign rule. Despite this, poverty levels were extremely high and inequality was widespread compared to other countries in Central America. In 2006, Guatemala’s economy was largely dependent on its exports of agricultural products as well as minerals made by major corporations such as Banco de Occidente and Cervecería Centroamericana. There were some efforts to diversify its economy by encouraging foreign investment but with limited success. The healthcare system was also inadequate with poor access to basic medical care for much of the population as well as relatively high rates of infant mortality and malnutrition compared to other countries in Central America.

Yearbook 2006

Guatemala. According to CountryAAH, major public holidays in Guatemala include Independence Day (September 15) and New Year (January 1). The violence in Guatemala reached new record levels during the year and the number of murders per capita – which was already second highest in Latin America – had increased by 10% at the beginning of the year compared to the previous year. The government cited increased competition for street sales of drugs between youth leagues, so-called maras, and established drug cartels as the cause. The supply of cocaine in the country also suddenly increased when the drug police’s stock was robbed of half its contents in the New Year. At the same time, the drug police themselves have become increasingly involved in the cocaine trade. By March, 2,500 dismissed corrupt police officers had been replaced by former soldiers. However, no significant improvements in murder statistics were noted during the year.

At the end of March, the umbrella organization for Guatemala’s Indians and peasants, Conic, gathered several thousand protesters and submitted a list of demands to the government. At the same time, Conic warned of a total uprising unless the government took swift action. However, support for the erection, which had been scheduled for April 20, became modest, and Conic’s leader Juan Tiney accepted an invitation from Interior Minister Eduardo Stein to talk.

Guatemala Map with Surrounding Countries

Economic conditions

The development of Guatemala is linked to the solution of a vast number of economic problems: a better distribution of income, the need for the diffusion of modern industries and an improvement of road and railway structures, as well as social ones, such as schooling, fight against undernutrition and a real integration of Indian communities within the state. The economic structure is mainly linked to the primary sector (where over 47% of the active population is employed, but the contribution to GDP is around 24%), dominated by agriculture. The most profitable lands are destined for plantation crops, such as coffee (256,000 t in 2006), bananas (1,070,000 t) and sugar cane (18,721,000 t), controlled by foreign companies. Cattle breeding is important (2,796,000 head), practiced in modern farms concentrated in the coastal plains of the Pacific Ocean side. After the long stagnation of the years of the civil war (which ended in 1996), industry and tertiary activities started to grow again. Mechanical, petrochemical, agri-food sectors are among the most developed sectors; there is a notable growth in construction, with a boom essentially occurring in the metropolitan region of Guatemala, where the majority of investments are concentrated, including those made with money from drug trafficking, which has found fertile ground here to expand. Tourism also recorded a considerable increase (1,502,000 admissions in 2006), thanks to the improvement of the internal situation and the extraordinary landscape and archaeological heritage of the country.

Guatemala City

Guatemala City, Spanish Ciudad de Guatemala, capital of Guatemala; 994,300 residents (2018), in the metropolitan area 2. 4 million. Guatemala City is located 1,500 meters above sea level. in the vicinity of the volcanoes Agua, Fuego, Acatenango and Pacaya and have been affected by several earthquakes, most recently in 1976. The city is an important commercial center for Central America and Guatemala’s largest commercial and industrial city. Guatemala City is also a major traffic hub, which is crossed by the Pan-American Highway and has an international airport.

Of the older buildings, the cathedral of San Jaime from the late 18th century is the most prominent. Also dominant in the cityscape is the modern concrete town hall (completed in 1943) with facade decoration inspired by Mayan culture.

Guatemala City was founded in 1776.

Guatemala Overview

In the early 16th century, the Spaniards occupied the Guatemalan region with a high level of Mayan culture. The country gained independence during the Latin American War of Independence in 1821. In addition to the Pacific coastline, Guatemala also has a connection strip to the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Guatemala City is located in the valley of the Sierra Madre Mountains at an altitude of 1,490 meters. It is the largest city in Central America. Guatemala is the cradle of Mayan culture in Central America. The beautiful and green land offers the traveler spectacular scenery, exciting jungles and volcanoes, fine Mayan ruins and Native American culture.

Area: 109,300 km²

Population: 17,153,288 (estimate 7/2020)

Capital: Guatemala City

Population: 56% mestizos, 44% Mayans

Language: Spanish and several different Mayan languages

Main products: Coffee, sugar, bananas, textiles

Form of government: Democracy