POR CATALINA, ASTERIA, ANA Y JULIANA

GUATEMALA
EN SUBDESARROLLO

INDEX

1. Front Page…………………………………………………… page 1

2. Index…………………………………………………… page 1

3. History……………………………………………………… page 2

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 4. Geographical features………………………………………page 4

5. Economy…………………………………………………… page 4

6. Political system…………………………………………… page 5

7. Demographic situation……………………………………page 6

8. Important problems in Guatemala……………………… page 7

9. Solutions to the problems………………………………… page 8

10. Conclusion………………………………………………… page 8

DESCRIPTION

History

The history of Guatemala is the chronology of events that occurred from the beginning of the
original human settlement in the current territory of the Republic of Guatemala to the present day.
This begins with the first groups of people to inhabit the region, of which the Mayan civilization
stands out. The Spanish conquerors arrived in Guatemala in 1523. Nicolle Valle named Guatemala
City, in his drafting letter addressed to Charles V, dated in Mexico on October 15, 1524. Cortés refers
to "some cities where there were many days that I have news that are called Ucatlán and
Guatemala." The region went on to form the Captaincy General of Guatemala, attached to the
Viceroyalty of New Spain.

In the nineteenth century, the Creoles of the Captaincy General of Guatemala achieved their
independence from the Spanish Empire and the region was renamed the Central American
Federation, which was for a time annexed to the empire of Agustín de Iturbide in Mexico. After the
separation of Mexico, wars began between the conservatives - that is, the Creoles of greater

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Abolengo and who lived in the capital of the federation, also known as the Aycinena Clan, and the
regular clergy of the Catholic Church - and the liberals, who were lower-class Creoles who were
dedicated to large-scale agriculture and lived in the rest of the Captaincy General. The struggle led
to the disintegration of the Central American Federation, from which the five republics of Central
America emerged, including the current Guatemala.

A State of the Central American Federation governed by conservatives such as Mariano Aycinena
and then by the liberal Mariano Gálvez, the modern Republic of Guatemala was founded on March
21, 1847, during the conservative government of General Rafael Carrera, and in this way began to
have diplomatic and commercial relations with the rest of the nations of the world. Under the
command of Carrera, Guatemala resisted all attempts at invasion by its liberal neighbors.

In 1871, six years after Carrera's death, the Liberal Reform triumphed and dictatorial liberal regimes
were established. Coffee became the main crop in the country. In 1901, during the government of Mr.
Manuel Estrada Cabrera, interference in the state affairs of North American corporations, such as
United Fruit Company (UFCO), the country's main company, began. Guatemala became a Banana
Republic, where the rulers were placed or withdrawn by the UFCO, depending on the economic needs
and from which it obtained considerable concessions. In 1944, in the middle of World War II, the
October revolution took place, which overthrew the military regime of the time and began ten years
of elected governments that tried to oppose the fruit bowl and impose social reforms, but were
overthrown in 1954 when the interests of the UFCO were affected by these reforms. The
counter-revolution of 1954. He maintained some of the reforms of the revolutionary regimes,
including the dignity of the Army, but again protected the interests of the American fruit grower,
arguing that the revolutionary regimes were communist. In 1960, within the framework of the Cold
War, the civil war and a period of political instability began, with coups d'état and fraudulent
elections. The armed conflict left more than 250,000 victims - between dead and missing - according
to data from the Commission for Historical Clarification, according to which more than 90 percent of
the massacres were committed by the Guatemalan Army and pro-government paramilitary groups.
After the transition to a democratic system in 1985, and after extensive negotiations with the
guerrillas, the Peace Agreements were signed in 1996, a new era began in Guatemala.

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Geographical feature

Guatemala is a country located in the

subtropical region of the northern hemisphere,
in the northern section of Central America. It
has borders to the north with Mexico (960
Km), to the west with Belize (266 Km), to the
east with the Caribbean Sea (148 Km) and
Honduras (256 Km), to the southwest with El
Salvador (203 Km) and to the south with the Pacific Ocean (254 Km). 60% of the territory is
mountainous. Two large high-altitude mountain ranges run through the central part of the
country, dividing it into three different geographical areas: The plateaus of mountains and
volcanoes where the majority of the population lives, the forest of Petèn, and the coastal
plains that border the two oceans.
There is a great diversity of climates in Guatemala. In the central plateau, it has an average
of 15 ºC. In the coastal regions, the climate is more tropical, with an average of 28.3 ºC.
It means "place of many trees." It presents a mega diversity of species of plants and animals,
including numerous species that can only and exclusively be found in this corner of the
planet. A variety of flowers abound, such as lilies, nardos and geraniums.

Economy
Growing Central American economy; unique South Korean business relations; high poverty,
inequality, and malnutrition; low government revenues impede educational, sanitation, and
healthcare efforts; high migration, child labor, and remittances.
Agriculture: 13.3% (2017 est.)

Industry: 23.4% (2017 est.)

Services: 63.2% (2017 est.)

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Political system

The government is a presidential republic.

State organisms:
-Executive branch: it is exercised by the President of the Republic of Guatemala, the Vice
President of the Republic of Guatemala and the Council of Ministers. The President and the
vice president of the republic are elected for a non-extendable term of four years through
universal suffrage.
-Legislative branch: it is exercised by the Congress of the Republic of Guatemala, which
consists of 160 deputies. Its primary function is to represent the people, but it is also
responsible for decreeing, reforming and repealing the laws as it may be for the benefit of
the Guatemalan people.
-Judicial branch: it is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice. The function is established in
the law and establishes that the Supreme Court of Justice may administer justice as dictated
by the Constitution and other laws. The court in constitutional matters is the Constitutional
Court made up of 5 titular magistrates and 5 alternates, who ensure that the Political
Constitution of the Republic is complied with.

The Political Constitution of the Republic of Guatemala is the supreme law of the Republic of
Guatemala, in which the entire State and its other laws are governed and the fundamental
rights of its population are governed. It was created on May 31, 1985. It was suspended on
May 25, 1993 by then-President Jorge Serrano Elías; reinstated on June 5, 1993, followed by
the overthrow of the president; amended in November 1993.

Demographic situation

Population
17,980,803 (2023 est.)
Languages
Most people speak Spanish but the 2003 Law of National Languages officially recognized 23
indigenous languages, including 21 Maya languages, Xinca, and Garifuna (2018 est.)

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Demographics
Guatemala is a predominantly poor country.
Is the most populous country in Central America and has the highest fertility rate, the
highest population growth and the youngest population in Latin America.
Guatemala's total fertility rate has slowly declined during the last few decades due in part to
limited government-funded health programs. However, the birth rate is still more close to
three children per woman and is markedly higher among its rural and indigenous
populations.
Guatemalans have a history of emigrating legally and illegally to Mexico, the United States,
and Canada because of a lack of economic opportunity, political instability, and natural
disasters.
Emigration, primarily to the United States, escalated during the 1960 to 1996 civil war and
accelerated after a peace agreement was signed. Thousands of Guatemalans who fled to
Mexico returned after the war, but labor migration to southern Mexico continues.
Age structure
0-14 years: 31.98% (male 2,927,423/female 2,822,441)
15-64 years: 62.78% (male 5,568,051/female 5,720,928)
65 years and over: 5.24% (2023 est.) (male 420,782/female 521,178)
2023 population pyramid:

Birth rate
21.88 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Death rate
4.89 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
Net migration
-1.63 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

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Population distribution
the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in
the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas
Infant mortality rate
total: 25.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 28.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 22.18 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy
total population: 73.18 years (2023 est.)
male: 71.17 years
female: 75.3 years
Total fertility rate
2.57 children born/woman (2023)

Most important problems that the country should face:

– Water: 6 out of 10 households do not have drinking water. Pollution of resources due to
agriculture and mining. 90% of its sources are contaminated and millions of people suffer a
daily ordeal to obtain it, due to decades of poor state administration.

– Security: the security conditions in Guatemala aren’t good. There are many incidents of
assaults, robberies and other crimes, so it is recommended to travel with caution and refrain
from doing so in certain areas.

– In Guatemala, according to the results of the 2018 Census, the illiteracy rate is 18.5%,
equivalent to 2.3 million inhabitants who do not know how to read or write.

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Solutions that can help for eliminate this problems:

– Make a collection of money to buy water filters and place them throughout the state, thus
getting drinking water for everyone. An ONG can also be formed that will be in charge of
raising money around the world for this purpose.

– Build more free education centers so that everyone can learn to read and write. Form an
ONG that also collects money all over the world and thus be able to make more schools and
education centers.

– So that there is no more crime in Guatemala, we have to educate more throughout the
country and give them a good education, for example Christian (which we have said before
the free schools). In this way, Guatemalans will have a better education and there will not be
as much crime.

Conclusion
Since Guatemala became independent from the Spanish crown, there has been political and
social instability that has led to an economic crisis. Recently it has become a democratic
system that has the three powers: legislative, executive and judicial, according to its 1985
Constitution and which was modified in 1993. Apart from that you can enjoy the Pacific and
Atlantic oceans, it has a wide variety of volcanoes and mountains, and you can enjoy a
tropical climate. It is a country with low economic performance that has made investment in
education very low. Guatemala has a high fertility rate so it has a large young population
and a growing population pyramid.

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