*Guatemala, Government
President:
runoff held on 11 January 1991 (next to be held 11 November 1995); results -
Jorge SERRANO Elias (MAS) 68.1%, Jorge CARPIO Nicolle (UCN) 31.9%
note:
President SERRANO resigned on 1 June 1993 shortly after dissolving Congress
and the judiciary; on 6 June 1993, Ramiro DE LEON Carpio was chosen as the
new president by a vote of Congress; he will finish off the remainder of
SERRANO's five-year term which expires in 1995
Executive branch:
president, vice president, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la Republica)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (Corte Suprema de Justicia)
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
President Ramiro DE LEON Carpio (since 6 June 1993); Vice President Arturo
HERBRUGER (since 18 June 1993)
Member of:
BCIE, CACM, CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-24, G-77, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ITU,
LAES, LAIA (observer), LORCS, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Juan Jose CASO-FANJUL
chancery:
2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
(202) 745-4952 through 4954
consulates general:
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San
Francisco
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission:
Ambassador Marilyn MCAFEE (since 28 May 1993)
embassy:
7-01 Avenida de la Reforma, Zone 10, Guatemala City
mailing address:
APO AA 34024
telephone:
[502] (2) 31-15-41
FAX:
[502] (2) 318855
Flag: 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
*Guatemala, Economy
Overview:
The economy is based on family and corporate agriculture, which accounts for
26% of GDP, employs about 60% of the labor force, and supplies two-thirds of
exports. Manufacturing, predominantly in private hands, accounts for about
18% of GDP and 12% of the labor force. In both 1990 and 1991, the economy
grew by 3%, the fourth and fifth consecutive years of mild growth. In 1992
growth picked up to 4% as government policies favoring competition and
foreign trade and investment took stronger hold.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $12.6 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
4.2% (1992)
National product per capita:
$1,300 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
14% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
6.5% (1991 est.), with 30-40% underemployment
Budget:
revenues $604 million; expenditures $808 million, including capital
expenditures of $134 million (1990 est.)
Exports:
$1.3 billion (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
coffee 26%, sugar 13%, bananas 7%, beef 3%
partners:
US 36%, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Germany, Honduras
Imports:
$1.8 billion (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities:
fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain, fertilizers, motor vehicles
partners:
US 40%, Mexico, Venezuela, Japan, Germany
External debt:
$2.5 billion (December 1992 est.)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1.9% (1991 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP
Electricity:
847,600 kW capacity; 2,500 million kWh produced, 260 kWh per capita (1992)
Industries:
sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals, petroleum, metals,
rubber, tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of economy; contributes
two-thirds of export earnings; principal crops - sugarcane, corn, bananas,
coffee, beans, cardamom; livestock - cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food
importer
Illicit drugs:
illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the international drug
trade; the government has an active eradication program for cannabis and
opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments
Economic aid:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1 billion; Western (non-US)
countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $7.92 billion
Currency:
1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos
*Guatemala, Economy
Exchange rates:
free market quetzales (Q) per US$1 - 5.2850 (December 1993), 5.1706 (1992),
5.0289 (1991), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988); note - black-market rate 2.800
(May 1989)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
*Guatemala, Communications
Railroads:
1,019 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 917 km government owned, 102 km
privately owned
Highways:
26,429 km total; 2,868 km paved, 11,421 km gravel, and 12,140 unimproved
Inland waterways:
260 km navigable year round; additional 730 km navigable during high-water
season
Pipelines:
crude oil 275 km
Ports:
Puerto Barrios, Puerto Quetzal, Santo Tomas de Castilla
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,129 GRT/6,450 DWT
Airports:
total:
474
usable:
418
with permanent-surface runways:
11
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
3
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
21
Telecommunications:
fairly modern network centered in Guatemala [city]; 97,670 telephones;
broadcast stations - 91 AM, no FM, 25 TV, 15 shortwave; connection into
Central American Microwave System; 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth station
*Guatemala, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 2,410,760; fit for military service 1,576,569; reach
military age (18) annually 115,178 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $121 million, 1% of GDP (1993)