Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau (Peten) lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m
Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle
Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 4%
meadows and pastures: 12%
forest and woodland: 40%
other: 32%
Irrigated land: 780 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution
natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with frequent
violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other
tropical storms
international agreements: party to - Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands; signed, but not ratified -
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea
Geographic note: no natural harbors on west coast
People ———
Population: 11,277,614 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 2,464,498; female 2,362,457)
15-64 years: 54% (male 3,026,834; female 3,031,278)
65 years and over: 3% (male 184,927; female 207,620) (July 1996 est.)