Natural resources: petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle

Land use: arable land : 12% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 24% forests and woodland: 54% other : 5% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 1,250 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast subject to hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues: deforestation; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - 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

Geography - note: no natural harbors on west coast

@Guatemala:People

Population: 11,685,695 (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 2,571,885; female 2,465,902) 15-64 years: 53% (male 3,117,718; female 3,121,276) 65 years and over : 4% (male 192,334; female 216,580) (July 1997 est.)