GuatemalaJeff

This is a painting of Guatemalan art. This a picture of the monument in Guatemalan city of John Pual II. Some major ethnic groups Mestizo, European, K'iche, Kaqchikel, and Mam.
 * [[file:The Guatemalan Gazette.doc]]**
 * __Guatamala Facts__**
 * The capitol of Guatemala is Guatemala City
 * [|Guatemalan National Anthem]:
 * Fortunate Guatemala! May your altars
 * Never be profaned by cruel men.
 * May there never be slaves who submit to their yoke,
 * Or tyrants who deride you.
 * If tomorrow your sacred soil
 * Should be threatened by foreign invasion,
 * Your fair flag, flying freely in the wind,
 * Will call to you: Conquer or die.
 * Your fair flag, flying freely in the wind,
 * Will call to you: Conquer or die;
 * For your people, with heart and soul,
 * Would prefer death to slavery.
 * [[image:http://media.maps.com/magellan/images/guatemalarah.gif width="315" height="221"]]
 * This is a physical map of Guatemala The lowest point in Guatemala is the Pacific Ocean at 0 m The highest point,is Volcan Tajumulco, at 4,211 m. Guatemala is mostly mountains and with narrow coastal plains and a rollling limestone plateau.
 * [[image:ca_st_anim.gif width="315" height="214" align="right" link="http://weather.chron.com/global/Region/CA/pxTemperature.html"]]This is a [|climate map] of Latin America. Right under Mexico is Guatemala which is orange which stands for a climate between 70 and 80 degrees farenheit. The [|Forecast in Guatemala] is currently 72 degrees farenheit. There are no clouds in the sky on 2-9-07.The climate type is [|tropical] which is humid in the lowlands and cooler in the highlands.
 * This is a physical map of Guatemala The lowest point in Guatemala is the Pacific Ocean at 0 m The highest point,is Volcan Tajumulco, at 4,211 m. Guatemala is mostly mountains and with narrow coastal plains and a rollling limestone plateau.
 * [[image:ca_st_anim.gif width="315" height="214" align="right" link="http://weather.chron.com/global/Region/CA/pxTemperature.html"]]This is a [|climate map] of Latin America. Right under Mexico is Guatemala which is orange which stands for a climate between 70 and 80 degrees farenheit. The [|Forecast in Guatemala] is currently 72 degrees farenheit. There are no clouds in the sky on 2-9-07.The climate type is [|tropical] which is humid in the lowlands and cooler in the highlands.
 * Guatemala had a presidential election on November 9, 2006. Nobody had gotten the majority of votes so they took the two people who had the most votes and they moved to a round 2 of the election. Oscar Berger and Alvaro Colom were the two candidates who could become the president of Guatemala. Oscar won with 1,235,303 votes and 54.1% of the votes.
 * The currency in Guatemala is Quetzal. 8 Guatemalan Quetzals is equal to 1 American dollar.
 * The population of Guatemala is 12,293,545, this is a July 2006 estimate.
 * The languages in Guatemala are 60% Spanish and 40% Amerindian languages. The Amerindian languages include Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca.
 * The major Religions in Guatemala are Roman Catholic, Protestant, indigenous Mayan beliefs.
 * The life expectancy for males is 67. The life expectancy for females is 71.
 * The literacy rate for males is 78%. The literacy rate for females is 63%. More males can read than females.

10 Interesting Statistics Oil is a major export in Guatemala. [|A flight to Guatemala City from Newton, NJ would cost about $1,000]. Guatemala broke free from Spain who ruled them until September 15, 1821.
 * Guatemala is known for its spectacular coffee.
 * The unemployment rate for Guatemala is 7.5% (2003 estimate)
 * The population below poverty line is 75% (2004 est.)
 * Guatemala's Independence Day is on the 15th of September.
 * Guatemala's government type is a constitutional democratic republic.
 * To read you must be of 15 years of age or older.
 * Their natural resources include petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower.
 * The coastline is approximately 400 kilometers.
 * The population growth rate is 2.27%. (2006 est.)
 * There are 756,000 computer users.

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Guatemala is bordering the north pacific ocean and between El Salvador and Mexico. It is also bordering the Caribbean Sea between Honduras and Belize. The Area comparitive is just slightly smaller than Tennessee.


 * Guatemala city is the capital and the largest city of Guatemala. The city lies on a plateau in south south-central Guatemala that is about 5,000 feet above sea level.
 * The abosolute location of Guatemala is 15,30N and 90 15 W
 * Other major cities in Guatemala are Coban,Bethel,Flores,Tikal,and livingston
 * Major Events**
 * In 1996 the peace accords,which ended 36 years after the civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign Investment.Since then has pursued important reforms.
 * Once the site of the impressive ancient Mayan civilization, Guatemala was conquered by Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado in 1524
 * They became a republic in 1839
 * In 2004, Guatemala experienced an alarmingly violent crime wave. More than 2,000 murders took place, which were blamed on crime gangs and bands of teenagers.
 * In 2005, the government ratified a free-trade agreement with the U.S.
 * To keep control of the economy, Guatemala, along with El Salvador and Honduras, signed a free trade agreement with Mexico in June 2000.
 * In Aug. 2001, plans for tax increases prompted widespread, and often violent, protests.


 * **Rainforest** Guatemala is home to some of the most threatened tropical rainforests in the world. Ninety-eight percent of Guatemala's forests has been lost to deforestation, and a more than 7.6 percent of the country's land is protected. None of the country's protected areas are considered large enough or stable enough to support viable populations of Guatemala's indigenous species. The country's high deforestation rate results from the cutting of forests for [|firewood], [|agriculture], and [|timber exports], and is by extreme poverty among Guatemala's rural populations.


 * Region**

The Latin America region that Guatemala is located is Middle America.The hemisphere that Guatemala is located in is the western hemisphere.

Some places in Guatemala to visit are...The Plaza Berlin at the end of the Avenue of the Americas is a wonderful place to watch the sunset over a horizon by the Lake Amatítlan and the volcanoes Volcán de Agua and Volcán de Pacaya. The best time for this is at the end of the year when the blue sky is at its most intense. Also The central square of Guatemala City, with a fountain in the middle and broad avenues on all sides, has always been known as the Parque Central. On may 31, 1995 it was officially renamed as the Plaza Mayor de la Constitución in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the new constitution of the republic. Every day, the square fills with handcraft vendors, shoe-shiners and street performers from clowns to dancers to fire-eaters, all competing for the attention of the milling crowd, and perhaps for a penny or two. There are food stalls where you can try delicious Guatemalan dishes and snacks such as loroco patties, pork crackling, cheese, beans, pumpkin, chicken, tacos, chilli tortillas, yuca with chilli, sweet pumpkin,, and corn or banana. The quinta real guatemala has a 4 1/2 star rating, and has a very secure staff. The chef is also very good and makes spectacular food. The Westin Camino is a very nice big hotel. The westin comino has a family room,and the staff in very nice and helpful. There is good shopping there, and there is also a very nice pool. The viva clarion suites is a high rise hotel.it is located in the middle of the viva zone.It is a just a few minutes away from the airport. This area of the city is known for its fine restaurants, theaters, and fascinating museums. The real intercontinental is located in the mddle of Guatemala city Zona viva it is within walking distance so you can go shopping and watch entertainment. The real InterContinental hotel offers 239 luxurious rooms and suites including one presidential suite and six junior suites. [[[|][|http://www.tiwy.com/pais/guatemala/guate_2004/city/viewphoto.phtml?palacionacional] http://www.vacationtimesharerentals.com/Central-America/Resorts/Guatemala/
 * Tourist Ad**
 * Hotels**



Some fun facts are:
 * Guatemala City was home to one of the first Mayan societies dating back to 2000 BC.
 * The average temperture in Guatemala in January is 64 degrees
 * The average temerture in Guatemalain july is 68 degrees
 * Guatemala is the most populated nation in Guatemala
 * Guatemala is best known for its historical role as a major seat of [|Pre-Columbian] cultures
 * Other than tourism, Guatemala's economy depends largely upon agriculture, with coffe and sugar among its main exports.
 * All major cities are located in the highlands and Pacific coast regions
 * Guatemala's location on the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean makes it a target for hurricanes, including hurricane Mitch in 1998 and hurricane Stan in October of 2005, which killed more than 1,500 people
 * Roman Catholicism was the only religion during the colonial era, and remains the faith with about two-thirds of the population.
 * There are also small communities of Jews (about 1200), Muslims (1200), and members of other faiths.