post a fact about guatemala every day

guatemalans are roughly divided into 60% mestizo and 40% mayan. many mayans in the country still have a unique cultural identity, particularly in the rural highlands. these mayans generally speak their indigenous language and follow traditional customs.

guatemala has roughly 0.5% the gdp of the united states. 50% of the people who work in guatemala are farmers. 70% of the people are literate.

the mayans make up 60% of all guatemalans.

edit: this statistic should rad “the mestizos…” the website i went to was incorrect.

guatemala is mountainous, except for the northern area of peten as well as the southern coastal area. in these lowlands it is very hot, as guatemala is a tropical country. guatemala has the largest mountain in central america, the volcanic volcan tajumulco.

the bosch-gutierrez family is the most powerful in guatemala. they control one of the largest corporations in latin america, the agro-industrial giant known as corporacion multi inversiones. all four of the presidential candidates in 2007 were financed by this family, essentially making guatemala a corporatocracy. this explains why guatemala is so hasty to collaborate with the northern hegemonic power of the contient (the united states) in treaties such as dr-cafta despite the damaging effects this collaboration will have on its peoples.

its technically the next day because its past midnight so im posting this.

peten is the largest and most northern province of guatemala. it was the heartland of the mayan classic period (when they built all of the pyramids and such). the region is suffering from serious deforestation. today, a little less than half a million people live in this area.

a dictator by the name of general efrain rios montt ruled over guatemala for a while, and civilian rule was reestablished in 1985.

rios montt was born in huehuetenango. in 1950, he graduated from the school of the americas where he received training from the pentagon to fight “communists” (in essence, the socialists whom the cia overthrew in 1954 because they were trying to break the monopoly of a major u.s. fruit firm). rios montt then worked his way up to the ranks of general. in 1982, with the help of the cia, he overthrew democratically elected president general romeo lucas garcia.

during his oppressive reign of human rights violations, reagan supported his violent military junta, and in a 1982 visit to guatemala city, declared montt to be “a man of great personal integrit” and a leader who “wants to improve the quality of life for all guatemalans and to promote social justice.” nobel peace prize laureate rigoberta menchu charged rios montt with genocide, torture, and state-sponsored terrorism. to this day, rios montt remains unprosecuted and protected by a thick legal wall of defense attorneys.

two weeks ago, rios montt declared that he would run for a seat in congress later this year. if successful, he will be immune from prosecution.

the guatemalan government wants to join the north american free trade in the form of dr-cafta.

uh oh! ive certainly been failing at this. ive been so busy and i have a guest staying with me. anyways…

hernan cortes (the crazy conquistador who led the spanish conquest of mexico) granted another conquistador named pedro de alvaro the right to take over the land we now know as guatemala. in 1821, guatemala declared its independence from spain.

the median age of people in guatemala is 19 years old. when i go, ill be 19, so ill fit right in!