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Guatemala
Fact
Sheet :
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Area : 108,890
sq km
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Population : 12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)
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Capital : Guatemala
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Languages : Spanish
60%, Amerindian languages 40%
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Currency : quetzal
(GTQ), US dollar (USD)
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Government type :
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constitutional
democratic republic
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Elements of History :
The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.
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Climate :
tropical;
hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands
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