abor force, and supplies two-thirds
of exports. Manufacturing accounts for about 15% of GDP and 12% of the
labor force. In 1990 the economy grew by 3.5%, the fourth consecutive
year of mild growth. Government economic policies, however, were erratic
in 1990--an election year--and inflation shot up to 60%, the highest
level in modern times.

_#_GDP: $11.1 billion, per capita $1,180; real growth rate 3.5%
(1990 est.)

_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 60% (1990 est.)

_#_Unemployment rate: 13%, with 30-40% underemployment (1989 est.)

_#_Budget: revenues $1.05 billion; expenditures $1.3 billion,
including capital expenditures of $270 million (1989 est.)

_#_Exports: $1.24 billion (f.o.b., 1990);

commodities--coffee 24%, sugar 9%, bananas 8%, beef 4%;

partners--US 28%, El Salvador, FRG, Costa Rica, Italy

_#_Imports: $1.77 billion (c.i.f., 1990);

commodities--fuel and petroleum products, machinery, grain,
fertilizers, motor vehicles;

partners--US 40%, Mexico, FRG, Japan, El Salvador

_#_External debt: $2.8 billion (December 1990 est.)

_#_Industrial production: growth rate 4.0% (1988); accounts
for 18% of GDP

_#_Electricity: 819,000 kW capacity; 2,594 million kWh produced,
280 kWh per capita (1990)

_#_Industries: sugar, textiles and clothing, furniture, chemicals,
petroleum, metals, rubber, tourism

_#_Agriculture: accounts for 26% of GDP; most important sector of
economy and contributes two-thirds to export earnings; principal
crops--sugarcane, corn, bananas, coffee, beans, cardamom;
livestock--cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens; food importer

_#_Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium poppy and cannabis for the
international drug trade; the government has engaged in aerial
eradication of opium poppy; transit country for cocaine shipments

_#_Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-90), $1.1
billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-88), $7.8 billion

_#_Currency: quetzal (plural--quetzales); 1 quetzal (Q) = 100 centavos

_#_Exchange rates: free market quetzales (Q) per US$1--5.4
(April 1991), 4.4858 (1990), 2.8161 (1989), 2.6196 (1988), 2.500
(1987), 1.875 (1986), 1.000 (1985); note--black-market rate 2.800
(May 1989)

_#_Fiscal year: calendar year

_*_Communications
_#_Railroads: 870 km 0.914-meter gauge, single track; 780 km
government owned, 90 km privately owned

_#_Highways: 26,429 km total; 2,868 k