(1998 est.)

Military

Military--note: defense is the responsibility of the US

Transnational Issues

Disputes--international: none

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@Guatemala
---------

Geography

Location: Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between
Honduras and Belize and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between
El Salvador and Mexico

Geographic coordinates: 15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references: Central America and the Caribbean

Area:
total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km

Area--comparative: slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries:
total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256
km, Mexico 962 km

Coastline: 400 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain: mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling
limestone plateau (Peten)

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

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; Hurricane Mitch damage

Environment--international agreements:
party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertication, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography--note: no natural harbors on west coast

People

Population: 12,335,580 (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 43% (male 2,688,402; female 2,578,934)
15-64 years: 54% (male 3,312,360; female 3,314,102)
65 years and over: 3% (male 207,014; female 234,768) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.68% (1999 est.)

Birt