Guatemala
Guatemala is in Central America, between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Located just south of Mexico, Guatemala enjoys an agreeable climate. This, combined with its Mayan ruins and diverse landscape, makes Guatemala a popular destination for tourists. In fact, tourism is the most profitable of all the components in the country’s service industry.
Quick Facts
Population: 16.581 million
Ethnic Groups: Mestizo (mixed Amerindian-Spanish) (56.0%), Maya (41.7%), Xinca (1.8%), African descent (0.2%), Garifuna (0.1%), Foreign (0.2%)
Languages: Spanish (Official) (69.9%), Maya languages (29.7%), Other (0.4%)
Religions: Roman Catholic, Protestant, Indigenous Mayan beliefs
Capital: Guatemala City
CIA: The World Factbook — Last Updated December 29, 2019
Guatemalans in Canada
Guatemalan Population in Canada
26,270
Useful Links
The government of Guatemala signed a peace treaty in 1996, which ended 36 years of guerrilla warfare. Although the peace agreement allowed the country to begin moving forward, it has been difficult for Guatemala to escape its troubled past. Poverty is still a serious issue that must be tackled. Guatemala has had separation of church and state for more than 100 years. The majority of Guatemalans are Catholics, but there is also a sizable Protestant minority. Many Amerindians have preserved indigenous Mayan beliefs, which involve gods that govern over various aspects of daily life.
- Central Intelligence Agency. (2019, December 17). The World Factbook: Guatemala. Retrieved December 29, 2019, from
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guatemala/ - Encyclopedia of the Nations. (n.d.). Guatemala. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from
http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Americas/Guatemala.html - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2009, October 15). Cultural Information – Guatemala. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/culture-culture_gt.aspx?lang=eng
- Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. (2011, December 15). Overview – Guatemala. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/overview-apercu_gt.aspx?lang=eng
- Guatemalans. (2009). In T. L. Gall & J. Hobby (Eds.), Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 250-255). Detroit: Gale.
Retrieved July 14, 2014. - Mandryk, J. (2010). Operation World: The Definitive Prayer Guide to Every Nation (7th ed.). Colorado Springs: Biblica Publishing.
- Prayercast. (n.d.). Guatemala. Retrieved July 9, 2014, from https://www.prayercast.com/guatemala.html
- Statistics Canada. (2011, April 7). 2006 Census of Canada: Topic-based tabulations/Ethnic Origin, Single and Multiple Ethnic Origin Responses and Sex for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census – 20% Sample Data. Retrieved July 15, 2014, from http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement