Republic of Guatemala
20/4/05
Angela Caracciolo
Megan Mihal
Sarah Kleinhenz
Kevin Lewis
Gina Fabbroni
• Guatemala is the
same size as
Tennessee
•Tennessee population (2003)
5,841,748
•http://quickfacts.census.gov
•Guatemala population
14,280,596
•http://www.countryreports.org/
Brief History
Angela Caracciolo
What you really need
to know..
• Mayans, 2000 B.C
• Spain, 1524
• Dictators/ Military Presidents
1800’s-1900’s
• Exploitation
• 21st century, new government, human
rights issues surface
Brief History
• 2000 BC Mayan civilization develops agriculture, corn is the
staple crop
• 1524 Arrival of Pedro de Alvarado, conqueror of Guatemala
– Becomes Spanish colony
– 2/3 Indian population dies
– Attempts to convert to Christianity
• Seeks gold, Raise indigo and cocoa with forced labor
• September 15, 1821 Gain independence from Spain
– becomes member of the United Provinces of Central America
– Serviles (conservatives) desire a strong government, close ties with
church
– Radicales, desire a federal republic and restrictions on the privileges of
landowners and clergy
– Constitution based on the United States, liberal president is installed
• 1838 Confederation collapsed
• Mid 1800’s- Mid 1900’s
– Governed by harsh dictators and business controlled
leaders
• Ruled by dictators
– Rafael Carrera- conservative (1838-1865)
– Justo Rufino Barrios- first liberal dictator (1871-1885)
• Limited power of Roman Catholic church
• Settled boundary disputes with Mexico
– Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1897-1920)
• Bananas become important export crop
– Jorge Ubico (1931-1944)
• Improves infrastructure
• Imposes repressive military rule
• Admired rise of Hitler
• 1944 “October Revolutionaries” overthrew right-wing dictator,
Jorge Ubico
• 1945 Juan José Arévalo elected president
– At this time 2.2 percent of the population owned over 70 percent of the
country's land
– Only 10 percent of the land was available for 90 percent of the
population
• 1951 Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán elected president
– 63% of vote, continues Arévalo’s work
• 1944-1954 Ten Years of Spring
– Land reform effort, unused land was purchased by the government and
resold at lower prices, started with his own land
– This affected the United Fruit Company, one of the larges landowners in
the country, accused on communism
– The U.S. replaced the freely elected government of Guatemala with
another right-wing dictatorship
• 1954 Col. Carlos Castillo Armas overthrows Guzmán in a coup
promoted by the U.S. CIA
• 1966 Julio César Mendéz Montenegro, liberal elected
– Beginning of 20 year so military-dominated governments
– Effort to return to constitutional government
• Civil War
• 1978-1985 Political violence
• Rios Montt
– "If you are with us, we'll feed you; if not, we'll kill you."
– Most violent period with 200,000 deaths
• 1983 I, Rigoberta Menchu, An Indian Woman in
Guatemala published
• 1985 Guatemalan government drafted more
democratic Constitution
– Civilian president Marco Vinicio Cerezo Arévalo
– Pleadged to end political violence
• 1993 Ramiro De Leon Carpio elected
• 1996 Alvaro Arzu elected and signs Peace Accord with
leftist guerillas
– Provides translation of some official documents and voting
materials into several Mayan languages
– Army agreed to reduce policing
• 2000 new government under President
Alfonso Portillo
• July 2002
– The Pope visited Guatemala.
John Paul II canonized the
country’s first saint,
the 17th-century missionary
Pedro de San Jose de Betancur.
• December 2003 Óscar Berger Perdomo won
presidency
• 2004
– The government paid compensation to victims of
human-rights violations that occurred during the civil
war
Population
Megan Mihal
Population
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Guatemala
14,280,596
15-64: 54%
Median Age: 18.4
Population Growth:
2.61%
Birth Rate: 35.58
Death Rate: 6.79
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United States
293,027,571
15-64: 66.9%
Median Age: 36
Population Growth:
.92%
Birth Rate: 14.13
Death Rate: 8.34
Ethnicity
• Ethnically Diverse
– 55% Mestizo
– 43% Amerindian
– 2% White/Other
• Importance of Mayan
Indians
• Has largest proportion of
Indians in population, more
than any other Central
American country
Language / Literacy
• Multiple Languages
– 60% Spanish
– 40% Amerindian Languages
• 23 officially recognized
Amerindian languages
• Low literacy rate
– 70.6% of those 15 and older can read and
write.
Where are all these people?
• Most Guatemalans
live in the Southern
portion of the country.
• Most densely
populated areas
include Guatemala
City, surrounding
areas in the highland
plain, Western part of
Southern coast.
• 2/3 Population found
in rural areas.
Language
Kevin Lewis
Language
• Spanish is spoken by 60% of the population
– Brought by conquering Spanish Conquistadores
– Influenced all aspects of their culture
• Other 40% is broken into 23 Native languages
– Some of these would include: Quiche, Cakchiquel,
Kekchi, Mam, Garifuna, and Xinca.
– So many native languages still exist today because
the natives fled to the mountainous regions of the
country for protection
Language
• 70% of Guatemalans are literate by the
age of 15
• Spanish is used to discriminate against
poor
– People speaking native languages are taken
advantage of in contracts for housing and
many aspects of life
– Spanish is seen as the “upper class”
language
Religion
Gina Fabbroni
Religion in Guatemala
-Catholicism( claimed by
the majority)
-Protestantism( growing to
a large percentage)
-small populations of
Mormons, Jehovah’s
Witnesses, Jews, and
Muslims
Religion in Guatemala
• Mayan beliefs still
exist
• Mixture of Catholicism
and indigenous
beliefs
Religion in Guatemala
• Celebrations of the patron saint
• Ragacion or prayer of rain
• Holy Week
Government
Kevin Lewis
Corrupt past
• Long series of Military Dictatorships and
coups
– Played a huge rule in development of
government in early years
– Led to military being most powerful branch of
government
• May 30 1963
– First drafting of a constitution
Currently
• Very similar to US system in structure
• Universal suffrage 18 and older
• 3 branches of Government
– Executive Legislative and Judicial
• Judicial system still backward
– Allows lots of corruption
– Very slow and easily influenced
Currently
• Government type:
– constitutional democratic republic
• Administrative divisions:
– 22 departments
• President
– President Oscar Jose Rafael BERGER
Perdomo
Economy
Megan Mihal
Divisions of Economy
• Agriculture
– ¼ of GDP
– ½ labor force
– Coffee, sugar, bananas
• Industry
– Textiles, rubber, building materials, shoes, petroleum
– Cottage Industries
• Services
– 57% GDP
Exports and Imports
• Exports
– Importance of US
– Main exports: coffee, sugar, bananas, fruit, clothing.
• Imports
– Receive $250 million from United States
– Main imports: fuels, machinery, fertilizers
Economic Problems
• Guatemala’s economy has faced many
problems over the years and include:
– Money laundering
– Corruption
– Drugs
– poverty
Improvements in Economy
• Guatemala’s actions towards a better economy:
–
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1996 Peace Accords
USAID
CFATA
President Portillo
National and Popular
Culture
Sarah Kleinhenz
National and Popular Culture
• Blend of native Mayan and Spanish history
• Reflects the wide cultural gap between the
Indian culture and the Ladino culture
National and Popular Culture
• Education System
– Primary education is
free, but difficult to
receive in all parts of
the country.
• Schools in rural areas
are virtually nonexistent
• Lack of teachers and
supplies are two main
problems
– Education required for
urban children from
ages seven to fourteen
National and Popular Culture
• University of San Carlos
– Founded 1676, it was the first established
university in Central America
– The largest public university in Guatemala
• Education still faces many problems
– 50% of children receive no schooling, 10%
complete high school, and only 3% complete
college
National and Popular Culture
• Dance
– Folkloric Dance popular among Indian culture
– In Guatemala City, ballet and professional dance companies
exist
• Music
– National Symphony Orchestra and National Chorus
– National instrument is the marimba
• Percussion instrument that is played by beating mallets on metal
rods
– Popular styles are tropical rhythm, chicano, classical guitar, and
mariachi
National and Popular Culture
• Art and Literature
– Pottery, indigenous
paintings, and textiles
– Nobel winners –
Rigoberta Menchú and
Miguel Angel Asturias
• Sports
– Soccer most popular,
followed by basketball
and volleyball
National and Popular Culture
• Festivals and Celebrations
– Religious festivals famous
• Feria – festival for local patron saint
• Nocho Buena (Christmas), Semana
Santa (Easter), and Dia de los
Santos (Day of the Dead)
• Asuncion (Assumption) – celebrates
the day of the national patron saint
Maria on August 15th
– Festivities
• Fireworks, processions, special
foods
Customs
Gina Fabbroni
Customs in Guatemala
• Mannerisms
– Always shake hands
• Females
• Males
– Don’t use the “thumbs
up” or beckon people
with your forefinger
– Introductions
Customs in Guatemala
• Births
– The Nahual
• Birthdays
• Weddings
Food and Material Life
Sarah Kleinhenz
Food and Material Life
• Once again, the Indian culture and the
Ladino culture form two distinct ways of
life.
– Traditional versus European
Food and Material Life
• Mayan Tastes
– Three staple items: tortillas, beans, and rice
– Specialty items: tamalitos and chili
• Mayan meals
– Sometimes 3 meals, but generally 2
• Breakfast – atol or tortillas
• Lunch (main meal) – tortillas with rice
• Dinner – generally late in day after work in fields is done,
tortillas again
Food and Material Life
• Ladino Tastes
– More affluent items: meat (chicken, pork and beef),
vegetables (avocado and potatoes), and fruit
(plantains and pineapple)
• Ladino Meals
– 3 meals a day
• Breakfast – rolls, fruit, and coffee
• Lunch (main meal) – soup, meat, vegetable, and dessert
• Dinner – meat, rice, beans
• Globalization has brought American fast food
and other restaurants to Guatemala
Food and Material Life
• Specialty dishes
– Fiambre – vegetable and meat salad for Day of the
Dead celebration
– Regional Sauces
• Chirmol – sauce made with onions and tomatoes
• Pepian – sauce made with meat, sesame, pumpkin, and
raisins
• Drinks
– Coffee, beer, rum, aguardiente, atole de maiz, and
ponche
Food and Material Life
• Clothing
– Mayan
• Women
– Corte and Huipil are elements of tradition
• Men
– Some dress in European fashion, while others retain
traditional dress
– Ladino
• Women
– European fashion of dresses, accessories, and heels
• Men
– Business suits in work and casual European attire
outside the office
Food and Material Life
• Clothing
– World renowned traditional textiles
– Bright colors
• Markets
– Located in almost all cities and villages
• Transportation
– Less than 3% of Guatemalans own a car
Conclusion
Angela Caracciolo
Welcome to Republic of Guatemala
Home to………
• Largest population of any Central American nation
Population, with more than half being indigenous
Mayan peoples
• 23 Mayan Languages spoken by 40 % of the
population
• A constitutional democratic republic
• Women who work an average of 11.5 hours per day,
more than any other women in the world
• Where less than 3% of the population own a car
• Drug trafficking, corruption, money laundering
• Low literacy rate of 55.6%