Guatemala

Guatemala girdles the width of Central America, wedged between Mexico and Belize on the north and Honduras and El Salvador on the south. Most of the coastline is on the Pacific Ocean, but there is access to the Atlantic on the Gulf of Honduras. Guatemala is a beautiful country, with a volcanic mountain range and lush tropical lowlands and an ancient indigenous culture. Still, life there is difficult, with 75 percent of the people living below the poverty line. The country has a population of about 12.3 million (2006 estimate), growing at 2.27 percent annually. The birth rate is 29.88 per 1,000 people, the death rate 5.2 per 1,000 people, and the migration rate is minus 1.94 migrants per 1,000 people. The urbanization rate is 46 percent, with more and more people moving into the cities in search of work.

The economy is driven mainly by agricultural exports, particularly coffee, bananas, and sugar. Fifty percent of the workforce is involved in agriculture. Per capita income is $4,080, but uneven distribution of land and wealth means that poverty is widespread. Sixteen percent of Guatemalans live on $1 a day or less.

There are two Guatemalas when it comes to both wealth and health. Sixty percent of the population is of Amerindian-Spanish descent, known as mestizo or ladino. The rest of the people are indigenous, with 23 Mayan groups alone. Indigenous people tend to live in the mountains, far from adequate healthcare or decent food sources. For Guatemalans overall, life expectancy at birth is 67.65 years for males and 71.18 years for females, with healthy life expectancy averaging 54.9 years for men and 59.9 years for women. However, the life expectancy for indigenous people is, on average, 17 years shorter. Maternal mortality is 89 deaths per 100,000 live births nationally, but in the indigenous region of Alta Verapaz, it is 192 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Guatemala's location and geography make it vulnerable to a number of natural disasters affecting health and safety. Active volcanoes in the mountains lead to frequent damaging earthquakes. Tropical storm systems routinely cross the country. In October 2005, Hurricane Stan made a direct hit on the Yucatán Peninsula; flooding and mudslides caused the deaths of an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people in Guatemala alone.

Ninety-five percent of Guatemalans have access to clean drinking water and 61 percent have sanitary facilities, although, again, these rates are much different in indigenous areas. Major infectious diseases are largely under control, with only sporadic outbreaks of cholera, leptospirosis, and meningitis in recent years. Pneumonia and acute diarrhea are still common.

Life in Guatemala is difficult; 75 percent of the people are living below the poverty line.

The average Guatemalan is more likely to be affected by cardiovascular disease, cancer, or diabetes. In the cities, death by accident, suicide, or violent crime is common. Guatemala is a major transit point for cocaine and heroin, and in 2004, the country reawakened its dormant opium industry.

Domestic violence and random violence against women is common in urban areas. More than 2,300 young women have been found raped, mutilated, and murdered since 2001. These crimes, like most homicides in Guatemala, go unsolved.

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