Guatemala

Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. A former Spanish colony, Guatemala obtained its independence in 1821. Guatemala is between Mexico and El Salvador and Honduras; it borders the Gulf of Honduras and Belize to the east. As of July 2011, its population was approximately 14.38 million. Guatemala has a high percentage of indigenous people, around 50 percent. Poverty and income inequality are still some of the most important problems in Guatemala. Its economy is based on agricultural products, such as coffee and bananas, but recently there has been an increase in exports of ethanol and investments in general. Remittances from the United States to Guatemala represented 10 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Guatemala was part of the great Mayan empire. However, ...