Guatemala Geography

Country Name: Republic of Guatemala

Capital City: Guatemala

Population: 12,728,111 (July 2007 est.)

Population Growth: 2.152% (2007 est.)

Currency: quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD), others allowed

Languages: Spanish 60%, Amerindian languages 40%

Area:

Inflation Rate: 5.8% (2006)

Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (2005)

Domain extension:

GEOGRAPHIC DETAILS OF GUATEMALA

Location:

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Geographic Co-ordinates:

15 30 N, 90 15 W

Area - total:

108,890 sq km

Area - total:

108,890 sq km

Area - land:

108,430 sq km

Area - water:

460 sq km

Land Boundaries:

1,687 km

Border Countries:

Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

Terrain:

mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau

Elevation - highest point:

Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Elevation - lowest point:

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural Resources:

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Arable Land:

13.22%

Permanent Crops:

5.60%

Other Land Use:

81.18% (2005)

Natural Hazards:

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms