Location: Guatemala
is located just south of Mexico. It is a small country, said to be about
the size of the State of Tennessee. To the south borders Honduras and El
Salvador and Belize is off the N.E. border. Anyone traveling into
Central/South America by car must travel through Guatemala to get to any other
Central American country.
We are located in San
Jacinto, Chiquimula, 110 miles (3½ hrs.) East of Guatemala City...
half way between Zacapa & Esquipulas, just 1 hr. from the border where
Guatemala meets Honduras and El Salvador.
Area: 70,000
square miles
Capital City: Guatemala
City (elevation--approximately 5,000 feet)
Population: Just over 10 million people; 45% being Indians (Mayan), the other 55% of
mixed Spanish/Indian ancestry
Official Language: Spanish (although
there are 22 Mayan dialects spoken by the various indigenous families).
Often English is spoken (or at least understood) in the "tourist"
sections of the country.
Chief Products: Agriculture--bananas,
beans, beef cattle, coffee,
corn, cotton, sugar cane; Manufacturing--clothing and textiles,
handicrafts, processed foods and beverages
Flag: Three equal vertical bands of light blue, white, and light blue, with the coat of arms centered in the white band;
the coat of arms includes a green and red quetzal (the national bird) and a
scroll bearing the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original
date of independence from Spain) all superimposed on a pair of crossed rifles
and a pair of crossed swords and framed by a wreath
Money: "Quetzales" (named
after a nearly-extinct bird, native to Guatemala)
The
denominations are like those in the U.S, except that they are colored.:
| Q1.00 gold COIN |
$20.00 (blue) |
| Q5.00 (purple) |
$50.00 (orange) |
| Q10.00 (red) |
$100.00 (light brown) |
| (There are no larger denomination bills!)
|
....and coins in 5, 10, 25, & 50
"centavos." Present
exchange rate: approximately $1 (U.S.) = Q7.60 (that is to change a check,
it's less for
cash dollars)
Taxes: Most goods and services are subject to a 12% tax (IVA). Hotels also add an
additional 10% tax on top of that. In restaurants tipping is at the
discretion of the customer, but 10% is usual.
Climate: Tropical,
where temperatures vary greatly from area to area due to great
differences in altitude. There are 6 months of rain from May-October and 6
months of dry from November-April.
Economy: Guatemala
is a developing country and the economy is slow.
Government: Guatemala
is a democratic government with a president and elected representatives. Elections are held every 4 years.
Education: Approximately
55% attend primary school; only about 15% go to high school. Literacy rate: approximately 46%.
Time Zone: Central Standard time zone, with no change for daylight-savings time. (We
hear they tried daylight-savings time once but it didn't work because
everyone ignored it!)
