Ethnic divisions: Ladino (mestizo--mixed Indian and European ancestry) 56%, Indian 44%
Principal languages: Spanish; over 40% of the population speaks an Indian language as a primary tongue (18 Indian dialects, including Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi)
Principal religions: Roman Catholic; Protestant, traditional Mayan
Rank of affluence among U.N. members: 114/183
Guatemala is a mountainous Central American nation. Tropical lowlands along the coasts give way to the cooler highlands, which include a half dozen volcanoes over 11,000 feet. Native Mayan Indians comprise slightly more than half of Guatemala's population. Most live in the highlands, in small villages (or pueblos), speaking local dialects and maintaining intensely private, family-oriented, traditional lifestyles.
Though Guatemala has been independent since 1821, throughout most of its history the country has been controlled by its powerful army and a small number of wealthy families of European descent. An unstable, often brutal political climate prevails, with assassinations, insurgencies, corruption, and intimidation the norm. In the 1980s alone the army destroyed more than 400 villages, leading to more than 100,000 deaths. Terrorism, guerrilla warfare, and flagrant human rights abuses drove another 100,000 people to refugee camps in Mexico.
Although this most recent conflict has waned, the country's list of problems is a long one: slumping coffee prices, large numbers of refugees, illegal logging in the tropical forests, rapid increases in population, high levels of drug smuggling, and continuing income disparities between the European and indigenous populations.
