Guatemala Facts

If you are interested in the country known as Guatemala, there are few Guatemala facts you should know about the country. These are the basic facts that every traveling enthusiast should know of. Keep in mind that this is just a compilation of the basic facts of Guatemala that can be picked up anywhere.

1. The capital of Guatemala is Guatemala City. Obviously the capital of Guatemala was named after the country it represents. Guatemala City became the official capital of Guatemala in 1776 after the old capital was destroyed by earthquakes in 1773.
2. The population of Guatemala was predicted as 12,702,000 in 2009. The population is primarily composed of Mestizos and the indigenous tribes and peoples of the area. Mestizos are mixed Spanish and Indian that came about from the Spanish ruling of Guatemala for many years.
3. The national language of Guatemala is Spanish. Spanish became the national language due to the influence from the Spanish controlling Guatemala for thousands of years. Many tribes speak their own languages that are completely different from Spanish, but these are harder to document and aren’t universally accepted among the countrymen.
4. Guatemala is a constitutional democratic republic. Much like the United States, the people choose the leaders who then make the laws of the country. Guatemala fashioned its current government system after the United States, this is shown by the likewise including of Habeas Corpus in their law system.
5. Guatemala’s main resources are oil, timber, gold and nickel. The resources are harvested in the country to help the economy; the oil reserves are the most profitable resources for the country.