By Jason Chavis
Interesting Facts About Guatemala
The country of Guatemala has a long and vibrant history. Officially known as the Republic of Guatemala, the region was originally populated by the ancient civilizations of Mayans and Toltec. Spain claimed the land in 1524 after the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado arrived in the area. As a colony of the Spanish Empire for centuries, the country finally gained independence. The period following this transition was plagued by a variety of warfare, namely death squads and militia groups during the 20th century.
Identification
Guatemala is a Mayan and Toltec phrase the means "land of the trees." Unlike other countries in the Central American region, the name of the country does not come from Spanish and was eventually adopted by Spain during its colonial period.
Features
As a democratic republic, Guatemala is set up with a three-tier government. It features a single legislative house, executive branch and judicial branch. The president acts as both chief of state and head of the government and has the right to appoint a cabinet of ministers. Civil law is practiced along with judicial review by a system of courts.
History
Independence day is celebrated as a national holiday throughout the country. Guatemala won its independence along with the United Provinces of Central America on September 15, 1821. This union broke up in 1839, giving Guatemala full autonomy.
Considerations
After going through a number of changes over the decades, the present constitution was placed into law on January 14, 1986, nearly a year after ratification. President Serrano suspended its legal mandate for 12 days in 1993 until he was ousted by opposing forces.
Significance
Guatemala is considered a developing country and according to a survey conducted by the nation's own government in 2008, nearly 40 percent of the population sustains itself on less than $2 U.S. dollars each day. This has created a situation of widespread poverty.
Resources
About the Author:
Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. After 11 years of professional writing, he is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for Scientific American, The History Channel, City Pages and The Onion. Jason is a graduate of the film school at USC.
Photo Credits:
Rei-artur, Wikimedia Commons, GNU Free Documentation License, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LocationGuatemala.svg
