Conventional Long form name- Republic of guatemala
Capital- Guatemala City
Government Type- Presidential Republic
Dependence Date- September 15th 1821
National Holiday- Independence Day on September 15
Chief of State and Head of Government- Jimmy Ernesto
Capital- Guatemala City
Government Type- Presidential Republic
Dependence Date- September 15th 1821
National Holiday- Independence Day on September 15
Chief of State and Head of Government- Jimmy Ernesto
Executive Branch- President with council of ministers appointed by president
Legislative Branch- Unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members elected through a party list proportional representation system)
Judicial Branch- Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates including the court president and organized into 3 chambers)
Suffrage- 18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day
Ambassador to US- Jose Julio Alejandro Ligorria Carballido
Embassy Location- Washington D.C.
U.S. Ambassador- Charlise Keeling
U.S. Embassy Location- Avenida Reforma, Guatemala City
UN Representative- Luis Fernando Carrera Castro
Legislative Branch- Unicameral Congress of the Republic or Congreso de la Republica (158 seats; members elected through a party list proportional representation system)
Judicial Branch- Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates including the court president and organized into 3 chambers)
Suffrage- 18 years of age; universal; note - active duty members of the armed forces and police by law cannot vote and are restricted to their barracks on election day
Ambassador to US- Jose Julio Alejandro Ligorria Carballido
Embassy Location- Washington D.C.
U.S. Ambassador- Charlise Keeling
U.S. Embassy Location- Avenida Reforma, Guatemala City
UN Representative- Luis Fernando Carrera Castro
Symbolic Description of Flag- three equal vertical bands of light blue (hoist side), 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) representing liberty 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 signifying Guatemala's willingness to defend itself and a pair of crossed swords representing honor and framed by a laurel wreath symbolizing victory; the blue bands represent the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea; the white band denotes peace and purity.
National Symbols- Quetzal
International Disputes- annual ministerial meetings under the Organization of American States-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; Guatemala persists in its territorial claim to half of Belize, but agrees to Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interior; both countries agreed in April 2012 to hold simultaneous referenda, which was scheduled for 6 October 2013, to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution, though this has been suspended indefinitely; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Refugees- Undetermined
Internationally Displaced Persons- Undetermined
Stateless Persons- Undetermined
Human Trafficking- n/a
Illicit Drugs- major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem
International Disputes- annual ministerial meetings under the Organization of American States-initiated Agreement on the Framework for Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures continue to address Guatemalan land and maritime claims in Belize and the Caribbean Sea; Guatemala persists in its territorial claim to half of Belize, but agrees to Line of Adjacency to keep Guatemalan squatters out of Belize's forested interior; both countries agreed in April 2012 to hold simultaneous referenda, which was scheduled for 6 October 2013, to decide whether to refer the dispute to the ICJ for binding resolution, though this has been suspended indefinitely; Mexico must deal with thousands of impoverished Guatemalans and other Central Americans who cross the porous border looking for work in Mexico and the United States
Refugees- Undetermined
Internationally Displaced Persons- Undetermined
Stateless Persons- Undetermined
Human Trafficking- n/a
Illicit Drugs- major transit country for cocaine and heroin; in 2005, cultivated 100 hectares of opium poppy after reemerging as a potential source of opium in 2004; potential production of less than 1 metric ton of pure heroin; marijuana cultivation for mostly domestic consumption; proximity to Mexico makes Guatemala a major staging area for drugs (particularly for cocaine); money laundering is a serious problem; corruption is a major problem