1. Guatemala By Julia Blike

2. Neighboring Countries Belize Mexico Honduras El Salvador

3. Ethnic Groups Quiche Cakchiquel Kekchi Ixil Mam Garifuna

4. Language Spanish English

5. Sports Soccer Volleyball Basketball

6. Cuisine Tortillas are eaten with every meal Black beans, rice, and fried bananas are common sides Meat includes chicken, pork, and beef Most meat is stewed Dishes are typically spicy Influence is Spanish

7. Government Democratic Republic President is Alvaro Colom Congress of the Republic has 158 seats Legislators serve four terms Supreme Court and judicial branch exist but do not function the way they should

8. Holidays January 1st: New Year’s Day March-April: Holy Week September 15th: Independence Day November 1st: All Saints Day December 7th: The Burning of the Devil December 25th: Christmas Day December 31st: New Year’s Eve

9. Climate and Weather Hot and dry in the central areas Hot and humid by the coast Days are warm and nights are cool The average temperature is 75°F November-April is the dry season May-October is wet season

10. Physical Features Guatemala has 32 active volcanoes Very mountainous Major bodies of water include Lake Atitlan, Lake Izabal, Lake Peten Itza, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Honduras, and the Pacific Ocean

11. Currency The currency in Guatemala is the Quetzal 1 US dollar = 8.31 Guatemalan Quetzal

12. Flag The Guatemalan flag represents land surrounded by water The symbol inside is the national emblem

13. Major Cities Capitol: Guatemala City Other Major Cities: Antigua Quetzaltenango Escuintla