Location

Located on the Central American isthmus, Guatemala is bordered by Mexico on the west and north, by Belize, Honduras and El Salvador on the east, and by the Pacific Ocean on the west. The country also has a short Caribbean Sea coastline on the east.

Geographic Features

Guatemala is home to tropical rainforests in the north with a high range of volcanic mountains across the central regions.

Climate

The climate is milder on the plateau, hot, humid, tropical conditions prevail in the north and coastal regions.

The flag of Guatemala, pictured above, features
three bands of color with the coat of arms
centered. The scroll in the coat of arms contains
an inscription reading Libertad 15 de Septiembre
de 1821, the date of independence. According to
the CIA World Factbook₁, the blue color bands
on the flag represent sea and sky. The white band
symbolizes peace.

Official Name

Republic of Guatemala

Capital

Guatemala City

Official Language

Spanish

Population

July 2011 Estimate: 13,824,463