Economy:
Guatemala has experienced a steady growth rate of over 3% in recent years and the last two years it has been a little more than 4%. Although the economy is based on agricultural products, the economy is much diversified and has many large industries such as steel, clothing, and plastics, to mention a few. |
Schooling:
Most influential families send their kids to private schools. There are so many private bilingual schools (English /Spanish) that it would be impractical to list them herein. Much of the rural and lower income families send their children to public schools. |
Currency:
The currency is called the "Quetzal", named after one of our National Symbols, the Quetzal bird. Our currency like our economy has been very stable over the years, changing at approximately 7.5 to one dollar. Shopping: There are many large chain stores, such as Walmart, Pricemart, Dollar City, Sears, etc., and fast food restuarants as well as outdoor markets that the choices are innumerable. |
Demographics:
The vast majority of people in the country are descendants from the Mayan Indians, many of which still speak their varied languages. There is also a healthy population of European descendants and mix of the two. According to the U.S. State Department, about 6,417 Americans live in the country. |