Guatemala

The Mayan civilization flourished in Guatemala and surrounding regions during the first millennium A.D. After almost three centuries as a Spanish colony, Guatemala won its independence in 1821. During the second half of the 20th century, it experienced a variety of military and civilian governments, as well as a 36-year guerrilla war. In 1996, the government signed a peace agreement formally ending the conflict, which had left more than 100,000 people dead and had created, by some estimates, some 1 million refugees.

Economical characteristics

 * Currency: Quetzal (ISO code: GTQ)
 * Central bank discount rate: NA%
 * Commercial banks lending rate: 13.39% (31 December 2008)
 * Stock of money (M1): $6.106 billion (31 December 2008)
 * Quasi money (with M1 makes M2): $9.7 billion (31 December 2008)

Notable events:

 * Banking crisis: 1991, 2001, 2006
 * Years in inflation: 3.5% (share of years 1838-2009 with annual inflation above 20 per cent per annum)
 * Public default: 1828-1856, 1876-1888, 1894, 1899-1913, 1933-1936, 1986, 1989 (external)

Links

 * Guatemala on Wikipedia
 * Central bank of Guatemala
 * Country profile (pdf) from the Enterprise Studies page (part of the The World Bank Group)
 * BBC country profile