World Factbook

Guatemala

República de Guatemala

Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)

Flag

description: three equal vertical bands of light blue (left 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), a scroll with the inscription LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821 (the original date of independence from Spain), a pair of crossed rifles, and a pair of crossed swords; a laurel wreath frames the objects meaning: the rifles stand for Guatemala's willingness to defend itself, the swords for honor, and the laurel wreath for victory; blue stands for the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, and white for peace and purity

note: one of two national flags featuring a firearm -- the other is Mozambique

Capital

name

Guatemala City

etymology

the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala" 

time difference

UTC-6 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

geographic coordinates

14 37 N, 90 31 W

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

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

yes

citizenship by descent only

yes

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

5 years with no absences of six consecutive months or longer or absences totaling more than a year

Constitution

history

several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended and reinstated in 1994

amendment process

proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as "popular consultation"; constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended

Country name

etymology

local long form

República de Guatemala

local short form

Guatemala

conventional long form

Republic of Guatemala

conventional short form

Guatemala

Independence

15 September 1821 (from Spain)

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Government type

presidential republic

Judicial branch

note

note 1: the Supreme Court of Justice president also supervises trial judges countrywide note 2: the Constitutional Court or Corte de Constitucionalidad of Guatemala resides outside the country's judicial system; its sole purpose is the interpretation of the constitution and to see that the laws and regulations are not superior to the constitution (consists of 5 titular magistrates and 5 substitute magistrates)

highest court(s)

Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers)

subordinate courts

Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term

Executive branch

note

note: the president is both chief of state and head of government

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024)

election results

2023: Bernardo ARÉVALO de León elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 21%; Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (SEMILLA) 15.6%, Manuel CONDE Orellana (VAMOS) 10.4%; Armando CASTILLO Alvarado (VIVA) 9.6%, other 43.4%; percent of vote in second round - Bernardo ARÉVALO de León 60.9%, Sandra TORRES 39.1% 2019: Alejandro GIAMMATTEI elected president; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 25.5%, Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (VAMOS) 14%, Edmond MULET (PHG) 11.2%, Thelma CABRERA (MLP) 10.4%, Roberto ARZU (PAN-PODEMOS) 6.1%, other 32.8%; percent of vote in second round - Alejandro GIAMMATTEI 58%, Sandra TORRES 42%

head of government

President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024)

most recent election date

25 June 2023, with a runoff on 20 August 2023

election/appointment process

president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (not eligible for consecutive terms)

expected date of next election

June 2027

National holiday

Independence Day, 15 September (1821)

National color(s)

blue, white

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites

4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed)

selected World Heritage Site locales

Antigua Guatemala (c); Tikal National Park (m); Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (c); National Archaeological Park Tak'alik Ab'aj (c)

Political parties

Bienestar Nacional or BIEN Blue Party (Partido Azul) or Blue CABAL Cambio Citizen Prosperity or PC Commitment, Renewal, and Order or CREO Elephant Community (Comunidad Elefante) or Elephant Everyone Together for Guatemala or TODOS Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity or URNG-MAIZ or URNG Humanist Party of Guatemala or PHG Movement for the Liberation of Peoples or MLP Movimiento Semilla or SEMILLA National Advancement Party or PAN National Convergence Front or FCN-NACION National Unity for Hope or UNE Nationalist Change Union or UCN (dissolved 16 December 2021) Nosotros or PPN PODEMOS Political Movement Winaq or Winaq TODOS Value or VALOR Vamos por una Guatemala Diferente or VAMOS Victory or VICTORIA Vision with Values or VIVA Will, Opportunity and Solidarity (Voluntad, Oportunidad y Solidaridad) or VOS

Legislative branch

term in office

4 years

number of seats

160 (all directly elected)

electoral system

mixed system

legislature name

Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República)

scope of elections

full renewal

legislative structure

unicameral

most recent election date

6/25/2023

expected date of next election

June 2027

percentage of women in chamber

20%

parties elected and seats per party

Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) (39); National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) (28); Seed Movement (Semilla) (23); Cabal (18); Vision with Values (VIVA) (11); Other (41)

National anthem(s)

title

"Himno Nacional de Guatemala" (National Anthem of Guatemala)

history

adopted 1897, modified lyrics adopted 1934; Cuban poet Jose Joaquin PALMA anonymously submitted lyrics to a public contest calling for a national anthem and it was not discovered until 1911; anthem has four verses with four separate choruses at the end of each verse -- all are official, and the anthem is sung in its entirety when performed in Guatemala

lyrics/music

Jose Joaquin PALMA/Rafael Alvarez OVALLE

National symbol(s)

quetzal (bird)

Administrative divisions

22 departments ( departamentos , singular - departamento ); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepéquez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Sololá, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán, Zacapa

Diplomatic representation in the US

FAX

[1] (202) 745-1908

chancery

2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 745-4953

consulate(s)

Dallas, Del Rio (TX), Lake Worth (FL), McAllen (TX), Riverhead (NY), San Bernardino (CA), Tucson (AZ)

chief of mission

Ambassador Hugo Eduardo BETETA (since 17 June 2024)

consulate(s) general

Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus (OH), Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha (NE), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), Rockville (MD), San Francisco, Seattle

email address and website

embestadosunidos@minex.gob.gt https://estadosunidos.minex.gob.gt/home/home.aspx

Diplomatic representation from the US

FAX

[502] 2326-4654

embassy

Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City

telephone

[502] 2354-0000

mailing address

3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC  20521-3190

chief of mission

Ambassador Tobin BRADLEY (since 12 February 2024)

email address and website

AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov https://gt.usembassy.gov/

International organization participation

ACS, BCIE, CACM, CD, CELAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, Petrocaribe, SICA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, Union Latina, UNISFA, UNITAR, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction