Guatemala
Republic of Guatemala República de Guatemala Central America AREA 42K mi²; 109K km² ARABLE 15% POP 17M (±404/mi²; 156/km²) GOV’T Presidential republic CAPITAL Guatemala City (3.2M) GDP/CAPITA $12,600 UNEMPLOYMENT 2% IN POVERTY 56% % WEALTH HELD BY TOP 10% 34% LIFE EXP 74 yrs MEDIAN AGE 27 yrs INFANT MORT 23/1K live births LITERACY 82% INTERNET USERS 56% LANGUAGES Spanish (official), Mayan languages (Q’eqchi’, K’iche’, Mam, Kaqchikel, others) RELIGIONS Evangelical 46%, Roman Catholic 42%, other/none/unspecified 12% HEALTH 7% of GDP EDUCATION 3.1% of GDP MILITARY 0.4% of GDP GDP BY SECTOR Agriculture 11%, industry 23%, services 66% PCVs 1963–present CURRENT: Yes, TTD: >5,400 |  Guatemala People and incense fill the streets of Antigua, Guatemala, every Sunday during Lent, culminating in Holy Week, or Semana Santa, and then Easter. The city is thronged by weekly processions in which parishes from nearby pueblos carry statues from their churches on large platforms through the streets to honor the passion of Christ and the sorrow of Mary. Robed men carrying the platforms rotate in and out to manage the bulky weight. |
Adult Books
Trout, Belly Up
Rodrigo Fuentes, Translator Ellen Jones
Genre: Short stories
Publisher: Charco Press, 2021
Language: English
Print length: 97 pages
ISBN-10: 1916465617
ISBN-13: 978-1916465619
Goodreads Ratings: 3.7/5 | Amazon Ratings: 4.8/5
Summary:
In seven interconnected short stories, the Guatemalan countryside is ever-present: a place of timeless peace, and the site of sudden violence. Don Henrik confronts the crude realities of farming life, family obligation, and the intrusions of merciless entrepreneurs, hitmen, drug dealers, and fallen angels.
“[The stories] spotlight the ironies and precarity of life in rural Guatemala.” —Kirkus Review
“Fuentes’ gift for a particular kind of story-telling owes as much to his deep-seated humanism as it does to his craft.” —Gary Kaill, Quietus
Kids' Books
Juanita: the Girl Who Counted the Stars
By Lola Walder, illustrated by Martina Peluso
Publisher: Madrid, Spain: Cuento de Luz, 2021
Language: Spanish
Format: 24 pgs, col. illus.
ISBN-10: 8418302054
ISBN-13: 978-8418302053
Age Range: 4–8 yrs.
Summary:
Juanita loves to help the families of her pueblo. Every night she cooks tortillas for her family, and after dinner she climbs to the roof to count the stars. When Juanita’s mother falls ill, Juanita must find a way to help.
“A beautiful snapshot of Guatemala, with a touch of magic… Illustrations in rich, jewel-toned colors beautifully complement the story.” —Kirkus Reviews
Films
Film: 500 Years: Life in Resistance
Director: Pamela Yates
Genre: Documentary
Release Date: 2017
Language: Spanish
Run Time: 1:45
Synopsis:500 Years opens with the trial of former dictator Efrain Ríos Montt on charges of genocide, and chronicles the popular revolt against government corruption that led to the toppling of President Otto Pérez Molina. The film tells a sweeping story of mounting resistance through the actions and perspectives of the majority indigenous Mayan population.
Reviews: The third film of a trilogy begun with When the Mountains Tremble (1983). US director Yates’ documentaries have “changed the course of history,” according to the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.
Available: Part of the PBS POV series
Music
Ricardo Arjona: Fuiste tú feat. Gaby Moreno
