Guatemala was one of the many places the Mayan civilization flourished until it became a Spanish colony for three centuries. In 1831 Guatemala gained independence and fell under many different violent regimes until 1996 when a peace treaty was signed. Now Guatemala is a poor country with many issues with health and child development, including a large birth and child mortality rate. Despite this, the birthrate is still at a steady three children per woman.
Guatemala is about the size of Pennsylvania with its capital being Guatemala City, a city with a rapidly expanding infrastructure to accommodate the rapidly expanding population. The country is dominated by the Sierra Madre Mountain range with small coastal plains. Within in the Sierra Madre Mountain range are many volcanoes that have caught interest in the US for both tourism and research purposes.
The Guatemalan ethnic groups primarily comprise of indigenous Mayan groups and the Mestizo (European descent). The Mestizo comprise of 58.4% of the populations while the remaining population of of many different Mayan tribes. The two largest are the K'iche who are 9.1 percent of the population and the Kaqchkel who are 8.4 percent of the population. The religions practiced in Guatemala are primarily Roman Catholic, Protestant and indigenous Mayan beliefs.
A total of 60 percent of the population speak the country’s official language Spanish while 40 percent speak the twenty-one Mayan languages. The literacy rate for children over age fifteen is 81.5 percent. The average amount of years spent in school is 11 years (below the World average of 12 years). The need for English is becoming more and more necessary in Guatemala for foreign trade, but because of the conditions English is not learned by many people despite it being a core curriculum in schools.
Guatemala is about the size of Pennsylvania with its capital being Guatemala City, a city with a rapidly expanding infrastructure to accommodate the rapidly expanding population. The country is dominated by the Sierra Madre Mountain range with small coastal plains. Within in the Sierra Madre Mountain range are many volcanoes that have caught interest in the US for both tourism and research purposes.
The Guatemalan ethnic groups primarily comprise of indigenous Mayan groups and the Mestizo (European descent). The Mestizo comprise of 58.4% of the populations while the remaining population of of many different Mayan tribes. The two largest are the K'iche who are 9.1 percent of the population and the Kaqchkel who are 8.4 percent of the population. The religions practiced in Guatemala are primarily Roman Catholic, Protestant and indigenous Mayan beliefs.
A total of 60 percent of the population speak the country’s official language Spanish while 40 percent speak the twenty-one Mayan languages. The literacy rate for children over age fifteen is 81.5 percent. The average amount of years spent in school is 11 years (below the World average of 12 years). The need for English is becoming more and more necessary in Guatemala for foreign trade, but because of the conditions English is not learned by many people despite it being a core curriculum in schools.
English in SchoolHow much does Guatemala focus on education? What is the quality of English education?
|
Rise of EnglishWhy is English so important in Guatemala? Why would other counties be interested in having Guatemalans learn English?
|
The Sound of Guatemalan EnglishWhat is a Guatemalan dialect? What are the features of it?
|
