Guatemala Geography Profile 2008

Location

Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between El Salvador and Mexico, and bordering the Gulf of Honduras (Caribbean Sea) between Honduras and Belize

Geographic coordinates

15 30 N, 90 15 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 108,890 sq km
land: 108,430 sq km
water: 460 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Tennessee

Land boundaries

total: 1,687 km
border countries: Belize 266 km, El Salvador 203 km, Honduras 256 km, Mexico 962 km

Coastline

400 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

tropical; hot, humid in lowlands; cooler in highlands

Terrain

mostly mountains with narrow coastal plains and rolling limestone plateau

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Volcan Tajumulco 4,211 m

Natural resources

petroleum, nickel, rare woods, fish, chicle, hydropower

Land use

arable land: 13.22%
permanent crops: 5.6%
other: 81.18% (2005)

Irrigated land

1,300 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

111.3 cu km (2000)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.01 cu km/yr (6%/13%/80%)
per capita: 160 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

numerous volcanoes in mountains, with occasional violent earthquakes; Caribbean coast extremely susceptible to hurricanes and other tropical storms

Environment - current issues

deforestation in the Peten rainforest; soil erosion; water pollution

Environment - international agreements

party to: Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

no natural harbors on west coast