GDP Per Capita Income:
Rural Average Minimum Salary: $5,200-6,100 annually
Urban Average Minimum Salary: $11,400-13,600 annually
Standard workweek: 48 hours
Population: 18 million residents
Land Mass: Size of Tennessee
Climate: Subtropical
Capital: Mediterranean/Tropical savanna but snow is not unusual in higher elevations
Language: 26 Mayan Languages, Spanish and English
Motto: Land of eternal springs
Gas Prices: On par with USA
Guatemala: means Land of many trees
Exchange rate (Quetzal): Hovers around (Q)7.30-7.45 (Quetzal) to the USD.
Best kept secret: El Mirador National Park. Includes the largest structure in the world, that of “El Danta.” The base of this pyramid is the largest by volume in the world, surpassing that of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
Dinner out in the capital city:
Tax and tip for two people (non-alcoholic drinks): $35-55.00
National Dish: Pepian stew
Most popular destinations:
Antigua (Coffee Tours), Tikal & Yaxha National Park, Lake Atitlan (Mayan culture) Chichicastenango (Cultural Thursday Market)
Did you know?
Chocolate or xocoatl is a worldly gift from almost all of the Mayan populations. Meaning ‘bitter water,’ chocolate didn’t include sugar until much later. Instead, chocolate was adapted to include peppers to flavor the drink, a practice that continues to this day. The Mayan numerical system is depicted on the Quetzal, the monetary bill/currency used in the country. The Quetzal is also the national bird, with radiant hues of fluorescent green and red.