Agriculture provides for much of the economy (coffee, sugar, and bananas); most of cocaine bound for the US comes through Guatemala. Frequent hurricanes have caused major set-backs to further economic growth. Controlled by a few plantation owners through dictatorships and military governments; decades of guerrilla warfare have caused hundreds of deaths. The 2007 elected official has been focusing on national unity and opportunities for the Mayan people. The majority are Christian (Catholic), but most of the growth is non-religious; Catholic have begun to make the Mayan gods saints within the church.
Despite mineral deposits and fertile land, the corrupt government has reduced the economy leading to poverty, riots, and demonstrations. After separating from France, Marxism reigned and ruined the economy; leadership was replaced in a military coup in the mid-80s. When the leader died in 2008, a power grab and assassinations followed for two years until an election in 2010. The population is overwhelming Muslim, with growth in both non-religious and Christianity.
The economy has been devastated by a long war for independence over the last few decades; one of the world's poorest countries (with extreme national debt), relying on minimal agricultural exports. It is a gateway for drugs to move from the Americas into Europe. Coups and assassinations continued through the 90s until a new president took office in 2009. The population is split between Muslim and Ethnoreligion with growth in non-religious beliefs.
All maps/photos are from worldatlas.com
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