● Each country is a unique chapter in the BOOK OF HUMANITY, written in the sweat and blood of people whose PAGES will now remain forever ● 每个国家都是《人类之书》中独特的一章，由人们的汗水与鲜血写就，而他们的篇章如今将永世留存 ● Каждая страна — уникальная глава КНИГИ ЧЕЛОВЕЧЕСТВА, написанная потом и кровью людей, чьи СТРАНИЦЫ теперь будут оставаться навсегда ●
Guatemala - Government
Based on the etymology of Guatemala, it was the Spanish conquistadors' first capital (established in 1524) was a former Mayan settlement called "Quauhtemallan" by their Nahuatl-speaking Mexican allies, a name that means "land of the eagle" but that the Spanish probably pronounced "Guatemala". The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 22 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Alta Verapaz, Baja Verapaz, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, El Progreso, Escuintla, Guatemala, Huehuetenango, Izabal, Jalapa, Jutiapa, Peten, Quetzaltenango, Quiche, Retalhuleu, Sacatepéquez, San Marcos, Santa Rosa, Sololá, Suchitepéquez, Totonicapán, Zacapa
National symbols
Quetzal (bird).
The flag
The National flag of Guatemala has no official description available.
The National Anthem
| Title | N/A |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | N/A |
More about the government of Guatemala
| Date of Independence | 15 September 1821 (from Spain) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 15 September (1821) |
| Legal system | civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction |
| Constitution | |
| History | Several previous; latest adopted 31 May 1985, effective 14 January 1986; suspended and reinstated in 1994 |
| Amendment process | Proposed by the president of the republic, by agreement of 10 or more deputies of Congress, by the Constitutional Court, or by public petition of at least 5,000 citizens; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Congress membership and approval by public referendum, referred to as "popular consultation"; constitutional articles such as national sovereignty, the republican form of government, limitations on those seeking the presidency, or presidential tenure cannot be amended |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | yes |
| Citizenship by descent only | yes |
| Dual citizenship recognized | yes |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years with no absences of six consecutive months or longer or absences totaling more than a year |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024) |
| Head of government | President Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (since 15 January 2024) |
| Cabinet | Council of Ministers appointed by the president |
| Election/appointment process | president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 4-year term (not eligible for consecutive terms) |
| Most recent election date | 25 June 2023, with a runoff on 20 August 2023 |
| Election results | 2023: Bernardo ARÉVALO de León elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 21%; Bernardo ARÉVALO de León (SEMILLA) 15.6%, Manuel CONDE Orellana (VAMOS) 10.4%; Armando CASTILLO Alvarado (VIVA) 9.6%, other 43.4%; percent of vote in second round - Bernardo ARÉVALO de León 60.9%, Sandra TORRES 39.1% 2019: Alejandro GIAMMATTEI elected president; percent of vote in first round - Sandra TORRES (UNE) 25.5%, Alejandro GIAMMATTEI (VAMOS) 14%, Edmond MULET (PHG) 11.2%, Thelma CABRERA (MLP) 10.4%, Roberto ARZU (PAN-PODEMOS) 6.1%, other 32.8%; percent of vote in second round - Alejandro GIAMMATTEI 58%, Sandra TORRES 42% |
| Expected date of next election | June 2027 |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature name | Congress of the Republic (Congreso de la República) |
| Legislative structure | Unicameral |
| Number of seats | 160 (all directly elected) |
| Electoral system | Mixed system |
| Scope of elections | Full renewal |
| Term in office | 4 years |
| Most recent election date | 6/25/2023 |
| Parties elected and seats per party | Let’s Go for a Different Guatemala (Vamos) (39); National Unity of Hope Party (UNE) (28); Seed Movement (Semilla) (23); Cabal (18); Vision with Values (VIVA) (11); Other (41) |
| Percentage of women in chamber | 20% |
| Expected date of next election | June 2027 |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 13 magistrates, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court magistrates elected by the Congress of the Republic from candidates proposed by the Postulation Committee, an independent body of deans of the country's university law schools, representatives of the country's law associations, and representatives of the Courts of Appeal; magistrates elected for concurrent, renewable 5-year terms; Constitutional Court judges - 1 elected by the Congress of the Republic, 1 by the Supreme Court, 1 by the president of the republic, 1 by the (public) University of San Carlos, and 1 by the Assembly of the College of Attorneys and Notaries; judges elected for renewable, consecutive 5-year terms; the presidency of the court rotates among the magistrates for a single 1-year term |
| Subordinate courts | Appellate Courts of Accounts, Contentious Administrative Tribunal, courts of appeal, first instance courts, child and adolescence courts, minor or peace courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Hugo Eduardo BETETA (since 17 June 2024) |
| Chancery | 2220 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 745-4953 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 745-1908 |
| Email address and website | embestadosunidos@minex.gob.gt https://estadosunidos.minex.gob.gt/home/home.aspx |
| Consulate(s) general | Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus (OH), Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville (TN), New York, Oklahoma City, Omaha (NE), Philadelphia, Phoenix, Providence (RI), Raleigh (NC), Rockville (MD), San Francisco, Seattle |
| Consulate(s) | Dallas, Del Rio (TX), Lake Worth (FL), McAllen (TX), Riverhead (NY), San Bernardino (CA), Tucson (AZ) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Tobin BRADLEY (since 12 February 2024) |
| Embassy | Boulevard Austriaco 11-51, Zone 16, Guatemala City |
| Mailing address | 3190 Guatemala Place, Washington DC 20521-3190 |
| Telephone | [502] 2354-0000 |
| FAX | [502] 2326-4654 |
| Email address and website | AmCitsGuatemala@state.gov https://gt.usembassy.gov/ |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 4 (3 cultural, 1 mixed) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Antigua Guatemala (c); Tikal National Park (m); Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua (c); National Archaeological Park Tak'alik Ab'aj (c) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Guatemala
Info
No additional political notes.
International organization participation
All Important Facts about Guatemala
Want to know more about Guatemala? Check all different factbooks for Guatemala below.
