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Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast. Its size is just under 110,000 square km with an estimated population of 14,000,000.

A representative democracy, its capital is Guatemala City. Guatemala’s abundance of biologically significant and unique ecosystems contribute to Mesoamerica’s designation as a biodiversity hotspot.

 About 40% of the population is Ladino, also called Mestizo (mixed Amerindian and Spanish). Whites (primarily of Spanish, but also those of Italian, German, British and Scandinavian descent; includes Arabs of Lebanese and Syrian descent), make up about 16% of the population. Amerindian populations include the K’iche’ 9.1%, Kaqchikel 8.4%, Mam 7.9% and Q’eqchi 6.3%. 8.6% of the population is “other Mayan”, 0.2% is indigenous non-Mayan, making the indigenous community in Guatemala about 40% of the population. There are smaller communities present. The Garífuna, who are descended from Black Africans and indigenous peoples from St. Vincent’s, live mainly in Livingston and Puerto Barrios, and other blacks and mulattos. There are also Asians, mostly of Chinese descent. There is also a growing Korean community in Guatemala City and in nearby Mixco, currently numbering about 10,000. Guatemala’s German population is credited with bringing the tradition of a Christmas tree to the country.