Guatemala
🇬🇹
Sponsors have helped Guatemalan children since 1976, when Compassion teamed up with churches in Guatemala to fight poverty.
Where in the World?
Central America
Favorite ...
sports: soccer, futsal (like soccer with different rules)
foods: Kak'ik (a tomato-based stew), tostadas, chuchitos (small tamales)
celebrations: Semana Santa (Holy Week), Cobán Folkloric Festival, Christmas, Day of the Dead
Claim to Fame
was the main home of the ancient Mayan people
Wild Residents
quetzal birds, tapirs, monkeys, ocelots, jaguars
Poverty Pitfalls
Giving birth is dangerous for women who can't afford doctors or medicine. | Compassion helps pregnant women give birth safely. |
Babies who don't get enough healthy food can die before age 5. | Compassion gives vitamins, food and medicine to babies. |
Many poor people have never learned to read and write. | Sponsored kids learn to read and write at their schools and Compassion centers. |
Stat Snapshot
Stats |
Guatemala | United States 🇺🇸 |
Population |
17,980,803 | 339,665,118 |
People Living in Poverty |
59.3% | 15.1% |
Languages |
Spanish, Mayan languages like K'iche and Q'eqchi | English, Spanish, Chinese, other |
Religions |
Roman Catholic 41.7%, Evangelical 38.8%, none 13.8%, unspecified for other 5.7% | Protestant 46.5%, none/other 26.1%, Roman Catholic 20.8%, Jewish 1.9%, Mormon 1.6%, Muslim 0.9%, Jehovah’s Witness 0.8%, Buddhist 0.7%, Hindu 0.7% |
Typical Family Income |
$9,590 per year | $63,700 per year |
MAIN SOURCE: World Factbook, 2018