Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala (Spanish: República de 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, Honduras
to the east and El Salvador to the southeast. With an estimated population of around
15.8 million, it is the most populated state in Central America. Guatemala is a representative
democracy; its capital and largest city is Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, also known
as Guatemala City.
The territory of modern Guatemala once formed the core of the Maya civilization,
which extended across Mesoamerica. Most of the country was conquered by the Spanish
in the 16th century, becoming part of the viceroyalty of New Spain. Guatemala attained
independence in 1821 as part of the Federal Republic of Central America, which dissolved
in 1841.
From the mid to late 19th century, Guatemala experienced chronic instability and
civil strife. Beginning in the early 20th century, it was ruled by a series of dictators
backed by the United Fruit Company and the United States government. In 1944, authoritarian
leader Jorge Ubico was overthrown by a pro-democratic military coup, initiating a
decade-long revolution that led to sweeping social and economic reforms. A U.S.-backed
military coup in 1954 ended the revolution and installed a dictatorship.
