Guatemala
/ˌɡwɑːtəˈmɑːlə
/
A country in Central America, bordering on the Pacific Ocean and with a short coastline on the Caribbean Sea; population 13,276,500 (est. 2009); official language, Spanish; capital, Guatemala City.
A former centre of Mayan civilization, Guatemala was conquered by the Spanish in 1523-4. After independence it formed the core of the short-lived United Provinces of Central America (1828–38) before becoming an independent republic in its own right.
