Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/1084

 1)62 GUATEMALA.

(RErUBLICA DE GUATEMALA.)

Constitution and Government.

The Kepublic of Guatemala, established on March. 21, 1847, after haviug formed part for twenty-six years of the Confederation of Central America, is governed under a Constitution proclaimed December 1879, and modified October 1885, November 1887, October 1889, and July, 1903. By its terms the legislative power is vested in a National Assembly, consisting of representa- tives (one for every 20,000 inhabitants) chosen by universal suffrage for four years, and a Council of State of 13 members, partly elected by the National Assembly, partly appointed by the President of the Republic. The execu- tive is vested in a President, elected for six years.

President of the Rciniblic. — Don Manuel Estrada Cal)rera for the term 1911-17.

The administration is carried on, under the President, by the heads of six departments — of Foreign Affairs, Government and Justice, Hacienda and Public Credit, Public Instruction, Fomento, War.

For recent treaties lietween Central American States see under Costa Rica.

Area and Population.

Area, estimated at 48,290 English square miles. In 1903 the population was 1,842,134 ; December 31, 1910, estimate, 1,992,000. About 60 per cent, are pure Indians, most of the remainder being half-caste, there being very few descendants of Europeans. Guatemala is administratively divided into 22 departments. Number of births in 1911, 76,382 (40,019 males and 36,363 females) ; number of deaths, 36,881 ; surplus, 39,5Ul.

Capital of the Republic and seat of the government is Guatemala la Nueva with 90,000 iuhabitants (1910), five-sixths of them of European origin. Other towns are Quezaltenango, 28,940, Coban, 30,770, and Totonicapan, 28,310. A boundary convention with Honduras of March, 1905, has been extended to March 1, 1912.

Religion and Instruction.

Roman Catholicism is the prevailing religion ; but all other creeds have complete liberty of worship. Guatemala has an archbishop under whom are suffragan bishops for Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and San Salvador. The State does not recognise any creed.

Education is free and compulsory. In 1911 there were 1,821 government secondary and primary schools, with 55,685 pupils. There were also 128 private primary and secondarj^ schools ; 6 institutes and normal schools ; 4 establishments for professional and 9 for special instruction, and 55 rural schools. The National Central Institute confers degrees which are recognised in all the Central American Republics. Among the other institutions are a school of Handicraft for "Women, a National Conservatoire of Music, a School of Art (290 pupils in 1911), and schools for law (53 pupils in 1911), medicine (72 pupils in 1911), engineering, &c. There is a German school, endowed by the German Government. The national library contains 19,400 volumes.

Justice and Crime.

Justice is administered in a supreme court, 6ap]teal courts, and 26 courts of first instance. In all the munici]jalitie.s there are Justices of Peace.