Page "Economy of Guatemala" Paragraph 0

Guatemala is the most populous of the Central American countries with a GDP per capita roughly one-third that of Argentina, Brazil, and Chile.

Coffee, sugar, and bananas are the main products.

The 1996 signing of peace accords, which ended 36 years of civil war, removed a major obstacle to foreign investment, and Guatemala since then has pursued important reforms and macroeconomic stabilization.

On 1 July 2006, the Central American Free Trade Agreement ( CAFTA ) entered into force between the US and Guatemala and has since spurred increased investment in the export sector.

The distribution of income remains highly unequal with 12 % of the population living below the international poverty line.

Given Guatemala's large expatriate community in the United States, it is the top remittance recipient in Central America, with inflows serving as a primary source of foreign income equivalent to nearly two-thirds of exports.