Guatemala

American  

[gwah-tuh-mah-luh, gwah-te-mah-lah] / ˌgwɑ təˈmɑ lə, ˌgwɑ tɛˈmɑ lɑ /

noun

1. a republic in northern Central America. 42,042 sq. mi (108,889 sq km).

2. Also called Guatemala City. a city in and the capital of the republic of Guatemala.

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Guatemala British  

/ ˌɡwɑːtəˈmɑːlə /

noun

1. a republic in Central America: original Maya Indians conquered by the Spanish in 1523; became the centre of Spanish administration in Central America; gained independence and was annexed to Mexico in 1821, becoming an independent republic in 1839. Official language: Spanish. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: quetzal and US dollar. Capital: Guatemala City. Pop: 14 373 472 (2013 est). Area: 108 889 sq km (42 042 sq miles)

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Guatemala Cultural  

1. Republic in Central America, bordered by Mexico to the west and north, Belize and the Caribbean Sea to the east, Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Its capital and largest city is Guatemala City.

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Discover More

It is traditionally unstable politically.

The country is noted for its particularly low average income and literacy rate.

Other Word Forms

• Guatemalan
  adjective

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Compare meaning

How does guatemala compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Guatemala vs. Nicaragua

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Guatemala

Mazariegos, who lives in Vermont Square, was born in Guatemala and came to the U.S. three years later.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

According to police, Juarez, who is from Guatemala and has worked in construction and lived in Michigan for years, fled in his car before crashing into a tree.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

Dozens of protesters, some waving the flags of Mexico and Guatemala, gathered at the scene carrying signs demanding that ICE leave Austin.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Evangelical Christianity has continued to spread in Guatemala since the end of the civil war in the 1990s, even among the Ixil themselves.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

This time, freight cars have brought him 990 miles from Tapachula near Guatemala.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario

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