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Guatemala is still trying to come to terms with a 36-year-long civil war.

The conflict, which ended in 1996, pitted leftist, mostly Mayan insurgents against the state, which - backed by the US - waged a vicious campaign to eliminate the guerrillas.

More than 200,000 people - most of them civilians - were killed or disappeared.

A peace accord negotiated by the United Nations has resulted in continued economic growth and successful democratic elections, although corruption, poverty, crime, drug trafficking and civil instability remain major issues.

It is a country of striking features and a strong indigenous culture. It is mountainous, forested and dotted with Mayan ruins, lakes, volcanoes and orchids.

The indigenous Maya make up about half of the population but rights campaigners say they face extreme inequality. The country is a major corridor for smuggling drugs.
Source: BBC.com