Why is guatemala a poor country

Guatemala, home to the ethnic Maya, was first conquered by Spain in the sixteenth century. After gaining independence in , the state never achieved true stability. The end of the decade-long Guatemalan Revolution in was only met with the beginning of a year civil war between and Throughout the late s and s, a U. When the market for coffee emerged in the late s, the economic elite primarily of European origin utilized old Spanish legislation to claim and privatize large amounts of land to use for plantations.

This not only destroyed the tradition of communal lands, but also forced indigenous people to move to higher altitudes with less fertile land for their subsistence farming. Inexpensive diets of rice and tortillas resulting from poverty in Guatemala make diabetes a prevalent issue.

Mangrum believes Type 2 diabetes is the most prominent health issue she encountered in Guatemala. She related this to the corn tortillas that were a cheap diet staple for many of her host families.

At seven and a half percent, the diabetes rate in Guatemala is not beyond help, but All of these risk factors make potential growth rates of diabetes a concern. Fatalistic views from generations of poverty in Guatemala have caused rampant dental hygiene problems.

Tooth decay is one of the main issues seen by dentists in Guatemala, attributed to lack of personal knowledge and prioritization of dental hygiene, fluoride lack and unhealthy diets. Facing one of the highest secondary school dropout rates in the Latin America and Caribbean region, Guatemala had several challenges in accurately identifying students at risk of dropping out and implementing more effectively targeted interventions.

The pilot, which was implemented in 3, schools and prevented approximately children from dropping out, will be scaled up nationwide and will include a guide for teachers on low-cost interventions to prevent dropouts. The study found that targeting of social spending could be improved given that public education and health expenditures do not benefit regions with the greatest need. This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience.

If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser. To learn more about cookies, click here. Where We Work Guatemala. The World Bank In Guatemala Guatemala has experienced continued economic stability, but this has not translated into growth acceleration to close the income gap with rich countries. Guatemala Home Overview. Access to housing and drinking water is also abysmally low, with most poor families constructing houses out of scavenged materials with no access to water.

In addition to all this, sweeping reforms have been historically difficult in Guatemala as the population is incredibly ethnically diverse, with more than 23 recognized languages spoken across the country. This makes it important to focus efforts on locally-based and culturally sensitive solutions. However, it is also crucial that the government becomes more transparent and more caring of its many citizens in dire need of help if any change is to be made.