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Measurements commonly used in Guatemala

Una Manzana = 10.000 sq. "varas" = 1.73 acres = 0.7 hectares.

Una Hectárea = 10,000 sq. meters = 1.43 manzanas = 2.47 acres.
(Seldom used by campesinos, but common with professionals.)

Una Caballería = 64.6 manzanas.

*Una Cuerda de 25 varas = 25 x 25 varas - 625 sq. varas = 1/16th. of a manzana.
(Commonly used on the South Coast.)

Una Cuerda de 30 varas = 900 sq. varas = 0.09 manzanas.

Una Cuerda de 40 varas = 1,600 sq. varas = 1/16th. of a manzana.

*(Cuerdas of 16 varas and 32 varas are also used but are much less common.)

LENGTH

Una Vara = 32.9 ins. = 83.6 cm. (Very common.)

Una Cuarta = l/4 vara = approx. 8 ins. = 20.3 cm.
(Measured as the distance between the thumb and the little finger when spread apart.)

Un Jeme = ahout 6 - 61/2 ins. = about 15-16 cm.
(Distance between the index finger and thumb when spread apart.)

Un Metro = 39.387 ins. = 100 cm. (Mach less common than the vara.)

Una Yarda = 36 ins. = 91.44 cm. (Seldom used by campesinos.)

Una Pulgada = one inch = 2.54 cm. (Common.)

Un Kilómetro = 1,000 meters = 0.625 miles (5/8 mile.)

Una Legua = 5,000 varas = 4,000 meters = 4 kilometers = 2.48 miles.

Una Brazada = 2 varas (Distance between 2 arms spread out.)

WEIGHT

Una Libra = 16 ounces = 0.45 kilograms = 454 grams.

Una Onza = one ounce = 28.4 graos.

Un Kilogramo = 1,000 grams = 2.2 lbs. = 35.21 ounces. (Uncormon.)

Ura Arroba = 25 lbs.

Un Quintal = 100 lbs.

Una Carga = 200 lbs. = 2 quintales.

Una Tonelada = 2,000 lbs. = 20 quintales.

Una Tonelada Métrica = 1,000 kg. = 2,204 lbs. (Uncommon.)

Un Almud = 50 lbs.

VOLUME

Una Botella = 1/S of a gallon = 0.757 liters = 757 cc. = 3/4 liter.

Un Litro = 1,000 cc. = 1.057 quarts.

Un Galón = 128 onzas = one gallon = 3.785 liters = 5 botellas.

Un Octavo = 1/8 liter.

Una Medida Bayer = 25 cc.

Una Onza = 29.6 cc. líquida.

FIREWOOD

Una Tarea de leña = 4 x 1 x 1 varas = approx. 400 leños.

Una Carga de leña = 80 leños.

MONEY, ETC.
("Modismos")

Pisto = money
Ficha = coin
Choca = 25 ¢ coin
Len = 1 ¢ (cinco len = 5 ¢)
Sencillo = loose change
Fiado = on credit
Multa = a fine
Mordida = a bribe

INFORMATION COLLECTION & EXCHANGE

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Information about ICE publications and services is available through:

Peace Corps
Information Collection & Exchange
Office of Training and Program Support
806 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D. C. 20526

Add your to the ICE Resource Center. Send materials that you've prepared so that we can share them with others working in the development field. Your technical insights serve as the basis for the generation of ICE manuals, reprints and resource packets, and also ensure that ICE is providing the most updated, innovative problem-solving techniques and information available to you and your fellow development workers.

Peace Corps

Since 1961 when the Peace Corps was created, more than 80,000 U.S. citizens have served as Volunteers in developing countries, living and working among the people of the Third World as colleagues and co-workers, Today 6 000 PCVs are involved in programs designed to help strengthen local capacity to address such fundamental concerns as food production, water supply, energy development, nutrition and health education and reforestation.

Peace Corps overseas offices:

BELIZE
P. O. Box 487
Belize City

BENIN
B. P. 971
Cotonou

BOTSWANA
P. O. Box 93
Gaborone

BURKINA FASO
BP 537-Samandin
Ougadougou

CAMEROON
B P 817
Yaounde

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
B P 1080
Bangui

COSTA RICA
Apartado Postal
1266
San Jose

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Apartado Postal
1412
San Domingo

EASTERN CARIBBEAN
Including: Antigua, Barbados, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Dominica "Erin Court" Bishops Court Hill
P. O. Box 696-C
Bridgetown, Barbados

ECUADOR
Casilla 635-A
Quito

FIJI
P. O. BOX 1094
Suva

GABON
BP 2098
Libreville

GAMBIA, The
P. O. Box 582
Banjul

GHANA
P.O. Box 5796
Accra (North)

GUATEMALA
6a Avenida 1-46
Zona 2
Guatemala

HAITI
c/o American
Embassy
Port-au-Prince

HONDURAS
Apartado Postal
C-51
Tegucigalpa

JAMAICA
9 Musgrove Avenue
Kingston 10

KENYA
P. O. Box 30518
Nairobi

LESOTHO
P. O. Box 554
Maseru

LIBERIA
Box 707
Monrovia

MALAWI
Box 208
Lilongwe

MALI
B P 85
Box 564

MAURITANIA
B P 222
Nouakchott

MICRONESIA
P. O. Box 336
Kolonia, Ponape
F.S.M. 96941

MOROCCO
I, Zanquat
Benzerte
Rabat

NEPAL
P. O. Box 613
Kathmandu

NIGER
B P 10537
Niamey

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
P. O. Box 1790
Boroko
Port Moresby

PARAGUAY
c/o American
Embassy
Asuncion

PHILIPPINES
P. O. Box 7013
Manila

RWANDA
c/o American
Embassy
Kigali

SENEGAL
BP 254
Dakar

SEYCHELLES
Box 697
Victoria

SIERRA LEONE
Private Mail Bag
Freetown

SOLOMON ISLANDS
P. O. Box 547
Honiara

SRI LANKA
5075 Siripa Road
Coombo 5.
Sri Lanka

SUDAN
Djodi Deutsch
Administrator/PCV's
c/o American Embassy
Khartoum

SWAZILAND
P. O. Box 362
Mbabane

TANZANIA
Box 9123
Dar es Salaam

THAILAND
42 Soi
Somprasong 2
Petchburi Road
Bangkok 4

TOGO
B P 3194
Lome

TONGA
B P 147
Nuku' Alofa

TUNISIA
BP 96
1002 Tunis
Belvedere
Tunis

WESTERN SAMOA
Private Mail Bag
Apia

YEMEN
P. O. Box 1151
Sana'a

ZAIRE
BP 697
Kinshasa


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