Ixcán
Encyclopedia
Ixcán is a municipality
in the Guatemala
n department
of El Quiché. Its administrative centre can be found in Playa Grande. The municipality consists of 176 communities, called aldeas. It has an area of 1575 km2. It is the northernmost municipality of El Quiché, and borders with Mexico
, the municipalities of Chisec
and Cobán of the Department of Alta Verapaz
, the municipality of Santa Cruz Barillas
of the Department of Huehuetenango
, and the municipalities of Chajul
and Uspantán
of El Quiché.
Native Mayan languages
include Q'eqchi'
, Q'anjob'al, Mam
, Popti and K'iche'. Spanish
is also common.
Its annual festival is held from the 15th to the 17th of May.
Ixcán has an airport. Its International Air Transport Association
code is PKJ.
Ixcán was severely affected by the Guatemalan Civil War
during the 1970s and 1980s. Many inhabitants sought refuge in Mexico and the United States
.
In 1985, Ixcán was granted status as a separate municipality from San Miguel Uspantán
.
communities.
It is a project of the Plan Puebla Panama
. The dam is opposed by the Organizational Commission of the Community Consultation of Good Faith in Ixcán, which wants the Instituto Nacional de Electrificación (INDE) to complete consultations with local indigenous groups
pursuant to the International Labor Organization Convention No. 169, Article 7. The municipal government called for such a consultation on 2007-04-20, in which 90% of voters rejected all proposed hydroelectric projects and petroleum extraction in the region.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
n department
Departments of Guatemala
||Guatemala is divided into 22 departments :#Alta Verapaz#Baja Verapaz#Chimaltenango#Chiquimula#Petén#El Progreso#El Quiché#Escuintla#Guatemala#Huehuetenango#Izabal#Jalapa#Jutiapa#Quetzaltenango#Retalhuleu#Sacatepéquez...
of El Quiché. Its administrative centre can be found in Playa Grande. The municipality consists of 176 communities, called aldeas. It has an area of 1575 km2. It is the northernmost municipality of El Quiché, and borders with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, the municipalities of Chisec
Chisec
Chisec is a municipality in the north of the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz that was founded in 1813. It is situated at 230m above sea level at . The municipality covers a territory of 1488 km². Approximately 95% of the municipality's inhabitants are Mayan, spread over the town of...
and Cobán of the Department of Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and Baja Verapaz, and to the west by El Quiché.Also in Alta Verapaz...
, the municipality of Santa Cruz Barillas
Santa Cruz Barillas
Santa Cruz Barillas is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango. It is situated at 1450m above sea level. It covers a terrain of 1,112km². The annual festival is April 29-May 4.-External links:**...
of the Department of Huehuetenango
Huehuetenango (department)
Huehuetenango is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. It is situated in the western highlands and shares borders with México in the north and west; with El Quiché in the east, with Totonicapán, Quetzaltenango, and San Marcos to the south. The capital is the city of Huehuetenango.Huehuetenango's...
, and the municipalities of Chajul
Chajul
Chajul is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of El Quiché. Chajul is part of the Ixil Community, along with San Juan Cotzal and Santa Maria Nebaj. The Ixil region is isolated by beautiful mountains and has maintained its rich Ixil Mayan traditions and language...
and Uspantán
Uspantán
Uspantán is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of El Quiché. It is one of the largest municipalities of El Quiché and stretches from the mountainous highlands in the South to the tropical lowlands in the North. The municipal seat is in Villa de San Miguel Uspantán with a population of 2,800...
of El Quiché.
Native Mayan languages
Mayan languages
The Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras...
include Q'eqchi'
Q'eqchi'
Q'eqchi or Kekchi may refer to*Q'eqchi' language, a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala and Belize*Q'eqchi' people, an indigenous Maya people...
, Q'anjob'al, Mam
Mam
Mam or MAM may refer to:* Mam language, a Mayan language spoken in Guatemala* Mam people, an indigenous Maya people in Guatemala* Mam , a reverential term for certain aged Maya deities.* Mam, Azerbaijan, a village...
, Popti and K'iche'. Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
is also common.
Its annual festival is held from the 15th to the 17th of May.
Ixcán has an airport. Its International Air Transport Association
International Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association is an international industry trade group of airlines headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, where the International Civil Aviation Organization is also headquartered. The executive offices are at the Geneva Airport in SwitzerlandIATA's mission is to...
code is PKJ.
Ixcán was severely affected by the Guatemalan Civil War
Guatemalan Civil War
The Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
during the 1970s and 1980s. Many inhabitants sought refuge in Mexico and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
In 1985, Ixcán was granted status as a separate municipality from San Miguel Uspantán
Uspantán
Uspantán is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of El Quiché. It is one of the largest municipalities of El Quiché and stretches from the mountainous highlands in the South to the tropical lowlands in the North. The municipal seat is in Villa de San Miguel Uspantán with a population of 2,800...
.
Xalalá hydroelectric dam
The Xalalá hydroelectric dam is a proposed development project in Ixcán. It is controversial because it will flood 31.8 km2 and displace twelve Q'eqchi' MayaQ'eqchi' people
Q'eqchi are one of the Maya peoples in Guatemala and Belize, whose indigenous language is also called Q'eqchi'....
communities.
It is a project of the Plan Puebla Panama
Plan Puebla Panama
The Puebla-Panama Plan is a multi-billion dollar development plan formally initiated in 2001, which is intended to "promote the regional integration and development" of the nine southern states of Mexico with all of Central America and Colombia...
. The dam is opposed by the Organizational Commission of the Community Consultation of Good Faith in Ixcán, which wants the Instituto Nacional de Electrificación (INDE) to complete consultations with local indigenous groups
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
pursuant to the International Labor Organization Convention No. 169, Article 7. The municipal government called for such a consultation on 2007-04-20, in which 90% of voters rejected all proposed hydroelectric projects and petroleum extraction in the region.
See also
- El Quiché
- List of airports in Guatemala
- Plan Puebla PanamaPlan Puebla PanamaThe Puebla-Panama Plan is a multi-billion dollar development plan formally initiated in 2001, which is intended to "promote the regional integration and development" of the nine southern states of Mexico with all of Central America and Colombia...
- Guatemalan Civil WarGuatemalan Civil WarThe Guatemalan Civil War ran from 1960-1996. The thirty-six-year civil war began as a grassroots, popular response to the rightist and military usurpation of civil government , and the President's disrespect for the human and civil rights of the majority of the population...
- Mayan languagesMayan languagesThe Mayan languages form a language family spoken in Mesoamerica and northern Central America. Mayan languages are spoken by at least 6 million indigenous Maya, primarily in Guatemala, Mexico, Belize and Honduras...
- Uspantek languageUspantek languageThe Uspanteko is a Mayan language of Guatemala, closely related to K'iche'. It is spoken in the Uspantán and Playa Grande Ixcán municipios, in the Department El Quiché. It is also one of only three Mayan languages to have developed contrastive tone...
- Q'eqchi' language