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Quetzaltenango (department)
Encyclopedia
Quetzaltenango is a department
in the western highlands of Guatemala
. The capital is the city of Quetzaltenango
, the second largest city in Guatemala. The inhabitants include Spanish
-speaking Ladinos
and the K'iche' and Mam
Maya
groups, both with their own Maya language
. The department consists of mountainous terrain, with its principal river being the Samalá River.
The department has wide variations in local climate, due largely to marked differences in altitude in different areas.
-speaking allies of the Spanish Conquistador
s named it Quetzaltenango in their own language, meaning "land of the quetzal
birds".
of Guatemala and covers an area of approximately 1951 square kilometres (753.3 sq mi), approximately 1.8% of the total area of the Republic of Guatemala. The department is bordered on the west by the department of San Marcos, by the departments of Retalhuleu and Suchitepéquez to the south, by Huehuetenango Department to the north and by the departments of Totonicapán and Sololá to the east.
The department is mountainous in nature and includes a wide range of altitudes, from 350 metres (1,148.3 ft) in Génova
to 2800 metres (9,186.4 ft) in Sibilia
. The average altitude is 2333 metres (7,654.2 ft) above mean sea level. The principal mountains include the volcanoes Cerro Quemado
, Chicabal
, Lacandon, Santa María, Santiaguito, Santo Tomás
(also known as Picul) and Siete Orejas
, as well as Zunil peak, often erroneously referred to as a volcano. Cerro Quemado produces a number of thermal springs, several of which have been converted into baths. The area covered by the department is seismically active, with earthquakes measuring from 4.5 to 5.2 on the Richter scale.
The broken terrain of the department includes a number of wide valleys, including those occupied by the city of Quetzaltenango and the towns of San Juan Ostuncalco and Concepción Chiquirichapa. The varied terrain of the department also includes plains, canyons and high cliffs.
The most important river in the department is the Samalá River
, flowing through the municipalities of Cantel
, El Palmar
, San Carlos Sija
, Quetzaltenango
, San Juan Ostuncalco
and Zunil
. The river flows into Quetzaltenango department from the neighbouring department of Totonicapán and flows southwards into the department of Retalhuleu.
Other notable rivers in the department include the Tumalá River in the municipality of Cajolá, the El Naranjo River in the municipality of San Carlos Sija, and the Las Palomas and Xocal Rivers in the municipality of Concepción Chiquirichapa.
Average annual rainfall is 2000 millimetres (78.7 in) in the municipality of Almolonga, and parts of the department at higher altitudes experience frost in the months from November through to March. The municipality of Cantel receives an average annual rainfall that varies between 2000 and 4000 mm (78.7 and 157.5 in); in Huitán it varies between 1800 and 3500 mm (70.9 and 137.8 in).
The year is divided into wet and dry seasons, with most rain falling in July and September. The driest months of the year are December through to February. The department falls within two principal biomes, classified as subtropical moist forest
and tropical and subtropical coniferous forest. The former is a lower altitude zone characterised by corozo palms
and conacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum). The latter is higher altitude featuring pine
, cypress
and sycamore.
, K'iche' Maya and Mam Maya
. Three languages are spoken in the department, broadly corresponding to the ethnic groups; Spanish
, K'iche'
and Mam
. In 2004, 40.4% of the population was listed as non-indigenous (i.e. Ladino) and 59.6% as indigenous (mainly K'iche' and Mam). In 1999, average life expectancy
was calculated as 63.7 years. In the same year, 63.7% of dwellings had electricity, 70.1% had drinking water and 92.5% had sanitation.
Each municipality is known for its different traditional indigenous dress, with the exceptions of Coatepeque, Colomba, Flores Costa Cuca and San Carlos Sija, where traditional clothing is not worn by the indigenous inhabitants. These trajes are manufactured by the local inhabitants themselves.
and the K'iche' general Tecúm Umán, one of the four lords of the K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj
. The battle resulted in the death of the K'iche' prince and Alvarado was able to conquer the K'iche' captital Q'umarkaj, in the modern Quiché Department, soon after. The battle was fought in the municipality of Olintepeque
, which is said to derive its name from the fact that the river there flowed red with blood after the defeat of the K'iche' army.
On 2 February 1838, Quetzaltenango joined together with Huehuetenango, El Quiché, Retalhuleu, San Marcos, Sololá, Suchitepéquez and Totonicapán to form the short-lived Central American state of Los Altos
, with the city of Quetzaltenango functioning as its capital. The state was crushed in 1840 by general Rafael Carrera Turcios
, at that time between periods in office as Guatemalan president
.
In 1902 Quetzaltenango suffered a number of serious earthquakes. An earthquake struck on 18 April 1902, with its epicentre within the Santa María volcano. This was followed by a major eruption of the volcano from 24 to 26 October of the same year. The volcano emitted a massive column of ash, provoking a fierce lightning storm. The explosions emitted by the volcano were audible up to 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) away. The government of Manuel Estrada Cabrera
initially denied that the eruption had taken place in Guatemala, instead claiming that it had occurred in neighbouring Mexico
. Although the eruption caused great loss of life in western Guatemala, the Guatemalan government downplayed its severity.
The activity of the volcano continued until 1906, followed be a period of calm that lasted until 1922. A new series of eruptions took place from 1922 through to 1929, and formed a new side crater, the Santiaguito volcano. On the night of 11 November 1929, a lava flow descended from the volcano towards El Palmar, killing hundreds of people, setting fire to a number of mountainsides and burying coffee plantations under several metres of lava.
s, beetroot
, cabbage
s, carrot
s, high quality coffee
, common bean
s, maize
, onion
s, peach
es, plum
s, potato
es, radish
es, turnip
s and wheat
. Almolonga is the main producer of vegetables, both for the national market and for export, principally to Mexico
and countries in Central America
. Salcajá is known for its production of a fruit liquor called caldo de frutas ("fruit wine"). Other products of the department include woolen textiles, cotton, silk, ceramics, alcoholic beverages and flour.
Poorer high altitude areas of the department experience seasonal migration of workers to the Pacific lowlands in order to work on coffee, sugarcane
and cotton
plantations.
Manuel Estrada Cabrera
and Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán
were from the department of Quetzaltenango. Manuel Estrada was born in the city of Quetzaltenango on 21 November 1857, Jacobo Árbenz was born in the same city on 14 September 1913. Quetzaltenango Department also produced the musicians Jesús Castillo
, writer of the Quiché Winak opera, and his brother Ricardo Castillo
, as well as the classical musician
Mariano Valverde. Another famous musician was Francisco "Paco" Pérez
, who wrote the Luna de Xelajú
waltz
. Guatemalan historian Adrián Inés Chávez, who produced a Spanish translation of the Popul Vuh, was also from the department.
in the municipality of Cantel. It has been tentatively dated to the Postclassic Period
.
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...
in the western highlands of 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...
. The capital is the city of Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango, also commonly known by its indigenous name, Xelajú , or more commonly, Xela , is the second largest city of Guatemala. It is both the capital of Quetzaltenango Department and the municipal seat of Quetzaltenango municipality....
, the second largest city in Guatemala. The inhabitants include Spanish
Guatemalan Spanish
Guatemalan Spanish is the national variant of Spanish spoken in the Central American republic of Guatemala. About 9 million of the 13 million population speak Spanish...
-speaking Ladinos
Ladino people
Ladino is a Spanish term used to describe various socio-ethnic categories in Latin America, principally in Central America.The term Ladino is derived from "latino" and usually refers to the mestizo or hispanicized population...
and the K'iche' and Mam
Mam people
The Mam are a Native American people in the western highlands of Guatemala and in south-western Mexico.Most Mam live in Guatemala, in the departments of Huehuetenango, San Marcos, and Quetzaltenango...
Maya
Maya peoples
The Maya people constitute a diverse range of the Native American people of southern Mexico and northern Central America. The overarching term "Maya" is a collective designation to include the peoples of the region who share some degree of cultural and linguistic heritage; however, the term...
groups, both with their own Maya language
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...
. The department consists of mountainous terrain, with its principal river being the Samalá River.
The department has wide variations in local climate, due largely to marked differences in altitude in different areas.
Name
The department takes its name from the city of Quetzaltenango, which serves as the departmental capital. Although the original K'iche' inhabitants knew the city by the name Xelajú, the NahuatlNahuatl
Nahuatl is thought to mean "a good, clear sound" This language name has several spellings, among them náhuatl , Naoatl, Nauatl, Nahuatl, Nawatl. In a back formation from the name of the language, the ethnic group of Nahuatl speakers are called Nahua...
-speaking allies of the Spanish Conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s named it Quetzaltenango in their own language, meaning "land of the quetzal
Resplendent Quetzal
The Resplendent Quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a bird in the trogon family. It is found from southern Mexico to western Panama . It is well known for its colorful plumage. There are two subspecies, P. m. mocinno and P. m...
birds".
Geography
The department of Quetzaltenango is situated in the western highlandsGuatemalan Highlands
The Guatemalan Highlands is an upland region in southern Guatemala, lying between the Sierra Madre de Chiapas to the south and the Petén lowlands to the north....
of Guatemala and covers an area of approximately 1951 square kilometres (753.3 sq mi), approximately 1.8% of the total area of the Republic of Guatemala. The department is bordered on the west by the department of San Marcos, by the departments of Retalhuleu and Suchitepéquez to the south, by Huehuetenango Department to the north and by the departments of Totonicapán and Sololá to the east.
The department is mountainous in nature and includes a wide range of altitudes, from 350 metres (1,148.3 ft) in Génova
Génova, Quetzaltenango
Génova is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala....
to 2800 metres (9,186.4 ft) in Sibilia
Sibilia
Sibilia is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. It has a population of approximately 1180....
. The average altitude is 2333 metres (7,654.2 ft) above mean sea level. The principal mountains include the volcanoes Cerro Quemado
Almolonga
The Almolonga volcano, sometimes also called "Cerro Quemado" , is an andesitic stratovolcano in the south-western department of Quetzaltenango in Guatemala...
, Chicabal
Laguna Chicabal
Laguna Chicabal is a Guatemalan lake sacred to the Mam Mayan people. The lake is located in the municipal boundary of the town of San Martín Sacatepéquez in the department of Quetzaltenango. A crater lake, Laguna Chicabal was formed in the crater of Volcán Chicabal at an elevation of 2,712 meters...
, Lacandon, Santa María, Santiaguito, Santo Tomás
Volcán Santo Tomás
Volcán Santo Tomás is a stratovolcano in southern Guatemala. It is also known as "Volcán Pecul", or as "Cerro Zunil" the name of its youngest and most prominent dome which was last active approximately 84,000 years ago ....
(also known as Picul) and Siete Orejas
Volcán Siete Orejas
Volcán Siete Orejas is a stratovolcano in Guatemala located in the department of Quetzaltenango The volcano has 7 peaks, set around a large crater of which the southern side appears to have collapsed...
, as well as Zunil peak, often erroneously referred to as a volcano. Cerro Quemado produces a number of thermal springs, several of which have been converted into baths. The area covered by the department is seismically active, with earthquakes measuring from 4.5 to 5.2 on the Richter scale.
The broken terrain of the department includes a number of wide valleys, including those occupied by the city of Quetzaltenango and the towns of San Juan Ostuncalco and Concepción Chiquirichapa. The varied terrain of the department also includes plains, canyons and high cliffs.
The most important river in the department is the Samalá River
Samalá River
The Samalá is a river in Southwest Guatemala. Its sources are located in the Sierra Madre range, in the departments of Totonicapán and Quetzaltenango...
, flowing through the municipalities of Cantel
Cantel, Guatemala
Cantel is a small municipality in the Quetzaltenango Department in Guatemala, east from the city of Quetzaltenango with an area of 22 km2. The village of Cantel is situated at 2,370 m altitude. The population is 32,221 people....
, El Palmar
El Palmar, Quetzaltenango
El Palmar is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of GuatemalaEl Palmar is mostly an agricultural municipality, with coffee being one of its main products....
, San Carlos Sija
San Carlos Sija
San Carlos Sija is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.-External links:* *...
, Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango
Quetzaltenango, also commonly known by its indigenous name, Xelajú , or more commonly, Xela , is the second largest city of Guatemala. It is both the capital of Quetzaltenango Department and the municipal seat of Quetzaltenango municipality....
, San Juan Ostuncalco
Ostuncalco
Ostuncalco, full name San Juan Ostuncalco, is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. Beside Spanish local people speak the Mam language.La Victoria is a village in this department....
and Zunil
Zunil
Zunil is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala with a surface area of . Zunil is located from the city of Quetzaltenango, on the bank of the Salamá River. Zunil has an altitude of approximately above mean sea level. The population is about 14,000 people, 100% indigenous...
. The river flows into Quetzaltenango department from the neighbouring department of Totonicapán and flows southwards into the department of Retalhuleu.
Other notable rivers in the department include the Tumalá River in the municipality of Cajolá, the El Naranjo River in the municipality of San Carlos Sija, and the Las Palomas and Xocal Rivers in the municipality of Concepción Chiquirichapa.
Volcanoes
| Name | Height |
|---|---|
| Cerro Quemado | 3197 metres (10,488.8 ft) |
| Chicabal Laguna Chicabal Laguna Chicabal is a Guatemalan lake sacred to the Mam Mayan people. The lake is located in the municipal boundary of the town of San Martín Sacatepéquez in the department of Quetzaltenango. A crater lake, Laguna Chicabal was formed in the crater of Volcán Chicabal at an elevation of 2,712 meters... |
|
| Lacandon | |
| Santa María | 3772 metres (12,375.3 ft) |
| Santiaguito | 2500 metres (8,202.1 ft) |
| Santo Tomás (Picul) Santo Tomas Santo Tomás, Spanish for Saint Thomas, describes numerous locations.- Places in the world :*Argentina**Santo Tomás, Buenos Aires, Carlos Casares Partido, Buenos Aires Province*El Salvador**Santo Tomás, El Salvador*Guatemala... |
3505 metres (11,499.3 ft) |
| Siete Orejas Volcán Siete Orejas Volcán Siete Orejas is a stratovolcano in Guatemala located in the department of Quetzaltenango The volcano has 7 peaks, set around a large crater of which the southern side appears to have collapsed... |
3370 metres (11,056.4 ft) |
Other notable peaks
| Name | Height |
|---|---|
| Zunil | 3542 metres (11,620.7 ft) |
Climate
The average temperature in the department of Quetzaltenango varies between 15 and 24 °C (59 and 75.2 F), however there is wide variation due to the great difference in altitude in various parts of the department. On the lower Pacific slopes the temperature can reach as high as 35 °C (95 °F), while temperatures as low as -7 C have been recorded at higher altitudes.Average annual rainfall is 2000 millimetres (78.7 in) in the municipality of Almolonga, and parts of the department at higher altitudes experience frost in the months from November through to March. The municipality of Cantel receives an average annual rainfall that varies between 2000 and 4000 mm (78.7 and 157.5 in); in Huitán it varies between 1800 and 3500 mm (70.9 and 137.8 in).
The year is divided into wet and dry seasons, with most rain falling in July and September. The driest months of the year are December through to February. The department falls within two principal biomes, classified as subtropical moist forest
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
and tropical and subtropical coniferous forest. The former is a lower altitude zone characterised by corozo palms
Attalea (genus)
Attalea is a large genus of palms native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. This pinnately leaved, non-spiny genus includes both small palms lacking an aboveground stem and large trees. The genus has a complicated taxonomic history, and has often been split into four or five...
and conacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum). The latter is higher altitude featuring pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
, cypress
Cypress
Cypress is the name applied to many plants in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is a conifer of northern temperate regions. Most cypress species are trees, while a few are shrubs...
and sycamore.
Population
In 2004 the department was recorded as having 745,805 inhabitants. The inhabitants are divided between three principal ethnicities; LadinoLadino people
Ladino is a Spanish term used to describe various socio-ethnic categories in Latin America, principally in Central America.The term Ladino is derived from "latino" and usually refers to the mestizo or hispanicized population...
, K'iche' Maya and Mam Maya
Mam people
The Mam are a Native American people in the western highlands of Guatemala and in south-western Mexico.Most Mam live in Guatemala, in the departments of Huehuetenango, San Marcos, and Quetzaltenango...
. Three languages are spoken in the department, broadly corresponding to the ethnic groups; 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...
, K'iche'
K'iche' language
The K’iche’ language is a part of the Mayan language family. It is spoken by many K'iche' people in the central highlands of Guatemala. With close to a million speakers , it is the second-most widely spoken language in the country after Spanish...
and Mam
Mam language
Mam is a Mayan language with almost 480,000 speakers as of 2002, spoken in the Mexican state of Chiapas and the Guatemalan departments of Quetzaltenango, Huehuetenango and San Marcos....
. In 2004, 40.4% of the population was listed as non-indigenous (i.e. Ladino) and 59.6% as indigenous (mainly K'iche' and Mam). In 1999, average life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
was calculated as 63.7 years. In the same year, 63.7% of dwellings had electricity, 70.1% had drinking water and 92.5% had sanitation.
Each municipality is known for its different traditional indigenous dress, with the exceptions of Coatepeque, Colomba, Flores Costa Cuca and San Carlos Sija, where traditional clothing is not worn by the indigenous inhabitants. These trajes are manufactured by the local inhabitants themselves.
Early history
The territory that came to be included within the modern department of Quetzaltenango was the scene of a decisive battle on 12 February 1524 between Spanish conquistador Pedro de AlvaradoPedro de Alvarado
Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras was a Spanish conquistador and governor of Guatemala. He participated in the conquest of Cuba, in Juan de Grijalva's exploration of the coasts of Yucatan and the Gulf of Mexico, and in the conquest of Mexico led by Hernan Cortes...
and the K'iche' general Tecúm Umán, one of the four lords of the K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj
K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj
The K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj was a state in the highlands of modern day Guatemala which was founded by the K'iche' Maya in the thirteenth century, and which expanded through the fifteenth century until it was conquered by Spanish and Nahua forces led by Pedro de Alvarado in 1524.The K'iche'...
. The battle resulted in the death of the K'iche' prince and Alvarado was able to conquer the K'iche' captital Q'umarkaj, in the modern Quiché Department, soon after. The battle was fought in the municipality of Olintepeque
Olintepeque
Olintepeque is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. It is located on the Xequijel River.Olintepeque is known for being the place where the legendary K'iche' king Tecún Umán died in single combat with the Spanish conquistador, Pedro de Alvarado on February 18, 1524...
, which is said to derive its name from the fact that the river there flowed red with blood after the defeat of the K'iche' army.
On 2 February 1838, Quetzaltenango joined together with Huehuetenango, El Quiché, Retalhuleu, San Marcos, Sololá, Suchitepéquez and Totonicapán to form the short-lived Central American state of Los Altos
Los Altos, Central America
Los Altos was an area of Central America, which was added as a sixth state to the Federal Republic of Central America in the 1830s. Its capital was Quetzaltenango...
, with the city of Quetzaltenango functioning as its capital. The state was crushed in 1840 by general Rafael Carrera Turcios
Rafael Carrera
José Rafael Carrera Turcios was the ruler of Guatemala from 1844 to 1848 and from 1851 until his death in 1865. During his military career and presidency, the new nations in Central America faced numerous problems...
, at that time between periods in office as Guatemalan president
President of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
.
Departmental history
Quetzaltenango was declared a department by decree of the Asamblea Nacional Constituyente on 16 September 1845.In 1902 Quetzaltenango suffered a number of serious earthquakes. An earthquake struck on 18 April 1902, with its epicentre within the Santa María volcano. This was followed by a major eruption of the volcano from 24 to 26 October of the same year. The volcano emitted a massive column of ash, provoking a fierce lightning storm. The explosions emitted by the volcano were audible up to 160 kilometres (99.4 mi) away. The government of Manuel Estrada Cabrera
Manuel Estrada Cabrera
Manuel José Estrada Cabrera was President of Guatemala from 8 February 1898 to 15 April 1920.Manuel Estrada forcibly took the presidency after the assassination of José María Reina. The Guatemalan cabinet called an emergency meeting to appoint a new successor, but declined to invite the General...
initially denied that the eruption had taken place in Guatemala, instead claiming that it had occurred in neighbouring 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...
. Although the eruption caused great loss of life in western Guatemala, the Guatemalan government downplayed its severity.
The activity of the volcano continued until 1906, followed be a period of calm that lasted until 1922. A new series of eruptions took place from 1922 through to 1929, and formed a new side crater, the Santiaguito volcano. On the night of 11 November 1929, a lava flow descended from the volcano towards El Palmar, killing hundreds of people, setting fire to a number of mountainsides and burying coffee plantations under several metres of lava.
Economy and agriculture
The wide climatic variation within the department resulting from differences in altitude gives rise to a diverse range of agricultural products. These include appleApple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s, beetroot
Beetroot
The beetroot, also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet or informally simply as beet, is one of the many cultivated varieties of beets and arguably the most commonly encountered variety in North America, Central America and Britain.-Consumption:The usually deep-red roots of beetroot are...
, cabbage
Cabbage
Cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae and is a leafy green vegetable...
s, carrot
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh...
s, high quality coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
, common bean
Common bean
Phaseolus vulgaris, the common bean, is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder...
s, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, onion
Onion
The onion , also known as the bulb onion, common onion and garden onion, is the most widely cultivated species of the genus Allium. The genus Allium also contains a number of other species variously referred to as onions and cultivated for food, such as the Japanese bunching onion The onion...
s, peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
es, plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
s, potato
Potato
The potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well as the edible tuber. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species...
es, radish
Radish
The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe, in pre-Roman times. They are grown and consumed throughout the world. Radishes have numerous varieties, varying in size, color and duration of required cultivation time...
es, turnip
Turnip
The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...
s and wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. Almolonga is the main producer of vegetables, both for the national market and for export, principally to 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...
and countries in Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
. Salcajá is known for its production of a fruit liquor called caldo de frutas ("fruit wine"). Other products of the department include woolen textiles, cotton, silk, ceramics, alcoholic beverages and flour.
Poorer high altitude areas of the department experience seasonal migration of workers to the Pacific lowlands in order to work on coffee, sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
and cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
plantations.
Municipalities
| Municipality | Ethnicity | Population2002 census. | Festival | Altitude | Extent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almolonga Almolonga, Quetzaltenango Almolonga is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala, located on a road between Quetzaltenango city and Zunil. The majority of its population is indigenous, speaking the K'iche' language... |
K'iche' | 13,880 | 29 June | 2251 metres (7,385.2 ft) | 20 square kilometres (7.7 sq mi) |
| Cabricán Cabricán Cabricán is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. The head town of Cabricán is situated at an altitude of 2,525 m.Cabrican is the location of Roman Catholic radio station Radio Mam. The station primarily broadcasts in the Mam language.... |
Mam | 19,281 | 4th Friday of Lent Lent In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and... |
2625 metres (8,612.2 ft) | 60 square kilometres (23.2 sq mi) |
| Cajolá Cajolá Cajolá is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.... |
Mam | 9,868 | 3 May | 2510 metres (8,234.9 ft) | 36 square kilometres (13.9 sq mi) |
| Cantel Cantel, Guatemala Cantel is a small municipality in the Quetzaltenango Department in Guatemala, east from the city of Quetzaltenango with an area of 22 km2. The village of Cantel is situated at 2,370 m altitude. The population is 32,221 people.... |
K'iche' | 30,888 | 12-17 August | 2370 metres (7,775.6 ft) | 22 square kilometres (8.5 sq mi) |
| Coatepeque Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango Coatepeque is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. Its population is 100,000.-Sports:Deportivo Coatepeque football club play in the second tier of Guatemalan football, the Primera División de Ascenso. They play their home games in the Estadio Las Gardenias.... |
Mam | 94,186 | 12–18 March | 497 metres (1,630.6 ft) | 372 square kilometres (143.6 sq mi) |
| Colomba Colomba Colomba is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala with 212 km2 surface at about 1011 m altitude. The population is 38,746 .... |
Mam | 38,746 | 212 square kilometres (81.9 sq mi) | ||
| Concepción Chiquirichapa Concepción Chiquirichapa Concepción Chiquirichapa is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.The municipality of Concepción Chiquirichapa, is part of the 81 municipalities in the Western Highlands of Guatemala... |
Mam | 15,912 | 6-9 December | 2505 metres (8,218.5 ft) | 48 square kilometres (18.5 sq mi) |
| El Palmar El Palmar, Quetzaltenango El Palmar is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of GuatemalaEl Palmar is mostly an agricultural municipality, with coffee being one of its main products.... |
K'iche' | 22,917 | 23-25 July | 850 metres (2,788.7 ft) | 327 square kilometres (126.3 sq mi)Although administered by the Department of Quetzaltenango, some of the municipality lies geographically within the department of Retalhuleu after the relocation of the village following a series of natural disasters provoked by the Santiaguito volcano. |
| Flores Costa Cuca Flores Costa Cuca Flores Costa Cuca is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. It covers an area of 63km2, is att an average altitude of 540m and has a population of 14,000 people.-References:... |
Mam | 19,405 | 1st week of February | 540 metres (1,771.7 ft) | 63 square kilometres (24.3 sq mi) |
| Génova Génova, Quetzaltenango Génova is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.... |
Mam | 30,531 | 8 December | 375 metres (1,230.3 ft) | 372 square kilometres (143.6 sq mi) |
| Huitán Huitán Huitán is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.,situated on 16 km2 at 2600 m altitude, North-West from Quetzaltenango.-External links:*... |
Mam | 9,769 | 25 December | 2438 metres (7,998.7 ft) | 16 square kilometres (6.2 sq mi) |
| La Esperanza La Esperanza, Quetzaltenango La Esperanza is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. The surface is 32 km2 at 2465 m altitude.-External links:*... |
Mam | 14,497 | 2465 metres (8,087.3 ft) | 32 square kilometres (12.4 sq mi) | |
| Olintepeque Olintepeque Olintepeque is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. It is located on the Xequijel River.Olintepeque is known for being the place where the legendary K'iche' king Tecún Umán died in single combat with the Spanish conquistador, Pedro de Alvarado on February 18, 1524... |
K'iche' | 22,544 | 24 June | 2438 metres (7,998.7 ft) | 32 square kilometres (12.4 sq mi) |
| Palestina de Los Altos Palestina de Los Altos |Palestina de Los Altos is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. Its inhabitants speak Mam and Spanish.Palestina de los Altos was originally called Toj Suj... |
Mam | 11,682 | 2620 metres (8,595.8 ft) | 48 square kilometres (18.5 sq mi) | |
| Quetzaltenango | Ladino/K'iche' | 127,569 | 15 September | 2333 metres (7,654.2 ft) | 120 square kilometres (46.3 sq mi) |
| Salcajá Salcajá Salcajá is a municipality in Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.Salcajá is best known for the Church of San Jacinto, founded in 1524, which was the first church built in Central America. It is also known as La Conquistadora presumably because of the time period and its religious influence on... |
Ladino/K'iche' | 14,829 | 25 August | 2321 metres (7,614.8 ft) | 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi) |
| San Carlos Sija San Carlos Sija San Carlos Sija is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.-External links:* *... |
K'iche' | 28,389 | 7–15 December | 2652 metres (8,700.8 ft) | 148 square kilometres (57.1 sq mi) |
| San Francisco La Unión San Francisco La Unión San Francisco La Unión is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala, known for its large market. it has five cantones first the Centro,Pala, Paxan, xeaj chuistancia, and tzanjuyup and also they celebrete the 4 de Octubre in honor to San Francisco de ASIS where, they have parade... |
K'iche' | 7,403 | 12–18 January | 14 square kilometres (5.4 sq mi) | |
| San Juan Ostuncalco Ostuncalco Ostuncalco, full name San Juan Ostuncalco, is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. Beside Spanish local people speak the Mam language.La Victoria is a village in this department.... |
Mam | 41,150 | 2 February | 2501 metres (8,205.4 ft) | 109 square kilometres (42.1 sq mi) |
| San Martín Sacatepéquez San Martín Sacatepéquez San Martín Sacatepéquez is one of 24 municipalities in the department of Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. San Martín Sacatepéquez has a surface area of 100 km2. The center of the town is situated at 2,450 meters above sea level... |
Mam | 20,712 | |||
| San Mateo San Mateo, Quetzaltenango San Mateo is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.... |
K'iche' | 4,982 | 2497 metres (8,192.3 ft) | ||
| San Miguel Sigüilá San Miguel Sigüilá San Miguel Sigüilá is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala.... |
Mam | 6,506 | 29 September | 2450 metres (8,038.1 ft) | 28 square kilometres (10.8 sq mi) |
| Sibilia Sibilia Sibilia is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala. It has a population of approximately 1180.... |
K'iche' | 7,796 | 15 January | 2800 metres (9,186.4 ft) | 28 square kilometres (10.8 sq mi) |
| Zunil Zunil Zunil is a municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala with a surface area of . Zunil is located from the city of Quetzaltenango, on the bank of the Salamá River. Zunil has an altitude of approximately above mean sea level. The population is about 14,000 people, 100% indigenous... |
K'iche' | 11,274 | 25 November | 92 square kilometres (35.5 sq mi) |
People of note
Former presidents of GuatemalaPresident of Guatemala
The title of President of Guatemala has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1839, when that title was assumed by Mariano Rivera Paz...
Manuel Estrada Cabrera
Manuel Estrada Cabrera
Manuel José Estrada Cabrera was President of Guatemala from 8 February 1898 to 15 April 1920.Manuel Estrada forcibly took the presidency after the assassination of José María Reina. The Guatemalan cabinet called an emergency meeting to appoint a new successor, but declined to invite the General...
and Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán
Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán
Colonel Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán was a Guatemalan military officer and politician who served as Defense Minister of Guatemala from 1944–1951, and as President of Guatemala from 1951 to 1954....
were from the department of Quetzaltenango. Manuel Estrada was born in the city of Quetzaltenango on 21 November 1857, Jacobo Árbenz was born in the same city on 14 September 1913. Quetzaltenango Department also produced the musicians Jesús Castillo
Jesús Castillo
Jesús Castillo is a defender currently playing for the club Jaguares de Chiapas on loan from Monarcas Morelia, in the Primera División de México.-External links:...
, writer of the Quiché Winak opera, and his brother Ricardo Castillo
Ricardo Castillo
Ricardo Edgar Castillo is a Mexican professional boxer in the Featherweight division and the former NABF Featherweight Champion...
, as well as the classical musician
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
Mariano Valverde. Another famous musician was Francisco "Paco" Pérez
Paco Pérez
Paco Pérez was a Guatemalan singer, composer and guitarist.-Biography:Paco Pérez was born as Francisco Pérez Muñoz, on April 25, 1917 in Huehuetenango, Guatemala to José Pérez and Luz Muñoz. At the age of 6, he acted in the municipal theater...
, who wrote the Luna de Xelajú
Luna de Xelajú
"Luna de Xelajú" is a very popular Guatemalan waltz, played on marimba or any other instrument or ensemble; it was composed by Paco Pérez.The title translates as "Moon of Xelajú"...
waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
. Guatemalan historian Adrián Inés Chávez, who produced a Spanish translation of the Popul Vuh, was also from the department.
Tourism
Tourist attractions include the thermal baths located around the Cerro Quemado volcano, including the thermal baths of Almolonga, Aguas Amargas ("Bitter Waters") and Fuentes Georginas, which has become a tourist attraction of some importance.Archaeological sites
In 2010, seasonal rains uncovered the small K'iche' archaeological site of ChojolomChojolom
Chojolom is a small Maya archaeological site in the western highlands of Guatemala. The site features a number of sculpted stones that are presumed to belong to the K'iche Maya culture of the Postclassic Period . Chojolom is situated on a hill in the municipality of Cantel, in the department of...
in the municipality of Cantel. It has been tentatively dated to the Postclassic Period
Mesoamerican chronology
Mesoamerican chronology divides the history of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica into several periods: the Paleo-Indian , the Archaic , the Preclassic , the Classic , and the Postclassic...
.