Aguacatán
Encyclopedia
Aguacatán is a municipality
in the Guatemala
n department
of Huehuetenango. It is situated at 1670m above sea level
. It has a population of 41,000. It covers a terrain of 300km2.
Aguacatán was served primarily by dirt roads cutting through the mountains. The dirt road suffered from erosion, potholes and landslides. The paving of the roads to Huehuetenango and Sacapulas and Nebaj was completed in 2006. It now links Aguacatán to the Pan American Highway (near Huehuetenango), and to markets and opportunities for economic growth.
The Nacimiento del Rio San Juan is a natural spring where water pours up out of a small pool. The pool is surrounded by pipes that tap into the water supply. Irrigation from the spring explains the prolific agriculture in the area. The Nacimiento has a park with benches and a two-story observation area.
is the native language. In outlying areas, even just a walk uphill to Aldea San Miguel or up the mountain road to Chex, the native language is K'iche'
. Awakateko is spoken in some other aldeas, including Llano Coyote, near Rio San Juan. Awakateko and K'ichee' are both Mayan languages
. Other languages spoken in the municipality are Mam
and Chalchitek. Spanish
is also spoken by most residents.
Principal religions are Roman Catholic and Evangelicalism
.
Poor economic conditions have prompted some residents to travel for work to other parts of Guatemala, and also to Mexico and the United States. Some have settled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
, especially in the early 1980s. The aldea of Chex was attacked, and is now five sub-communities.
In the elections of December 30, 2003, 11 candidates challenged the incumbent mayor. The election results were disputed, a rally of most residents called for a new election, and the mayor closed city offices and operations for months. The municipal government now operates from auxiliary offices. New elections are scheduled for 2007.
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 Huehuetenango. It is situated at 1670m above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
. It has a population of 41,000. It covers a terrain of 300km2.
Geography
Aguacatán is set in a mountainous area. From the central market, a walk of six blocks will put you in farmland.Aguacatán was served primarily by dirt roads cutting through the mountains. The dirt road suffered from erosion, potholes and landslides. The paving of the roads to Huehuetenango and Sacapulas and Nebaj was completed in 2006. It now links Aguacatán to the Pan American Highway (near Huehuetenango), and to markets and opportunities for economic growth.
The Nacimiento del Rio San Juan is a natural spring where water pours up out of a small pool. The pool is surrounded by pipes that tap into the water supply. Irrigation from the spring explains the prolific agriculture in the area. The Nacimiento has a park with benches and a two-story observation area.
Demographics
Aguacatán is the only municipality in the world in which AwakatekoAwakatek language
Qa'yol also known as Awakatek, is a Mayan language spoken in primarily Huehuetenango, Guatemala in and around Aguacatán. It is a living language with some 18,000 speakers....
is the native language. In outlying areas, even just a walk uphill to Aldea San Miguel or up the mountain road to Chex, the native language is 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...
. Awakateko is spoken in some other aldeas, including Llano Coyote, near Rio San Juan. Awakateko and K'ichee' are both 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...
. Other languages spoken in the municipality are 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....
and Chalchitek. 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 spoken by most residents.
Principal religions are Roman Catholic and Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
Economy
A central market is open most days. Bus service connects Aguacatán to Huehuetenango and other cities. Internet and telephone services are available.Poor economic conditions have prompted some residents to travel for work to other parts of Guatemala, and also to Mexico and the United States. Some have settled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
History
Aguacatán suffered much violence during the Civil WarGuatemalan 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...
, especially in the early 1980s. The aldea of Chex was attacked, and is now five sub-communities.
In the elections of December 30, 2003, 11 candidates challenged the incumbent mayor. The election results were disputed, a rally of most residents called for a new election, and the mayor closed city offices and operations for months. The municipal government now operates from auxiliary offices. New elections are scheduled for 2007.