Santa Catarina Palopó
Encyclopedia
Santa Catarina Palopó is a municipality
in the Sololá department
of Guatemala
. The municipality is located on the shores of Lake Atitlán, approximately 3 miles South-Southeast of Panajachel
, a popular tourist destination. To the East-Southeast is San Antonio Palopó
. The three aforementioned towns are connected by one paved road, which runs directly through Santa Catarina Palopó. The population of Santa Catarina Palopó is approximately 1,300, though accurate population estimates are difficult to ascertain. The actual population may be much more. The vast majority of the residents of the town are indigenous, descending from the Cakchiquel
Maya
. Cakchiquel
is the most common language spoken in the village, though Spanish
is widely understood. Subsistence agriculture
is the means of survival for most families within the community, however, a recently spurred tourist industry has created a market for souvenir style goods and services. Perhaps the most easily recognizable characteristic of Santa Catarina Palopó is the blue huipil
, or blouse, which is worn prominently by the women of the community. Though the guipil has been worn since the 16th century, it may seem to be particularly indigenous trait, the blue style is, in fact, the result of very recent western influences.
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 Sololá 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 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 municipality is located on the shores of Lake Atitlán, approximately 3 miles South-Southeast of Panajachel
Panajachel
Panajachel is a town in the southwestern Guatemalan Highlands, in the department of Sololá. It serves as the administrative centre for the surrounding municipality of the same name. The altitude is...
, a popular tourist destination. To the East-Southeast is San Antonio Palopó
San Antonio Palopó
San Antonio Palopó is a municipality in the Sololá department of Guatemala. The village is on the eastern shore of Lake Atitlán. The lowest elevation is at the shoreline. The people of the region are Cakchiquel Maya with a distinctive style of clothing. The patron saint of the village is St....
. The three aforementioned towns are connected by one paved road, which runs directly through Santa Catarina Palopó. The population of Santa Catarina Palopó is approximately 1,300, though accurate population estimates are difficult to ascertain. The actual population may be much more. The vast majority of the residents of the town are indigenous, descending from the Cakchiquel
Cakchiquel
The Kaqchikel are one of the indigenous Maya peoples of the midwestern highlands in Guatemala. The name was formerly spelled in various other ways, including Cakchiquel, Cakchiquel, Kakchiquel, Caqchikel, and Cachiquel....
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...
. Cakchiquel
Cakchiquel
The Kaqchikel are one of the indigenous Maya peoples of the midwestern highlands in Guatemala. The name was formerly spelled in various other ways, including Cakchiquel, Cakchiquel, Kakchiquel, Caqchikel, and Cachiquel....
is the most common language spoken in the village, though 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 widely understood. Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture is self-sufficiency farming in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed their families. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to eat and clothe themselves during the year. Planting decisions are made with an eye...
is the means of survival for most families within the community, however, a recently spurred tourist industry has created a market for souvenir style goods and services. Perhaps the most easily recognizable characteristic of Santa Catarina Palopó is the blue huipil
Huipíl
A huipil is a form of Maya textile and tunic or blouse worn by indigenous Mayan, Zapotec, and other women in central to southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras, in the northern part of Central America. Some are also worn by men, particularly in Guatemala...
, or blouse, which is worn prominently by the women of the community. Though the guipil has been worn since the 16th century, it may seem to be particularly indigenous trait, the blue style is, in fact, the result of very recent western influences.