Ixcán

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 15°59′17″N 90°46′54″W / 15.98806, -90.78167
Ixcán
The market in Playa Grande Ixcán
Ixcán Location in Guatemala
Country	Guatemala
Department	El Quiché Department
Municipality	Ixcán
Area
- Municipality	607.7 sq mi (1,574 km²)
Population (Census 2002)
- Municipality	61,448
- Urban	6,005
- Religions	Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism

Ixcán is a municipality in the Guatemalan 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 Uspantek and Q'eqchi', although 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.

Pacifist mural depicting the Victory of January 20 in Ixcán

Xalbal River

1 Xalalá hydroelectric dam
2 References
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] 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' Maya communities.^[1] 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.^[2]