Tejutla, San Marcos
| Tejutla | |
|---|---|
  Tejutla | |
| Coordinates: 15°07′N 91°48′W / 15.117°N 91.800°W | |
| Country |
 Guatemala |
| Department | San Marcos |
| Founded | July 25, 1672 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor of Tejutla | Humberto Gómez |
| Area | |
| • Total | 142 km2 (55 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,500 m (8,200 ft) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 24,242 |
| Time zone | GMT -6 |
Tejutla is a municipality in the western highlands of Guatemala, in the department of San Marcos. Tejutla was officially founded on 25 July 1672, although it was already an important town within the Mam kingdom in 1524, at the time of the Spanish conquest of Guatemala.[1] It is situated high in the mountains, the so-called "cold zone", at about 2500 m altitude.
The name Tejutla is of uncertain origin, being variously attributed to the local Mam language, derived from twui c'ukal meaning "upon the hill of white sand", or from the Nahuatl language of Tlaxcala in Mexico, meaning "walled land" or "land of the dyers", or from the Chorti language in which it means "land of embers".[1]
Tejutla is primarily a Ladino municipality in that the majority of its inhabitants speak Spanish and are not indigenous. Tejutla has about 31,139 inhabitants,[1] with about 6,000 living within the urban center (casco urbano).[2] The municipio of Tejutla includes 67 communities, 20 of which are Aldeas and the rest are Caserios, Cantones and Colonias. The rivers Xolobaj and Del Molino flow through the town of Tejutla.[3] The general climate in Tejutla during the winter, which runs from November through February, is about 10 degrees Celsius but temperatures can drop up to 5 degrees lower. Temperatures during the months of May through November can range anywhere from 18 to 30 degrees Celsius. The economy in Tejutla lives on agriculture, mainly apples and potatoes, although carrots, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and peaches are also grown locally within the municipality. Although Tejutla is settled in a spectacular landscape, tourism is still very limited in this region. Every July, the city celebrates its town festival, dedicated to Santiago Apóstol, St. James. There is a cultural centre "casa de la cultura" in the city.
This remote area was hit by the civil war in the 1980s, when innocent citizens were terrorized by G-2 forces, the former secret police of Guatemala previous to the government of Efraín Ríos Montt.[4] In 2005, Tejutla suffered under the devastation of hurricane Stan.
Communities
Casco Urbano Tejutla (Cabacera Municipal)
Aldeas: Agua Tibia, Armenia, Buena Vista El Rosario, Cancela, Cancela Grande, Los Cerezos, Chalanchac, Culvillá, Cuyá, Las Delicias, La Democracia, Esquipulas, El Horizonte, Ixmulcá, El Paraíso, Quipambe, San Isidro, Tojuchoc, Tuicincé, Venecia
Caseríos: Los Arcos La Pradrera, El Bosque, California, Campachan, Central Progreso, Cerro El Tumbador, Chacojóm, Chápil, El Chorro Veinte Palos, Cólven, Cristalinas, El Edén, La Esmeralda, Estancia de la Virgen, La Florida, Fraternidad, Los Frutales, Hermón, La Independencia, Inmortal Libertad, Júlen, Los Laureles, Linda Vista, Loma Linda, El Manantial, El Mirador, Los Molinos, Nueva Ermita, Nueva Esperanza, Nueva Jerusalem, Peña Flor, El Progreso, Los Ramírez, La Reforma, Las Rosas, Las Tapias, La Unión, Villa Flores, Vista Hermosa El Pinal
Cantones: Las Hortalizas, Aldea Las Delicias; La Joya de Tejas, Caserío Central Progreso; La Joya, Caserío La Union; Cantón Progreso, Aldea Las Delicias; Valle Verde, Aldea Esquipulas
Colonias: Diez de Mayo, Las Manzanillas I, Las Manzanillas II, Sacabelén, Tuiscol, Villa Nueva
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Monografía e Historia de Tejutla". Guatemala: Municipalidad de Tejutla. Retrieved 2011-08-31. (Spanish)
- ↑ Prensa Libre (Spanish)
- ↑ visitguatemala.com
- ↑ "Weekly briefs" at the website of Tulane University. gam.org.gt
External links
Coordinates: 15°07′N 91°48′W / 15.117°N 91.800°W
