Quiché Department

Infobox Settlement
official_name = El Quiché
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settlement_type = Department
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image_shield = Coat_of_arms_of_Quiche.gif
shield_size = 100px
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mapsize = 200px
map_caption = El Quiché


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pushpin_label_position =bottom
pushpin_map_caption =Location in Guatemala
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =
subdivision_type1 = Department
subdivision_name1 = El Quiché
subdivision_type2 = Capital
subdivision_name2 = Santa Cruz del Quiché
subdivision_type3 = Municipalities
subdivision_name3 = 21
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government_type = Departmental
leader_title = Governor
leader_name = Miguel Ángel Medrano Bulux
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area_total_km2 = 8378
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population_as_of = Census 2002
population_footnotes = [cite web |url=http://www.ine.gob.gt/index.php?view=article&catid=42%3Ademografiaypoblacion&id=75%3Acenso2002&option=com_content&Itemid=69 |title=XI Censo Nacional de Poblacion y VI de Habitación (Censo 2002) |accessmonthday= |accessyear= |last= |first= |date=2002 |work= |publisher=INE ]
population_note =
population_total = 655510
population_density_km2 =
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population_urban = 161591
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population_blank1_title =Ethnicities
population_blank1 =K'iche', Ixil, Uspantek, Sakapultek, poqomchi', Ladino
population_blank2_title =Religions
population_blank2 =Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Maya
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timezone = -6
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latd=15 |latm=1 |lats=48 |latNS=N
longd=91|longm=9 |longs=0 |longEW=W
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elevation_max_m = 3200
elevation_min_m = 150
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footnotes = El Quiché is a department of Guatemala.

El Quiché department is in the heartland of the Quiché people, to the north-west of Guatemala City. The capital is Santa Cruz del Quiché.

Population

El Quiché has historically been one of the most populated departments of Guatemala. It's population of 655,110 [cite web |title=2002 census |publisher= Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas |url=http://www.ine.gob.gt/ |accessdate= 2008-05-11] is predominantly of Mayan descent.While most of its indigenous population speaks K'iche', other Mayan languages spoken in the department are Ixil (Nebaj - Chajul - Cotzal area), Uspantek (Uspantán area), Sakapultek (Sacapulas area), as well as Poqomchi' and k'ekchi in the North-Eastern part bordering with the Alta Verapaz department. [ cite web|title=Estrategia de reducción de la pobreza departamental, 2003 - Quiché|publisher=SEGEPLAN|url=http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/ ]

Geography

The topographical composition of El Quiché is dominated by the central highlands and the mountain ranges of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Sierra de Chuacús, and the foothills of the volcanic mountain range on the department's South-Western border with Chimaltenango, which together make up for 79% of the department's territory. The northern part of the department is formed by tropical lowlands which cover 21% of the department's territory. [ The tropical lowlands are located in the northern part of the municipalities of Chicaman, Uspantán and Chajul. cite web|title=Estrategia de reducción de la pobreza departamental, 2003 - Quiché|publisher=SEGEPLAN|url=http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/ ]

The principal drainage basins in El Quiché are the Salinas, Motagua, Xaclbal and Ixcan river basins. The Río Salinas basin (3668 km2), includes the Río Negro and Río Chixoy which are confluents of the Río Salinas or Río Usumacinta. The Motagua basin (1042 km2) includes the Río Grande which is an important tributary of the Río Motagua. The smaller .

Tourism

Places of interest in the department include the town of Chichicastenango and the ruins of Gumarcaj.
The department has several pre-colonial archeological sites, including Gumarcaj (near Santa Cruz del Quiché), Pascual Abaj (in Chichicastenango), Cerro de San Andrés (in San Andrés Sajcabajá), Los Cerritos and La Laguna (in Canillá). Most of these sites are used as ceremonial centers in the Maya religion
A regional museum can be found in Chichicastenango and Nebaj.
Though not as well known as the Santo Tomas church in Chichicastenango, most other towns in the department have catholic churches dating from the colonial era.
The Visis Cabá biosphere reserve (450 km²) is currently the only protected natural reserve in El Quiché. It is located in the North of Chajul, on the communal lands of the Ixil communities. The creation of protected natural reserves is being considered for El Amay [cite web|title=Guatemala: Opposition to highway project threatening forest area|publisher=WRM's bulletin Nº 58, May, 2002|url=http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/58/Guatemala.html] in Chicamán and La Vega del Zope in Chinique. [The Visis Cabá biosphere reserve, also known as Biósfera Ixil, is located in the North-East of Chajul, on the communal lands of the Ixil communities. See also cite web | url=http://www.law.arizona.edu/journals/ajicl/AJICL2004/Vol211/Tiu.pdf | publisher=Arizona Journal of International & Comparative Law, vol 211, 2004 (University of Arizona) | title=Mayan Spirituality and Lands in Guatemala | author=Romeo Tiu López | access | format=PDF]

Municipalities

The department is divided into municipalities:

# Canillá
# Chajul
# Chicaman
# Chiché
# Chichicastenango
# Chinique
# Cunén
# Joyabaj
# Nebaj
# Sacapulas
# Patzité
# Pachalúm
# Playa Grande Ixcán
# San Andrés Sajcabajá
# San Antonio Ilotenango
# San Bartolomé Jocotenango
# San Juan Cotzal
# San Pedro Jocopilas
# Santa Cruz del Quiché
# Uspantán
# Zacualpa

References

External links

* [http://www.inforpressca.com/municipal/mapas_web/quiche/quche.php Interactive department map]