Santa Ana Department

ElSalvadordepartment
name = Santa Ana


image_caption =
image_coa =
state_motto = none


date_creation = 1855
capital = Santa Ana
area = 2,023
area_percentage =
area_percentage_rank = 4th
population = 630,903
year_estimate = 2006
population_percentage =
population_percentage_rank =3th
ISO_code = SV-SA|

Santa Ana is a department of El Salvador in the northwest of the country. The capital is Santa Ana.

General information

It has 2,023 km² and a population of over 600,000.Fact|date=August 2008 This department was created on February 8, 1855.Fact|date=August 2008 The Santa Ana Volcano is in this department.

History

From the preclassic period the department of Santa Ana was inhabited by Mayan (the representative Mayan sites archaeological are: The Trapiche, Tazumal and Casa Blanca), for classic delayed the two Mayan ethnic groups or towns inhabited the department of Santa Ana, these were: the Chortís (which lived north of the Lempa river) and pokomames (which lived in all the western zone under the Lempa river, except Sonsonate), Chalchuapa was the bigger city Mayan, powerful and dominant in all the western zone.Fact|date=August 2008

Between 1200 and 1400 the department of Santa Ana under Lempa River was conquered by the pipiles. Between 1528 and 1540 the department of Santa Ana was conquered and pacified by the Spaniards. It belonged to the Greater Mayorship of San Salvador and later to the Intendance of San Salvador, being divided in the parties or districts of Santa Ana and Metapán.Fact|date=August 2008

From 1824 (year in which the Greater Mayorship of Sonsonate and Intendance of San Salvador unified) it belonged to the department of Sonsonate, in 1855 the department of Santa Ana was created (as well as the present department of Ahuachapán), in 1869 are retired him to the department of Santa Ana the populations of Ahuachapán to create the department of he himself name.Fact|date=August 2008

Geography

The department of Santa Ana is located at an altitude between 500 and 3000 m.Fact|date=August 2008 The most important volcanoes are the Ilamatepec or Santa Ana Volcano and the Chingo. Other notable mountains are The green hill and Montecristo massif.Fact|date=August 2008 The main rivers of the department are the Lempa and the Guajoyo rivers.

The most important lakes in the department are Lake Güija on the border with Guatemala near Metapán, and Lake Coatepeque which is located in the southern part of the department.

Municipalities

Santa Ana is divided in 13 municipalities:

Source: [http://www.fundaungo.org.sv/dir/santa/010.html Directorio Municipal de la Fundación Dr. Guillermo Manuel Ungo]