Quetzaltenango
| Quetzaltenango | |
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Coordinates: 14 ° 50 ′ N , 91 ° 31 ′ W
Quetzaltenango on the map of Guatemala
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| Basic data | |
| Country | Guatemala |
| Department | Quetzaltenango |
| City foundation | 13th century by Mam |
| Residents | 140,000 (Ber. 2007) |
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| Detailed data | |
| surface | 127 km 2 |
| Population density | 1,102 inhabitants / km 2 |
| height | 2234 m |
| Time zone | UTC −6 |
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Quetzaltenango , also known by the Maya name Xelajú (pronounced as "Sche-La-Chu") or its short form Xela , is the second largest city in Guatemala and the capital of the department of the same name .
The city, located in southwest Guatemala at an altitude of 2234 m near the Panamericana , has around 140,000 inhabitants.
geography
Quetzaltenango is located about 200 km west-northwest of Guatemala City in one of the largest valleys of the Guatemalan Sierra Madre . To the southwest of the city rise the volcanoes Cerro Quemado , Santa María and Siete Orejas , which form a natural border with the Pacific lowlands. The 127 km², densely populated Municipio Quetzaltenango has extremely fertile soils of volcanic origin, the agricultural use of which had to gradually decline in favor of urban and industrial development. The climate in Quetzaltenango is temperate to cold. Temperatures can drop below freezing at night, especially between December and February . The rainy season usually lasts from May to November.
history
The Mam -Maya originally living in the area were driven northwest by the expanded Quiché in the 14th century . In 1524 the Spanish conquistadors under Pedro de Alvarado and their allies succeeded in decisively defeating the Quiché near the city. The last Quiché king, Tecun Uman , was killed by the Spaniards in the city. The Spaniards gave the city of Xelajú (probably “under the 10 mountains”) the Nahuatl name, which was used by their central Mexican (especially Tlaxcaltec ) allies, Quetzaltenango (either “ Quetzal place” or “place where walls were built” "). During the colonial period, the city developed into a trading center in the western highlands.
After independence from Spain , Quetzaltenango received city rights in 1825 . From 1838 to 1840 Quetzaltenango was the capital of Los Altos , one of the states of the Central American Confederation . When the union broke up, the city was conquered by Rafael Carrera and part of Guatemala again. However, Quetzaltenango continued to see itself as a competitor to Guatemala City , especially in the areas of culture and economy. In 1845 Quetzaltenango became the capital of the department of the same name . The city was expanded in the neoclassical style and experienced an economic boom towards the end of the 19th century, which was based directly or indirectly on the increased cultivation of coffee . Above all, German, Austrian and Italian immigrants contributed to the economic success, and not least the " indigenous people " who were employed and often exploited by them .
In 1902, the now dormant Santa María volcano almost completely destroyed the city, and with it its decades-long efforts to surpass Guatemala City economically and culturally. During the reconstruction, attempts were made to at least partially build on the size of the previous century. Despite the quadrupling of the population, the city never really recovered from the effects of the volcanic eruption.
population
Mostly Ladinos and Quichés live in Quetzaltenango . Universities and technical schools attract many young people from the near and far. Quetzaltenango is commonly considered to be the second largest city in Guatemala, although Mixco and Villa Nueva are significantly larger, each with around half a million inhabitants. However, the latter belong to the metropolitan area of the capital and are generally considered part of Guatemala City . Quetzaltenango is definitely the second largest metropolitan area in the country.
Economy and Transport
Today, thanks to its location between Guatemala City, Mexico and the Pacific , Quetzaltenango is a relatively affluent service and commercial center with several universities. Manufacturing industry products include wool, cotton, textiles, shoes, canned food and beer. The city has also become one of the tourist centers of Guatemala in recent years, partly because it is a very good starting point for tours in the western highlands. As in Antigua Guatemala , many language schools in Quetzaltenango have earned a good reputation. Mainly North Americans and Europeans learn Spanish here in a comparatively quiet environment .
Quetzaltenango is quite well connected to Guatemala City, the rest of the highlands and the western Pacific lowlands via the national roads 1 and 9 as well as the Panamericana (CA 1 Interamericana ) running a few kilometers to the north . Guatemala City can be reached via the winding Interamericana in the highlands, as well as via Retalhuleu and Escuintla in the lowlands, where there are multi-lane highways. In the 1930s Quetzaltenango had a rail connection. The technically very demanding, electrified railway line to Retalhuleu ( Ferrocarril de Los Altos ) was built by Krupp and AEG . Due to a lack of economic profitability and a landslide, operations had to be stopped after a few years. Local public transport in Quetzaltenango is mainly carried out by buses. The city has a small, recently modernized commercial airport .
Attractions
The sights are limited to the neoclassical buildings around Parque Centroamérica in the old town. This includes the former headquarters of the Banco de Occidente , founded in 1883 , one of the oldest banks in Guatemala, which was completely taken over by Banco Industrial a few years ago . Further attractions are the town hall , the cathedral , the cultural center Casa de la Cultura and finally the railway museum Museo del Ferrocarril de Los Altos . There are also shopping centers , the recently renovated shopping arcade Pasaje Enríquez planned by Italian architects and a number of smaller shops and pubs. Further north is the magnificent Teatro Municipal with its impressive facade.
At Easter , Semana Santa is celebrated in a similarly lavish way as in Antigua Guatemala.
sons and daughters of the town
- Domingo Bethancourt (1906–1980), composer
- Ricardo Castillo (1894–1966), composer
- Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán (1913–1971), President of Guatemala
- Manuel Lisandro Barillas Bercián (1845–1907), President of Guatemala
- Manuel José Estrada Cabrera (1857–1924), President of Guatemala
- María Encarnación del Corazón de Jesús (1820–1886) nun, first Blessed Guatemala
- Mario Camposeco (1921–1951), football player
Town twinning
Web links
- Quetzaltenango 'Xela' Travel Guide (English)