Dolores, El Petén

Dolores on the map of Guatemala

Dolores is an approximately 4,000 inhabitants counting place in Guatemala. Dolores is located in the south-east of the department of Petén, and is the administrative seat of the municipios Dolores, which covers 3050 km ² and 40,000 inhabitants.

Geography

The Dolores is located approximately 30 km west of the border with Belize to 436 m altitude. Far from the village leads in a north-south direction, the highway CA 13 over, Flores, the capital pentene, with Izabal in the south and the rest of the country joins. From Dolores there are 78 kilometers to Flores and around 420 km from Guatemala City.

The municipality is located at the headwaters of the Río Mopan in the western foothills of the Maya Mountains, which reach to the border with Belize still 1,000 m. In general, the climate is tropical - hot.

The adjacent municipios are in the north of Melchor de Mencos and Santa Ana, in the northwest of San Francisco, in the southwest Sayaxché and San Luis, and to the south Poptún. In the east Dolores borders Belize.

History

The source rich area of ​​today's municipios Dolores was inhabited long before the conquest by this panic conquistadors of Mopan Maya. Today Dolores was the time Ixtanché. In April 1695, the Spaniards taught here a military base. 1708 the town was named Nuestra Señora de Dolores ( Mater Dolorosa ), after the independence of Guatemala, he was then simply called Dolores. In the 19th century, lived only about 300 people in the worst -urban area of Dolores. More economic development brought in recently, the construction of Highway 13, CA This is accompanied, however, was also a steady increase in population, the ruthless deforestation and expansion of branch lines and the formation of dead-end villages.

Population

Besides Mopan Maya is a big part of the local population from Ladinos. In the hamlet of Monte de los Olivos live Kekchi. The municipality has next to Dolores Santo Toribio with only a minor " rural community " ( aldea ). There are also numerous smaller settlements and hamlets.

Economy

Dolores lives mainly from agriculture, especially the cultivation of corn and beans, as well as animal husbandry. On the highway CA 13 and the trade and the service sector plays a role.

Attractions

In the field of Municipalities Dolores, there are about 80 Mayan ruins. Among the most important ruins are Ixkún, Sacul, El Chal, Ixtontón, Tigres, Curucuitz and Ixtutz and the Cuevas de San Miguel.