Escuintla Department
Escuintla is a department of Guatemala and is located in the south (Region V). It covers over 4,300 square kilometers and has about 550,000 inhabitants. The capital of the department is the same Escuintla.
The department of Escuintla is bordered to the north by the departments Chimaltenango, Guatemala Sacatepéquez and, to the east of Santa Rosa, on the south by the Pacific Ocean to the west and northwest by Suchitepéquez.
Provincial nature
The northern limits of the department extend over the highest peaks of the central highlands, including the volcanoes Agua ( 3,766 m), Fuego ( 3,763 m) and Pacaya ( 2,552 m). From this mountain the criss-crossed by numerous rivers land slopes gently to the south to the Pacific coast. The soil is very fertile. Due to intense agricultural use of the originally diverse population of wildlife has declined. The climate is tropical, hot, rainy season lasts from May to October.
Population
The original indigenous population has been greatly mixed with Spaniards during the colonial period. Mayan languages , except in Palín ( Pocomam ) and Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa ( Cakchiquel ) are no longer spoken. The population was spread relatively balanced over the entire area of the department, there are concentrations along the main transport links, the Carretera Interoceanica (CA- 9) and the running in the lowlands of Mexico to El Salvador CA -2. Escuintla is divided into 13 municipios ( large municipalities or counties ):
The Department as state administrative district is headed by a delegated by the central government governor. The Municipalities are autonomous local authorities with elected mayors and elected assemblies and are divided into Aldeas ( rural communities ) and Caseríos, Parajes or fincas ( hamlets and farms ).
Economy
Escuintla is the richest department of Guatemala. Here 43 percent of the gross domestic product of Guatemala is generated. Traditionally most important economic sector is agriculture, which is varied due to the fertile soil and the different altitudes. The numerous large fincas mainly produce sugar cane, maize, beans, bananas, coffee, cotton, and various citrus fruits. Of particular importance are the Pacific ports. Puerto San José has long been the goal of Guatemala to the Pacific, later the neighboring modern industrial port of Puerto Quetzal took over this role. Important on the coast is the fishing and tourism. Modern hotel complexes resulted primarily from Chulamar, and likin Iztapa, which has led, however, that there is hardly any public access to the beaches. For relative prosperity of the department contribute to the many small craft shops. Escuintla has the lowest unemployment rate and poverty in Guatemala.
Default, the traffic department is well developed. The two important port cities are connected by a modern highway (CA- 9) to Guatemala City, which is at the Departaments Capital Escuintla crossed by said lowland route CA-2. There are also of Puerto Quetzal to Guatemala City a railway line that was most recently only used for freight traffic. The cities of Escuintla and Puerto San José have airports of regional significance.
Attractions
On the coasts Escuintlas many wealthy citizens of Guatemala City have a holiday home. Domestic and foreign tourists like to use the various holiday resorts around Puerto San José or go to the lagoons of Iztapa or further east to the beaches of El Conacaste. The well-known tourist town of Monterrico is situated in the neighboring department of Santa Rosa, but can be reached via Iztapa. Located in the central coast beaches of San José Rama Blanca, La Empalizada, El Paredón Buena Vista and Parque Nacional Sipacate can only be reached via the detour of La Gomera, in the west there are at Tecojate and El Semillero beaches by the Guatemalan Pacific coast so typical dark sand.
From the Mayan era still different certificates are present in the interior. In the central park of La Democracia is a collection of large stone heads of the Monte Alto culture. North of Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa is El Baul, the center of Cotzumalguapa culture with an acropolis and more than 70 statues, including the Monument 14 ( " El Tigre "), which is considered a masterpiece of that culture. More archaeological evidence of the Mayan civilization were discovered in Betancourt and Sin Cabezas in the municipality of Pueblo Nuevo Tiquisate, Ixtepeque (Nueva Concepción ), La Selva ( La Gomera) and Balberta (El Pilar, La Democracia ).
On the road to El Salvador ( CA-2 ) has to offer with numerous animals Brito in the nature reserve and theme park "Auto Safari Chapin Olympic ". In the mountains of the active volcano Pacaya is the largest tourist attraction.
History
The area of Escuintla was conquered in the 16th century by Pedro de Alvarado, who a few kilometers east of the present port of Puerto Quetzal, at Iztapa, let create the first Pacific port of Guatemala. This port was connected via an existing road with today Ciudad Vieja and Antigua Guatemala, where his time was the administrative seat of Spanish colonial rule in Central America. The city of Escuintla was already in the colonial seat of district administration. After independence, the National Assembly established on 4 November 1825 it became a department of the Escuintla. The name comes from the Mayan term " Izcuintlán " or of the Pipil settlement Iscuintepéque ( " Yxcuyntepeque "). The terms mean the same as " place " or " hill of the dog " and relate well to the Tepescuintles, one in pre-Columbian gladly ate dogs large rodent species.