San Cristóbal Verapaz
San Cristóbal Verapaz on the map of Guatemala
San Cristóbal Verapaz is a small town in Guatemala and administrative seat of the greater community ( municipality ) in the department of Alta Verapaz. In the 192 km ² large municipality of approximately 55,000 inhabitants.
Geography
San Cristóbal Verapaz is located in the southwest of Alta Verapaz in the valley of the Río Chixoy at about 1,400 m altitude. The majority of its territory extends in the surrounding mountains, whose highest peak reaches 2,220 m here. The municipal area is dominated by cloud forest and humid - temperate climate. The landscape is similar in amazing ways the central European Alpine foothills. Immediately southeast of the capital of San Cristobal is the Laguna Chichoj, a scenic lake, which was, however, heavily polluted by untreated sewage. A few kilometers south of the Río Chixoy in Santa Ana ( Baja Verapaz / Quiché ) was dammed. There is the largest hydroelectric plant in Guatemala.
San Cristóbal is bordered to the north by the municipality of Coban and on the east by Santa Cruz Verapaz. In the south and west of the wide arc of the river Río Chixoy forms the boundary of the Municipalities and of the department of Alta Verapaz to the much drier Nachbardepartamento Quiché.
Population
The majority of the population belongs to the Mayan group of Pocomchí. Your center in the Verapaz region is the area of Rabinal, Baja Verapaz in, they expanded their settlement area in the course of time through to the south-west of Alta Verapaz from. Languages spoken in addition to Spanish and Pocomchí also Kekchi.
History
In the field of Municipalities existed in pre-colonial times, a settlement called Kab - Koj ( "colored cat "). The peaceful advancing in the Verapaz region Dominicans founded with immigrant Pocomchí on August 14, 1565 San Cristóbal Verapaz. In the 1970s and 1980s, the community suffered severely from the Civil War.
Economy and Transport
San Cristóbal is located on the runs in the east-west direction N7 route that leads from Huehuetenango and Quiché about Alta Verapaz until after Izabal. It is a very curvy road of national importance, but this is in large parts in a bad condition. San Cristóbal is true for a long time as the western gate of Alta Verapaz and therefore also as a trade center ( market). The N7 route crosses a few kilometers east of San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz Verapaz, the well-developed highway CA 14, which runs from Coban to El Rancho (El Progreso ). From there, via the motorway CA 9 to Guatemala City in the highlands or to Puerto Barrios on the Caribbean coast. From San Cristóbal there are 211 kilometers to Guatemala City and 29 km to Coban, the capital of the department of Alta Verapaz. January 2, 2009, 31 people came to the National Road 7 in San Cristóbal by a landslide killed.
The people in San Cristóbal Verapaz live mainly from agriculture, forestry and timber industry. Deforestation and hunting have caused significant damage to flora and fauna. There are a few industrial enterprises, including a shoe factory. Tourism plays a subordinate role. Among the most important attractions include the parish church, the celebrations of Holy Week ( Semana Santa ) and the honor of the patron saint Christopher (San Cristóbal ) of 20 and 25 July, and the small museum Katinamit that represents the history of the local Pocomchí. The Laguna Chichoj is now part of a conservation project.