Tamahú

Tamahú on the map of Guatemala

Tamahú (including San Pablo Tamahú, also Tamajú ) is a city in Guatemala and administrative seat of the greater community ( municipality ) in the department of Alta Verapaz. In the 112 km ² large municipality of about 15,000 people live in Tamahú over 1,000.

Geography

The place Tamahú is located south of Alta Verapaz to about 1000 m altitude. The municipality extends between the Sierra de Chama to the north and the north-western foothills of the Sierra de las Minas in the south at the headwaters of the Río Polo Chic. Large areas are still covered by cloud forest. The climate is temperate in Tamahú.

The municipality is bordered to the north by the municipality of San Juan Chamelco, to the east by Tucurú, to the south Purulhá ( Baja Verapaz ), on the west by Tactic and to the northwest by Coban.

Population

The population is mostly of Mayan ethnic group Pocomchí, the rest are Ladinos. Many inhabitants are descended from German immigrants.

History

Tamahú was founded in 1574 by Dominicans. The place name probably refers to a Mayan prince who reigned here. Tamahú long time belonged to the municipality of Tactic. From 1870 onwards, a large number of immigrants from Germany arrived in the region in the train of expropriation were given large tracts of land here and mainly cultivated coffee, which was mostly exported to Germany. Agricultural products have been associated with the Verapaz railway through the Polo Chic - valley into further east Panzós, embarked there and brought across the river, the Lake Izabal, the Río Dulce and the Atlantic Ocean to Europe.

Economy and Transport

Tamahú lies about 15 km east of the well-developed highway CA 14, which runs from Coban about El Rancho and the Atlantic highway to Guatemala City. In this way, there are 191 kilometers to Guatemala City and 43 according to Coban. About the poorly developed national road 7 Tamahú is connected through the Polo Chic - valley to the east by Izabal. The most important industry is agriculture.