Jalapa Department
Jalapa is a department of Guatemala and is located in the Southeast (Region IV). It covers over 2,000 square kilometers and has about 300,000 inhabitants. The capital of the department is the same Jalapa.
The Department Jalapa is bordered to the north by the departments of El Progreso and Zacapa, the east by Chiquimula, to the south Jutiapa and Santa Rosa and to the west by the department of Guatemala.
Provincial nature
Jalapa is located mainly in the central highlands. Especially in the southwest of the Sierra Madre again reaches heights of over 2,000 meters. To the north- east, the hill country falls slowly from the valley of the Río Motagua. The entire area is criss-crossed by deep valleys and rivers. Due to the different altitudes, there are a variety of different climate regions. In general, the climate is temperate, temperatures hover 15 to 27 ° C.
Population
The population speaks primarily Spanish, the few indigenous people also Pocomam. Jalapa is divided into seven 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
Agriculture generates due to the different altitudes a wide range of products, including coffee, potatoes, corn, beans, bananas, cassava, tobacco and sugar cane. Also of importance is the horses and livestock as well as the arts and crafts. Tourism plays only a minor role. The somewhat isolated area, the department is conveniently connected via the National Road 18 Guatemala City and on the National Road 19 to the Pan-American Highway (CA- 1) and the Interoceanica (CA -9). The city of Jalapa has an airfield for general aviation.
Attractions
In San Pedro Pinula are the small waterfalls of Los Chorros, where there are also swimming. In the far south, at the Nuns, the deep sea Laguneta del Hoyo is worth seeing. For mountaineers located in the southwest mountain trail from Mataescuintla to Jalapa is interesting that leads over the highest mountains of the department ( Cerro Miramundo ). The north of the way natural reserve of Parque Pino Dulce is one of the main attractions in the region. North of the capital of Jalapa, the volcano is Jumay ( 2,176 m). Mayan ruins can be seen in Chagüite, San Nicolás, Xalapán ( in Jalapa ), in El Recreo and El Durazno visit (near San Pedro Pinula ) and located in the very south of Pueblo Viejo.
History
In the colonial period, the area of present-day departments to Corregimiento de Chiquimula belonged. After the devastating earthquake of 1773, it planned the transfer of the capital of the General Captaincy of Guatemala Antigua Guatemala to Jalapa. An expert committee held both location and climate are suitable, but advised against due to lack of water by the construction of a large capital in Jalapa. The area of Jalapa was collected on 24 November 1873 the department. The name derives from the Jalapa Mayan term xalapán from which means " sandy water."