Villa Nueva (Guatemala)
Villa Nueva on the map of Guatemala
Villanueva is a city in Guatemala. It is the administrative seat of the greater community ( municipality ) in the department of Guatemala. Villanueva is part of the agglomeration of Guatemala City.
Geography
The municipality is 114 km ² and more than half a million inhabitants, together with Mixco the second largest of the 17 municipios of the department. It is located in the southern highlands of the Sierra Madre, on the southwestern edge of the criss-crossed by several ravines High Valley Valle de La Ermita (also Valle de La Virgen de las Vacas or Valle ) at about 1330 meters height. To the north it borders on Mixco Guatemala City, to the east by Petapa, on the south by something deeper Amatitlán and to the west by three municipalities of the department Sacatepéquez. Behind the volcano chain in the Southwest begins the Pacific lowlands. Villanueva has very fertile soils with agricultural use had gradually recede in favor of urban and industrial development. The climate is temperate, temperatures hover usually 12 to 28 ° C, the rainy season lasts from May to October.
The town of Villanueva is located 15 km southwest of the center of Guatemala City in the Valle de las Mesas on the highway to Puerto San Jose CA 9. The urban area has grown together in the northeast of the Guatemala City and thus part of a closed metropolitan area.
Population
According to Guatemalan law villa means a municipality with additional privileges, not the village, but also not the city. City rights Villanueva has not survived to this day, although it officially had 355 901 inhabitants in 2002. In the public perception is Villanueva one of the bedroom communities of the capital ( according to the official website: dormitorio municipio ) and is often seen as an integral part of the same, although both are administratively independent. Villanueva is one of the fastest growing communities of Guatemala and to some estimates, almost one million inhabitants. Involved here are also numerous commuters who come under on working days with relatives or acquaintances, and people who are officially in other departments or even not registered yet live in Villanueva.
History
Villanueva (Eng. " Neudorf " or "New Town" ) owes its existence to the destruction of the old village of San Miguel Petapa. On October 9, 1762 there occurred the Río Tulujá its banks and flooded the place, what 83 death toll. About 500 survivors, almost exclusively Ladinos, attracted about 10 km to the northwest, in the slightly higher, protected against flooding, partially vacant hamlet Paraje Lo de Barillas in the Valle de las Mesas. In checkerboard form here was the new Spanish colonial village of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de las Mesas, which was officially inaugurated on 17 April 1763, named in honor of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. Soon it was simply called Villanueva de Petapa or Villanueva de la Concepción. Even the old Petapa was rebuilt (Villa Canales ), but remained there only the already established Pocomam. After the devastating earthquake of 1773 came from the destroyed Antigua Guatemala many wealthy families to Villanueva and influenced the social life there soon with much.
After the independence of Guatemala from Spain Villanueva long time remained a small, insignificant village in the south of the capital. On November 8, 1839, it became part of the district Amatitlan, the government raised the Department on May 8, 1866. After its dissolution Villanueva came on April 29, 1935 Department of Guatemala. 20 years later arose between Villanueva and Guatemala City, the first industrial areas and new settlements. After the devastating 1976 earthquake attracted from across the country countless homeless people to the capital and settled in their surrounding areas, especially in the municipality of Villanueva. The general population explosion and the establishment of numerous industrial plants in the following decades led to the expansion Villanueva to a bleak in many parts commuter town with a high crime rate.
On 8 December each year, the largest celebration takes place in the municipality. It is celebrated in honor of the patron saint, the " Virgin of the Immaculate Conception."
Economy and Transport
In Villanueva is now home to one of the largest industrial areas of Guatemala. It stretches along the highway to Escuintla and Puerto San José over several kilometers down. Several hundred industrial companies produce there, among other foods, plastics, textiles ( in the infamous maquilas ), building materials, dyes, electrical equipment, transport equipment, chemicals, furniture and paper.
Villanueva is well connected by CA Highway 9 Guatemala City, but this is completely overloaded at peak times. The expansion of the busway network from Guatemala City to Villa Nueva is in progress.