Sololá Department

Coordinates: 14°46′N 91°11′W / 14.767°N 91.183°W / 14.767; -91.183
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sololá Department
Departmento de Sololá
View of Volcán Atitlán
View of Volcán Atitlán
Flag of Sololá Department
Coat of arms of Sololá Department
Sololá
Sololá
Coordinates: 14°46′N 91°11′W / 14.767°N 91.183°W / 14.767; -91.183
Country Guatemala
CapitalSololá
Municipalities19
Government
 • TypeDepartmental
Area
 • Department of Guatemala1,061 km2 (410 sq mi)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Department of Guatemala421,583
 • Density400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
 • Urban
259,533
 • Ethnicities
K'akchiquel Tz'utujil K'iche Ladino
 • Religions
Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya
Time zoneUTC-6
ISO 3166 codeGT-SO
Lake Atitlán from Panajachel

Sololá is a department in the west of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Sololá. Lake Atitlan is a key feature surrounded by a number of the municipalities.

Municipalities[edit]

  1. Concepción
  2. Nahualá
  3. Panajachel
  4. San Andrés Semetabaj
  5. San Antonio Palopó
  6. San José Chacayá
  7. San Juan La Laguna
  8. San Lucas Tolimán
  9. San Marcos La Laguna
  10. San Pablo La Laguna
  11. San Pedro La Laguna
  12. Santa Catarina Ixtahuacan
  13. Santa Catarina Palopó
  14. Santa Clara La Laguna
  15. Santa Cruz La Laguna
  16. Santa Lucía Utatlán
  17. Santa María Visitación
  18. Santiago Atitlán
  19. Sololá

Population[edit]

As of 2018, the department had a population of 421,583.[1] The area is populated almost entirely by different Mayan ethnic groups, of which the two largest groups are the Kaqchikel people and K'iche'.[2][3] Kaqchikel people accounted for 50.1%[3] of the department's population, and K'iche' accounted for 35.3%.[3] Indigenous people in total account for 96.5% of the department's population.[3]

Economy[edit]

With fertile soil, Sololá farmers produce maize, wheat, barley, vegetables, and fruit. Fruits include apples, cherries, cherimoya, peaches, and pears. Livestock is also common, including sheep. Since 1850, the region has had a large wool industry.[2]

Ecology[edit]

The area is mountainous. In 1850, the British described it as having a "healthy" climate "rather inclining to cold, or...temperate." Temperatures warm further south.[2] Lago de Atitlán is located in Sololá.

Sports[edit]

Saprissa de Guatemala is Solola's main football team and the most famous club in the department.

Geography[edit]

Sololá has an area of 1,061 km²

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Citypopulation.de Population of departments in Guatemala
  2. ^ a b c Baily, John (1850). Central America; Describing Each of the States of Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. London: Trelawney Saunders. pp. 80–83.
  3. ^ a b c d "CARACTERIZACIÓN" (PDF). Ine.gob.gt. Retrieved 14 October 2017.