Sololá Department Explained

Official Name:Sololá Department
Native Name:Departmento de Sololá
Native Name Lang:es
Settlement Type:Department of Guatemala
Mapsize:300
Pushpin Label Position:bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Guatemala
Coordinates:14.7667°N -102°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: Guatemala
Seat Type:Capital
Seat:Sololá
Parts Type:Municipalities
Parts:19
Government Type:Departmental
Leader Title:Governor
Area Total Km2:1061
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:421583
Population As Of:2018
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Urban:259533
Population Blank1 Title:Ethnicities
Population Blank1:K'akchiquel, Tz'utujil, K'iche, Ladino
Population Blank2 Title:Religions
Population Blank2:Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Maya
Utc Offset:-6
Iso Code:GT-SO

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

  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

As of 2018, the department had a population of 421,583. 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] Kaqchikel people accounted for 50.1%[2] of the department's population, and K'iche' accounted for 35.3%.[2] Indigenous people in total account for 96.5% of the department's population.[2]

Economy

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.

Ecology

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.[3] Lago de Atitlán is located in Sololá.

Sports

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

Geography

Sololá has an area of 1,061 km²

Notes and References

  1. https://www.citypopulation.de/en/guatemala/cities/ Citypopulation.de
  2. Web site: CARACTERIZACIÓN. PDF. Ine.gob.gt. 14 October 2017.
  3. Book: Baily, John. Central America; Describing Each of the States of Guatemala, Honduras, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. 1850. Trelawney Saunders. London. 80–83.