# Santa Cruz Verapaz

Santa Cruz Verapaz (Spanish pronunciation:) is a town and municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. The municipality lies at an altitude of 1,406 metres (4,613 ft) above sea level. It has a population of 32,042 (2018 census) and covers an area of 99.9 km². The annual festival is May 1-May 5.

## History

Friars Juan de Torres, Pedro de Angulo and Luis de Cancer, O.P. founded the settlement of "Santa Cruz de Santa Elena", in the region of the Munchú territory, and therefore, the town was originally known as "Santa Cruz Munchú". The town was established on 3 May 1543, according to the minutes from 1 May 1546 taken in Ciudad Real de San Juan Chamelco by Juan Matalbatz, governor of the region at the time.
The Catholic church was built in the 16th century and therefore it has a high historical value; like the one in Rabinal in Baja Verapaz Department, it was one of the first Catholic temples built in the region during the Capitulaciones de Tezulutlán. The prestiberium design was magnificent, but it has been damaged over the centuries by the constant seismic events that affect the Guatemalan territory.
By an executive order of the Secretary of Education, the church was named as National Historic place on 12 July 1970.

## Administrative division

Santa Cruz Verapaz has an urban and a rural area.
Administrative division :
| Type | List |
| Urban neighborhoods | Santa Elena Santa Cecilia Santo Tomás Santa Cruz |
| Urban residential areas | Res. Milano El Bosque Los Ángeles Oro Verde Los Olivos |
| Villages | Acamal Chicoyoj Chijou Chiquigüital Chitul Chixajau Najquitob |
| Parajes | Chicac Acal Chi´k oxb Laguneta Los Arcos Paris Tumiin |
| Small villages | Cak´abaj Carchelá Chalcoxoj Chilocom Chisaczí El Arco El Cangrejo El Palmar El Salto El Zapote Holanda La isla Las Camelias Los Arcos Moxenjá Pambach Pana Pancalax Panquiyou Peña del Gallo Parrochoch Rio Frio Rosario Sacmés San Antonio Panec Santa Elena Saquijá Saquimax Valparaíso Villa linda Wach Q´amcheé Xutjá |
| Farms and haciendas | Capiljá Cerro Verde Clarita Don Pedro El Cangrejo El Porvenir El Rosario Holanda La Aurora Las Camelias Las Conchas Chisacsí Maria Auxiliadora Mocjá Panbach Rio Frio Santa Elena Santa Isabel San Rafael San Vicente Valparaíso Villa linda |

## Territory configuration

Territory configuration :
| Tipo | Listado |
| Mountains | Tomtem Saltul Santa Apolonia Xucaneb Sierra Pancajché Sierra de Chamá Gruta Santa Elena y Chitul Cerro Chisos Cerro Chitul Cerro San Rafael |
| Rivers | Frío Carchelá Chirripitán Chixoy Quililá Saquijá Cahabón Sacbin Santa María La Cueva Chojomá El Palmar Guachcojloy Pambach Panchlax |

## Climate

Santa Cruz Verapaz has temperate climate (Köppen: Cfb).
Climate data for Santa Cruz Verapaz :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.1 (70.0) | 22.6 (72.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.0 (77.0) | 24.8 (76.6) | 23.9 (75.0) | 23.3 (73.9) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.6 (74.5) | 22.8 (73.0) | 21.6 (70.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 23.2 (73.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.0 (64.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.0 (66.2) | 18.2 (64.8) | 17.0 (62.6) | 16.5 (61.7) | 18.1 (64.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) | 10.9 (51.6) | 11.9 (53.4) | 13.2 (55.8) | 14.1 (57.4) | 15.0 (59.0) | 14.7 (58.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 14.5 (58.1) | 13.7 (56.7) | 12.5 (54.5) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.1 (55.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 76 (3.0) | 46 (1.8) | 66 (2.6) | 59 (2.3) | 140 (5.5) | 303 (11.9) | 278 (10.9) | 254 (10.0) | 302 (11.9) | 254 (10.0) | 155 (6.1) | 83 (3.3) | 2,016 (79.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org ||||||||||||||

## Geographic location

vtePlaces adjacent to Santa Cruz Verapaz :
Cobán
Cobán
San Cristóbal Verapaz
Santa Cruz Verapaz
Tactic
San Miguel Chicaj, municipio de Baja Verapaz :