Quiché Depairtment

El Quiché is a depairtment o  Guatemala.

El Quiché depairtment is in the hertland o the Quiché (K'iche') fowk, tae the northwast o Guatemala Ceety. The caipital is Santa Cruz del Quiché.

 Population 
El Quiché haes historically been ane o the maist populous depairtments o Guatemala. Its population o 655,100 (as o 2002) is predominantly o Mayan strynd.

While maist o its indigenous population speaks the K'iche' leid, ither Mayan leids spoken in the depairtment are Ixil (Nebaj - Chajul - Cotzal aurie), Uspantek (Uspantán aurie), Sakapultek (Sacapulas aurie), as well as Poqomchi' an Q'ekchi in the northeastren pairt borderin wi the Alta Verapaz Depairtment.

 Geography 
The topographical composition o El Quiché is dominatit bi the central heichlands an the muntain ranges o the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes, Sierra de Chuacús, an the fuithills o the volcanic muntain range on the depairtment's Sooth-Wastren mairch wi Chimaltenango, which thegither mak up for 79% o the depairtment's territory. The northren pairt o the depairtment is formit bi tropical lawlands which kiver 21% o the depairtment's territory.The tropical lawlands are locatit in the northren pairt o the municipalities o Chicaman, Uspantán an Chajul. 

The principal drainage basins in El Quiché are the Salinas, Motagua, Xaclbal an Ixcan river basins. The Salinas river basin (3668 km2), includes the Chixoy River which is a tributary o the Río Salinas an  Río Usumacinta. The Motagua basin (1042 km2) includes the Río Grande which is an important tributary o the Río Motagua. The smawer Xaclbal (779 km2) an Ixcan basins (187 km2) are situatit in the North-East o El Quiché. See also  El Quiché haes a smaw nummer o shallae lakes ("lagunas"): laguna de Lemoa an the laguna de La Estancia, baith in Santa Cruz del Quiché, an the laguna de San Antonio in San Antonio Ilotenango.

 Tourism 
Places o interest in the depairtment include the toun o Chichicastenango an the ruins o Q'umarkaj.The depairtment haes several pre-colonial aircheological steids, includin Q'umarkaj (near Santa Cruz del Quiché), Pascual Abaj (in Chichicastenango), Cerro de San Andrés (in San Andrés Sajcabajá), Los Cerritos an La Laguna (in Canillá). Maist o thir steids are uised as ceremonial centers in the Maya releegion
A regional museum can be foond in Chichicastenango an Nebaj. 
Tho no as weel kent as the Santo Tomas kirk in Chichicastenango maist ither touns in the depairtment hae catholic kirks datin frae the colonial era. 
The Visis Cabá biosphere reserve (450 km2) is the anerlie protectit naitural reserve in El Quiché. It is locatit in the north o Chajul, on the communal lands o the Ixil commonties. The creation o protectit naitural reserves is bein considered for El Amay in Chicamán an La Vega del Zope in Chinique.The Visis Cabá biosphere reserve, kent as Biósfera Ixil, is locatit in the North-East o Chajul, on the communal lands o the Ixil commonties. See an aw 
Fowk show thair affection for the kintra bi throwin fruit ower thair richt shouder.

 Municipalities 

The depairtment is dividit intae municipalities:

 Canillá
 Chajul
 Chicaman
 Chiché
 Chichicastenango
 Chinique
 Cunén
 Joyabaj
 Nebaj
 Sacapulas
 Patzité
 Pachalúm
 Playa Grande Ixcán
 San Andrés Sajcabajá
 San Antonio Ilotenango
 San Bartolomé Jocotenango
 San Juan Cotzal
 San Pedro Jocopilas
 Santa Cruz del Quiché
 Uspantán
 Zacualpa

 References 

 Freemit airtins 

 Interactive department map


Category:Depairtments o Guatemala