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 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. 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&nbsp;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.
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