Ch'orti' people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| approx. 51,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Guatemala
|
46,833 |
 Honduras
|
approx. 4,200 |
 El Salvador
|
Unknown |
| Languages | |
| Ch'orti', Spanish | |
| Religion | |
| Catholic, Evangelicalist, Maya religion | |
The Ch'orti' people (alternatively, Ch'orti' Maya or Chorti) are one of the indigenous Maya peoples, who primarily reside in communities and towns of southeastern Guatemala, northwestern Honduras, and northern El Salvador. Their indigenous language, also known as Ch'orti', is a survival of Classic Choltian, the language of the inscriptions in Copan. It is the first language of approximately 15,000 people, although the majority of present-day Ch'orti' speakers are bilingual in Spanish as well.
The Ch'orti' area, having Copán as the cultural center, were the headquarters of the ancient Mayan civilization. The Ch'orti' people, led by their Mayan Chief Galel, strongly but unsuccessfully resisted the Spanish conquerors.
The Ch'orti' belong to the Meridional Mayans, and are closely related to the Mayans in Yucatán, Belize and Northern Guatemala. They are also somewhat related to the Choles, Mayans that currently live in Chiapas.
Historically, the Ch'orti Mayans were located in the Ocotepeque and Copan departments, as well as in the northern strip of the Cortes and Santa Barbara departments. This geographical area possibly also extended to El Salvador on the south, to Chiquimula on the west, and to the Golfo Dulce to the north. Currently, the majority of the Ch'orti are located in Guatemala (in Chiquimula, Jocotan, Esquipulas, Quezaltenango and La Union).
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Wikipedia