Escuintla
| Escuintla | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
Escuintla c.1902
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 Escuintla
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| Coordinates: 14°17′52″N 90°47′13″W / 14.29778°N 90.78694°WCoordinates: 14°17′52″N 90°47′13″W / 14.29778°N 90.78694°W | |
| Country |
 Guatemala
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| Department |
.png){kind=small} Escuintla
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| Municipality | Escuintla |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal |
| • Mayor | Pedro René Escobar |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 332 km2 (128 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 355 m (1,165 ft) |
| Population (census 2002) | |
| • Municipality | 119,897 |
| • Urban | 86,678 |
| • Religions | Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism |
| Climate | Am |
Escuintla (Spanish pronunciation: [esˈkwintla]) is a city in south central Guatemala. It is the capital of the Escuintla Department and the administrative seat of Escuintla Municipality.
In 2003 the city had a population of about 68,000 people. It is on the border of the central highlands and the Pacific coastal plain.
A lot of the names of the municipalities of Guatemala consist of one of two things: the name of a catholic saint to worship the day the city was founded or a description with Náhuatl roots. These influences are due to the troops in command of Pedro de Alvarado who invaded the region in 1520. These troops were composed of Spanish soldiers and indigenous Tlaxcaltecs.
The name Escuintla, comes from the indigenous language nahuatl «Itzcuintlán», which is a word composed of two words:
· «Itzcuintli»: means “dog”
· «tlan»: means “abundance”
Therefore, Escuintla means “abundance or place of dogs”.
The city is among the more industrialized areas of the country. One of the most important agricultural products of the region is sugar cane. Other products are tobacco, seafood, and cattle. Escuintla is bathed by the waters of the Pacific, and produces about 43 percent of gross domestic product of Guatemala, is statistically the department, province or region in Mesoamerica with lower unemployment and extreme poverty, this contrasts with the economic and social reality of Guatemala.
The city of Escuintla consists of 2 villages and 12 surrounding communities. The area includes 7 mountains, 55 rivers, 9 streams, and 21 brooks.
To the north of the municipality of Escuintla is Yepocapa (municipality of Chimaltenango) and Alotenango (municipality of Sacatepequez). To the East is Palin, San Vicente Pacaya, and Guanagazapa (municipality of Escuintla). To the south is Masagua (municipality of Escuintla). To the west is La Democracia, Siquinalá, and Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa (municipality of Escuintla).
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Wikipedia