San Mateo Ixtatán
| San Mateo Ixtatán | |
|---|---|
| Municipality | |
View of San Mateo Ixtatán
|
|
 San Mateo Ixtatán
|
|
| Coordinates: 15°50′0″N 91°29′0″W / 15.83333°N 91.48333°W | |
| Country |
 Guatemala
|
| Department |
 Huehuetenango
|
| Municipality | San Mateo Ixtatán |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal |
| • Mayor | Andrés Alonzo Pascual |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 560 km2 (220 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,540 m (8,330 ft) |
| Population (2013) | |
| • Municipality | 49,993 |
| • Urban | 9,299 |
| • Ethnicities | Chuj, Ladino |
| • Religions | Roman Catholicism, Evangelicalism, Maya |
| Climate | Cfb |
| Website | http://sanmateoixtatan.gob.gt |
San Mateo Ixtatán is a municipality in the Guatemalan department of Huehuetenango. It is situated at 2,540 metres (8,330 ft) above sea level in the Cuchumatanes mountain range and covers 560 square kilometres (220 sq mi) of terrain. It has a cold climate and is located in a cloud forest. The temperature fluctuates between 0.5 and 20 °C (32.9 and 68.0 °F). The coldest months are from November to January and the warmest months are April and May. The town has a population of about 10,000, and is the municipal center for an additional 20,000 people living in the surrounding mountain villages. It has a weekly market on Thursday and Sunday. The annual town festival takes place from September 19 to September 21 honoring their patron Saint Matthew. The residents of San Mateo belong to the Chuj Maya ethnic group and speak the Mayan Chuj language, not to be confused with Chuj baths, or wood fired steam rooms that are common throughout the central and western highlands.
The derivation of "Ixtatán" is uncertain. In Chuj, Ixta' = toy or doll; Ta'anh = lime, giving the translation of toy or doll of lime. These lime dolls can be seen on the Catholic Church facade dating back to colonial times. According to historian Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán (1690), the name means “ Land of the Salt” from the words of Ystat = salt and teail = land. On the other hand, historian Jorge Luis Areola considers 'Ixtatán' to be from the Nahuatl language, from the words Ixtat = salt and tlan = close or nearby.
In 1529, four years after the Spanish conquest of Huehuetenango, San Mateo Ixtatán (then known by the name of Ystapalapán) was given in encomienda to the conquistador Gonzalo de Ovalle, a companion of Pedro de Alvarado, together with Santa Eulalia and Jacaltenango. In 1549, the first reduction of San Mateo Ixtatán took place, overseen by Dominican missionaries.
...
Wikipedia