San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Marcos
| San Pedro Sacatepéquez | |
|---|---|
| Municipality of Guatemala | |
 San Pedro Sacatepéquez
|
|
| Coordinates: 14°58′00″N 91°46′00″W / 14.96667°N 91.76667°WCoordinates: 14°58′00″N 91°46′00″W / 14.96667°N 91.76667°W | |
| Country |
 Guatemala
|
| Department |
 San Marcos
|
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Carlos Bautista (PRI) |
| Elevation | 7,644 ft (2,330 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 63,688 |
| Climate | Cwb |
San Pedro Sacatepéquez (Spanish pronunciation: [sam ˈpeðɾo sakateˈpekes]) is a municipality in the San Marcos department of Guatemala with territory of 148 km2 at 2330 m altitude. The population is 63 688.
The city of San Pedro was named after Saint Peter Apostle, and a rooster is the official mascot. People born in the City are known as "Shecanos" because of a local pastry "sheca" that is famous throughout Guatemala. The City is located in route to the city of Quetzaltenango in a valley called La Ermita y la Esmeralda. The town is connected to the town of San Marcos. There is a strong rivalry with the capital city of the province of San Marcos that has existed from its beginnings. This rivalry manifests itself mostly at sporting events with some events unfortunately turning violent. San Pedro is thought by some to be the real capitol of the department because for many years the majority of businesses were located there as opposed to San Marcos however, universities, private schools and a military school are within San Marcos. The area as a whole is also known for its sweaters and warm clothing. It has a large market near the town square. The Mayan population wears some of the most colorful typical garments in the country usually bright yellows, greens and blues. The indigenous population in San Marcos speaks both the ancient Mayan language Ma'am and Spanish
The first documented historical account of San Pedro Sacatepéquez is from 1 May 1543, when in Barcelona, Spain a Royal letter from emperor Carlos V thanked the services of the people from Sacatepéquez during the pacific conquest of Lacandón and the Verapaz, granting them special privileges.
On 13 October 1876, according to decree 165 of the government of Justo Rufino Barrios and considering that it was convenient to improve the condition of the natives and a petition from some leaders from San Pedro Sacatepéquez, then president Barrios authorized that, for legal purposes, the natives from San Pedro Sacatepéquez be declared ladinos so they could use western clothing.
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Wikipedia