Aguacatán () is a town and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

n department of

Huehuetenango Huehuetenango () is a city and municipality in the highlands of western Guatemala. It is also the capital of the department of Huehuetenango. The city is situated from Guatemala City, and is the last departmental capital on the Pan-American Hi ...

. It is situated at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

. The municipality has a population of 49,607 (2018 census) and covers an area of 287 km².

Geography

Aguacatán is set in a mountainous area. From the central market, a walk of six blocks will put you in farmland. Aguacatán was served primarily by dirt roads cutting through the mountains. The dirt road suffered from erosion, potholes and landslides. The paving of the roads to Huehuetenango and Sacapulas and Nebaj was completed in 2006. It now links Aguacatán to the Pan American Highway (near Huehuetenango), and to markets and opportunities for economic growth. The Nacimiento del Rio San Juan is a natural spring where water pours up out of a small pool. The pool is surrounded by pipes that tap into the water supply. Irrigation from the spring explains the prolific agriculture in the area. The Nacimiento has a park with benches and a two-story observation area.

Demographics

Aguacatán is the only municipality in the world in which Awakateko is the native language. In outlying areas, even just a walk uphill to Aldea San Miguel or up the mountain road to Chex, the native language is Kʼicheʼ. Awakateko is spoken in some other aldeas, including Llano Coyote, near Rio San Juan. Awakateko and Kʼicheʼe' are both

Mayan languages The Mayan languages In linguistics, it is conventional to use ''Mayan'' when referring to the languages, or an aspect of a language. In other academic fields, ''Maya'' is the preferred usage, serving as both a singular and plural noun, and a ...

. Other languages spoken in the municipality are Mam and Chalchitek.

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

is also spoken by most residents. Principal religions are

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

and

Evangelicalism Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

Economy

A central market is open most days. Bus service connects Aguacatán to Huehuetenango and other cities. Internet and telephone services are available. Poor economic conditions have prompted some residents to travel for work to other parts of Guatemala, and also to Mexico and the United States. Some have settled in

Tuscarawas County, Ohio Tuscarawas County ( ) is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 93,263. Its county seat is New Philadelphia. Its name is a Delaware Indian word variously translated as "o ...

History

Aguacatán suffered much violence during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, especially in the early 1980s. The aldea of Chex was attacked, and is now five sub-communities. In the elections of December 30, 2003, 11 candidates challenged the incumbent mayor. The election results were disputed, a rally of most residents called for a new election, and the mayor closed city offices and operations for months.

Climate

Aguacatán has a

subtropical highland climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...

(

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cwb'').

References

External links

*
Muni in Spanish
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aguacatan Municipalities of the Huehuetenango Department