La Palma is a

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

in the

Chalatenango department Chalatenango () is a department of El Salvador, located in the northwest of the country. The capital is the city of Chalatenango. The Chalatenango Department encompasses 2,017 km² and contains more than 204,000 inhabitants. ''Las Matras ...

of El Salvador. The municipality, located in a mountainous area of the country, covers an area of 135.60 km² and as of 2006 had an approximate population of 24,000. It has historical importance since it played a fundamental role as a site for negotiations and battles between guerrillas and the government during Civil War of El Salvador. Much of the municipality is mountainous and has a thriving artisan community. It is one of the most notable centres of craft in the country and the revenue generated from crafts through tourism and exports are crucial to the economy.

History

Arising from the colonial period, the name derives from a place formerly called the Palmita, a small village in the area located near Nonuapa River. After a flood of that river in 1882, their settlers moved to the present place and founded La Palma. In 1959 by Legislative Decree, it became a town and municipality, consisting of the cantons of Los Horcones, Los Planes, Las Granadillas, El Gramal, San José Sacaré, El Túnel, El Aguacatal and San Josecalera. The area has great relevance in the

History of El Salvador The history of El Salvador begins with several Mesoamerican nations, especially the Cuzcatlecs, as well as the Lenca and Maya. In the early 16th century, the Spanish Empire conquered the territory, incorporating it into the Viceroyalty of Ne ...

since it played a prominent role in the solution of

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 ...

. From 1980, the municipality was a platform of the ideological work of the guerrillas and later, it served as a battleground for combat between the insurgents and the army. On October 15, 1984, the president Jose Napoleón Duarte and the leaders of the Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional (FMLN) had their first encounter, initiating the treaty that would culminate with Peace Accords of Chapultepec.

Geography

The municipality covers an area of approximately 131,89 km ². Its jurisdictional borders are: to the north with San Ignacio, to the south with Agua Caliente, the east with Honduras and the municipalities of

San Fernando San Fernando may refer to: People *Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia Places Argentina *San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...

, San Francisco Morazán and

La Reina La Reina ( Spanish: "The Queen") is a commune of Chile located in Santiago Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region created in 1963 from an eastern portion of the Ñuñoa commune. It belongs to the Northeastern zone of Santiago de Chile. La Re ...

, and to the west with Metapan and

Citalá Citalá is a municipality in the Chalatenango department Chalatenango () is a department of El Salvador, located in the northwest of the country. The capital is the city of Chalatenango. The Chalatenango Department encompasses 2,017 km² ...

, borders by the

Lempa River The Lempa River ( es, Río Lempa) is a river in Central America. Geography Its sources are located in between the Sierra Madre and the Sierra del Merendón in southern Guatemala, near the town of Olopa. In Guatemala the river is called ''Rí ...

. La Palma is part of the mountainous zone of El Salvador, enjoying a cool climate. Administratively, the municipality is divided in 8 cantons and 87 small villages (caserios) in the rural area and 6 districts in the urban area. On July 1 of 1956, it was estimated that the population of La Palma was 5,337, 2,780 male and 2,957 female. In 2006, however it was calculated that municipality of La Palma had a total population of 24,000 inhabitants in the urban and rural areas.

Climate

Economy

The economy of La Palma is based principally on the arts and crafts. 75% of the population lives off this trade and the revenue from tourism. The other 25% is involved in

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

, the primary crops being

vegetables Vegetables are parts of plants that are consumed by humans or other animals as food. The original meaning is still commonly used and is applied to plants collectively to refer to all edible plant matter, including the flowers, fruits, stems ...

, corn,

beans A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes thr ...

and

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. Seeds of ...

Arts

In the 1970s, Fernando Llort developed the arts in the municipality, developing an artisan industry that is the main employer in La Palma. There are around 100 crafts factories in the locality, half of which are dedicated to

export An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...

. The growth of the artisan export in the municipality does not correspond to the national trend.

Agriculture

Coffee production is, according to the municipal economic report of 2006, the second most important industry in La Palma, although it has been decreasing due to the strong competition of foreign producers. In 1988, coffee production accounted for over half of El Salvador's revenue from exports, whereas for 2004 it has fallen dramatically to just 7%.

Tourist attractions

*13 kilometers outside La Palma town is Miramundo. It is located in the hill forest at an altitude of 2400 metres and is noted for its cool climate. The average temperature average of Miramundo is just 12 °C. *3 kilometers away is San Ignacio, a small town at 1010 metres. There are hotels and several organized tourist activities in the area.

and the

are just a few minutes north of San Ignacio. * Las Pilas is located in mountain forest of La Palma, with a very cold climate, even more so than Miramundo. The main agricultural products there are

blackberries The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family (biology), family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus' ...

, strawberries,

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-f ...

es,

lettuce Lettuce (''Lactuca sativa'') is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, ...

and cabbages. *The Cayahuanca Stone (Piedra Cayahuanca) is to 4 kilometers to the north of San Ignacio between Honduras and El Salvador, approximately 1550 metres above sea level. The rock marks the territorial border, giving a panoramic view of both countries. During

Easter Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the '' Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel ...

, the local inhabitants and visitors meet at the point of Cayahuanca the Stone and camp overnight. * El Pital is 12 kilometers from the town of La Palma. At a height of 2730 metres it is the highest point of the Salvadoran territory. It is a mountain in the middle of a cloudy forest that has an average annual temperature of 10 °C. On April 13, 2004, the temperature hit record lows and much of the hill was covered by a frost and ice that caused commotion between the settlers, attributing the phenomenon to a supposed " nevada"

References

External links

La Palma - Chalatenango, El SalvadorArtisan communityLa Palma El Salvador Official Page
{{Chalatenango Department Municipalities of the Chalatenango Department