Opico (or San Juan Opico) 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
La Libertad department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
of
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
.
It is located 42 kilometers from San Salvador, capital of the republic. The municipality has an area of 218 km² and a population of 74,280 inhabitants; according to the 2007 census it is ranked No. 13 in population.
Within its territory are pre-Columbian archaeological sites like
Joya de Cerén
Joya de Cerén (''Jewel of Cerén'' in the Spanish language) is an archaeological site in La Libertad Department, El Salvador, featuring a pre-Columbian Maya farming village.
The ancient Maya site of Joya de Cerén is located in the Zapotitán V ...
and
San Andrés and a church built in the colonial era.
History
Opico was established as an Indian village in 1572 and received the title of town in 1881.
Administrative divisions
It has 27 cantons:
San Jose la Cueva, Talcualuya, El Castillo, Buena Vista, Nombre de Dios, San Antonio, San Pedro Martir, Tehuicho, Barranca Honda, Los Amates, Pitichorro, Nueva Encarnación, Chantusnene, San Nicolás Encarnación, Minas de Plomo, San Pedro Oriente, San Felipe, Los Encuentros, Agua Escondida, Lomas de Santiago, Joya de Ceren, Sitio del Niño, Chanmico, Matazano, Sitio Grande, El Jabali, Las Delicias, and Las Granadillas.
Sports
The local football club is named
Juventud Independiente
Club Deportivo Juventud Independiente, also commonly known as Juventud Independiente, is a professional Salvadoran football club, based in San Juan Opico, La Libertad, El Salvador.
Founded on 7 September 1943, holding home matches at Complejo ...
and it played in the
Salvadoran Premier Division after being promoted in Summer 2011. Now they play in the second division. They play their home games at the
Complejo Municipal
Complejo Municipal San Juan Opico is a sports complex which local soccer team Juventud Independiente use as their home field in the Primera Division de Futbol Professional in El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially ...
.
External links
Municipal website
Municipalities of the La Libertad Department (El Salvador)
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