Esquipulas

Esquipulas (Nahuatl: Isquitzuchil, "place where flowers abound"), officially Municipality of Esquipulas, whose original name was Yzquipulas, is a town, with a population of 18,667 (2018 census),Citypopulation.de Population of cities & towns in Guatemala and a municipality located in the department of Chiquimula, in eastern Guatemala. Esquipulas' main attraction is the beautiful located in the Basilica of Esquipulas, making the town an important place of Catholic pilgrimage for Central America. It is also one of the most important towns of the country and one that has had the most economic and cultural growth.

In 2002, it was registered on UNESCO's tentative World Heritage list.

The city is a tourist attraction due to its ecological and religious importance. It is the most visited city and town across eastern Guatemala and the second most visited in the country, surpassed only by the City of Guatemala, visited annually by approximately four to five million tourists and devout Catholics, this due to its important and varied religious resorts and distributed in the 495 km2, the smallest city visited by Pope John Paul II in 1996 which entitled him recognition as Capital Central to the Faith, whose recognition is currently known as to this city, which was also visited by Teresa of Calcutta, hosted the Esquipulas Peace Accords during the mid-1980s.:es:Acuerdo de Esquipulas The Basilica of Esquipulas headquarters in Central Catholic Faith is the first wonder of Guatemala competition held by the Industrial Bank on November 26, 2008.

In 1987 the Trifinio Biosphere Reserve was created to protect the unique flora and fauna in the region.

The territory comprises an area of 495 km2, distributed in 20 villages, 123 sub villages, one town and two villas which are Timushán and Chanmagua, with a total population of 53,556 (2018 census); with the town of Esquipulas having a population of 18,667 which represents 35% of the total population of the municipality. Esquipulas is located 222 kilometers from Guatemala City, 9.5 kilometers from the border with the Republic of Honduras and 45 kilometers from the city of Chiquimula, bordering the municipalities of Olopa, Jocotán and the department Camotán Chiquimula to the north and the municipality of Metapan, El Salvador to the south. To the east it meets the departments of Copán and Ocotepeque, Honduras and to the west, the municipality of Concepción Las Minas and the Resume Chiquimula department.

History

Pre-Hispanic

The northern region and center of Esquipulas is located within the geographical area known as Region Ch'orti' people of Guatemala. Chorti culture and the Kingdom Payaki or Payaqui which was notable for leaving some of their old architectures developed within this municipality.

Culture Chorti

The first settlers were descendants from Maya people of Copán (archaeological site) Copán, Honduras who came to these lands, shortly after they were forming groups or ethnic groups including ethnic Ch'orti ', these moved Esquipulas after leaving or moving of its ancient cities, this culture achievement develop for several years, even after of the Spanish conquest these were gradually disappearing from the municipality and moved to other municipality such as Camotan, Chiquimula and Jocotan, although they reached the Valley of Esquipulas, this culture is developed more in the villages Timushan and Chanmagua.

Kingdom Payaqui

Another ethnic group who lived in this municipality was ethnically Payaqui. The priest Topiltzín Axcitl or Nacxit was the founder of the Kingdom of Payaqui. The origin of this town, is located in the depths of the mystery of the cultura maya (the name Isquitzuchil´ appears in the history from the earliest times in 1000 BC).

16th Century

Spanish colonization

In 1524 Spanish forces first established themselves in the area now known as Guatemala with the settling of the area's first municipality at Tecpan. By 1525 Spanish forces had reached the region South of the Valley of Monte Christo, this region then being inhabited by the Chorti Indians.

Conquest of Isquitzuchil

In 1525, the captains Juan Pérez Dardón, Sancho de Barahona and Bartolomé Becerra under the command of Pedro de Alvarado conquered the province of Chiquimula, and as a result the Catholic religion was imposed upon the conquered peoples. In April 1530 the locals led by chieftains Copantl and Galel again revolted against the conquerors and as a result, Don Francisco de Orduña ordered the captains Pedro de Amalina and Hernando de Chávez that they leave from Mitlan to "pacify" the region, who departed along with 60 Marines, 400 Allied Indians and 30 horses. The region was well defended and hindered the entry of the Spanish army. After fighting for 3 days, the inhabitants of the region finally surrendered, mostly for peace and public tranquility, and also for fear of the Castilian arms, in the words of the Chief.

Esquipulas

Between 1550 and 1560 the town of Yzquipulas (later Esquipulas) was founded in this region by Juan Pérez Dardón. Dardón brought with him slaves of Mayan-Chortí and Mayan-Payaquí origin from other regions of the province of Chiquimula de la Sierra. The main street in town was laid out, running from the main Iglesia de Santiago in the South, to the town's aqueduct in the North. The city plan eventually grew to include two city plazas, now known as "Parque de la Basilica," in the South and in the North, adjacent to the older parish church "Iglesia de Santiago,"is the "Parque Centroamerica" plaza.

In the early 1700s Esquipulas was one of the most populous Spanish communities in the area. According to the town's baptismal registry, it then had a population of 198 people. A century later, the records reflected that the community had reached 851 inhabitants, representing 30% of the total population of the department of Chiquimula. Apparently settlers were attracted to the region by the great fertility of its valleys.

Catholicism in Esquipulas

In 1594, the villagers asked the Portuguese sculptor Quirio Cataño to sculpt a crucified Christ with a dark complexion. The Portuguese sculptor, who resided in Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala, delivered the Black Christon October 4, 1594, as established in the initial contract. The image was collected by the inhabitants of Esquipulas and taken to their small town, arriving on March 9, 1595, and initially installed in a small shrine in a monastic hermitage just outside of the town. The inhabitants of that time called the sculpture "miraculous", which drew the attention of the surrounding Catholic populations. By 1650 the town was one of the most important Catholic sites of the captaincy general since it was visited by people from the provinces of El Salvador and Comayagua. In 1680, the construction of the Santiago Church began, which was completed in 1682, the year in which the sculpture of the Black Christ was moved from the hermitage.

In 1740 the fifteenth bishop of Guatemala, fray Pedro Pardo de Figueroa, in order to attend the ever-growing pilgrimages dedicated to the Christ of Esquipulas and in gratitude for the healing of a disease, commissioned the construction of a larger basilica to the architect Felipe José de Porres, son of Diego de Porres and grandson of José de Porres, renowned senior architects of the capital city of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, Santiago de los Caballeros.

Fray Pedro Pardo de Figueroa died on February 2, 1751, during a visit to Esquipulas to supervise the construction of the sanctuary and was buried in the basilica of Esquipulas, according to his last will. He was replaced by Francisco de Figueredo y Victoria, who continued the construction of the basilica, which was completed at the end of 1758. On November 4 of that year he decreed the solemn dedication of the new sanctuary, which was inaugurated on January 4, 1759. The image of the Christ of Esquipulas was transferred to the new basilica on Saturday January 6, 1759.

Education + Municipality villages and hamletsVillageSurfaceSquare km HamletsCity of Esquipulas hamlets There are four hamlets within the city and, even though they are not outside city limits, there are considerably far away from downtown: El Ciracil, El Sillón, Tizaquín and Vuelta GrandeAtulapa37Agua Caliente, Amatal, Agua Zarca, Bojorquez, Canoas, El Barrial, El Cerrón, Horno de Vides, La Brea, La Casona, Mesa Grande, Montesinas and ZompoperoSanta Rosalía31El Duraznal, El Jocotal, El Limón, La Cuestona, Las Toreras, El Portezuelo and Plan de La AradaSan Nicolás32El Barrial, El Cascajal, Chaguitón, Guayabito, Miramundo and TecomapaLa Granadilla40El Chuctal, El Olvido, El Porvenir and FloripundioOlopita46Cuevitas, El Bueyero, Las Crucitas, Olopita Centro, Piedra Redonda, San Cristóbal, San Juan and TontolesValle Dolores33El Chaguite, El Chorro, Los Vados, San Juan Arriba and Tierra ColoradaBelén (El Tablón)10Agua Zarca, Chiramay, El Zapote and La Ruda Cruz Alta27Curruche and Las PalmasJagua (Las Cañas)37El Empedrado, El Encino, El Jicaro, El Peñasco (Death plane), El Pinalito, El Salitre, La Cumbre, Las Sopas, Lagunas, Llano de Guerra, Ojo de Agua, Palmitas, Rincón de María, San Francisco Buena Vista and TareasLas Peñas30El Incienso, El Palmar, El Pesote, Joyas Verdes, La Fortuna, Miramundo and QueserasEl Zarzal19El Guineal, Malcotal, Potrerillos, Zapotal and ZapotalitoValle de Jesús6 Valle de JesúsSan Isidro10Capucal, El Chuctal, Entre Ríos and MalcotalitoChanmagua30El Pedregal, Las Pozas, Los Varales and Laguna SecaCafetales20La Aradona, La Rinconada, Loma Alta and Llano LargoEl Carrizal25Bailadero, Joyitas, Llano de los Toros, Pericos and Tabloncito Horcones15Calzontes, El Zarzalito, Piedra de Amolar, Tablón de Gámez and TishacTimushán40Cañada del Pino, El Mojón, El Bajío, Loma del Mango, Los Fierros, Llano de San Gaspar, Malcinca, Pasaljá, San Antonio Sulay, San Miguel Mapa, Suyate and Tablón de Sulay Monteros10El Horno and El Rincón de LeónCarboneras10El Rincón

52% (27.664 inh.) of the population is made up young people within 0 and 25 years of age, of which 64% (17.705) of that 52% (27.664) of young scholars. Education quality is high active Esquipulas, +89.0, the best quality education across the east. The Esquipulas educational calendar is 180 days, the dates may vary, the most common are from 18 January to 12 October (10 months) and a total of 90 days or 3 months off. 70% (12.393) study in private institutions that are several in Esquipulas, while only 30% (5.311) study in the public institutions of government.

Esquipulas has stood massively in youth participation in National Science Olympiad in Guatemala, which is in charge of the University of San Carlos de Guatemala, taking several gold medals, silver and bronze as well as awards for part of the young participants.

Esquipulan Winners in the ONC (USAC) Esquipulan winners in the National Olympiad of Science (ONC) are various and Esquipulas has the largest share and the highest number of awards won. Participants go to various materials and are: mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, chemistry, physics and biology major, degrees from 1° to 3° basic or secondary and diversified.

Tourism

Because of its importance as a tourist and religious center, the population of Esquipulas is dedicated mostly to that trade, although there is also a strong coffee industry which produces some of the best varieties available. Currently, religious tourism and hospitality industry has boomed, fueled by the large number of pilgrims visiting the sacred image of the Black Christ of Esquipulas.