Sacatepéquez () is one of the 22 departments of Guatemala. The name comes from Sacatepéquez, a city from 21 November 1542, until 29 July 1773, when it was destroyed by the 1773 Guatemala earthquake.
The capital of the department is Antigua Guatemala. Other important cities include Ciudad Vieja and San Lucas Sacatepéquez, which also hosts a marketplace and is a culinary attraction. The Chajoma were a group of indigenous people who were Kaqchikel speaking Maya, they identified Mixco Viejo as their capital, and spread throughout the Sacatepequez Department until their capital was moved to Ciudad Vieja, in Antigua.
Name The name Sacatepéquez is derived from a Nahuatl word which means "grasshill", referring to the hilly terrain in the department.
It has also been spelled Zacatepeques.
Geography The area is mountainous, with what the British described, in 1850, as a "mild climate." Guatemala hosts a chain of active and dormant volcanoes, with those in Sacatepequez including Acatenango, Volcán de Agua (Volcano of Water), and Volcán de Fuego (Volcano of Fire). Jocotes, a fruit of the cashew family, grow in the region.
Population Sacatepéquez Department has a population of 330,469 (2018 census). 40.2% of the population identifies as Maya, with 37.7% belonging to the Kaqchikel Maya. In 1850, the area had a population of an estimated 56,000. The southern area, which is closer to Guatemala City, has the largest population.
Municipalities
+#MunicipalityPopulation (2018)Density (/km²) Area (km2)1Antigua46,054 692Sumpango37,260 623Ciudad Vieja33,405 274Santiago Sacatepéquez29,238365San Lucas Sacatepéquez23,986 256Alotenango23,369 387Santa María de Jesús21,938 238Jocotenango21,657 109Pastores17,814 1910Santa Lucía Milpas Altas15,570 1911San Miguel Dueñas12,696 4512Santo Domingo Xenacoj12,402 1914Magdalena Milpas Altas11,856 1913San Antonio Aguas Calientes11,347 715San Bartolomé Milpas Altas7,816 516Santa Catarina Barahona4,061 31Sacatepéquez330,469Datos del departamento de Sacatepéquez INE 2018725/km² 454 km
Economy
The more populated areas produce fruit and various crops, including maize. Livestock is also raised, with trade going towards Guatemala City. The southern area of the department produces coffee, sugar, tobacco, and cotton. As of 1850, products were being shipped out of Iztapa. Although Guatemala is able to produce cash crops such as bananas and textiles, 72% of people living in rural areas live in poverty with 31% of them reaching extreme poverty.
Culture
Art Sacatepéquez is also home to the National Museum of Guatemalan Art, which is located in Antigua Guatemala.
See also Chajoma Guatemalan Highlands
References
External links