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Quetzaltenango
More commonly known as Xela (SHEH-lah) is the second most populous city of Guatemala, after Guatemala City. It is both the capital of Quetzaltenango Departmentand the municipal seat of Quetzaltenango municipality.
It has an estimated population of 300,000. The population is about 65% indigenous orAmerindian, 32% Mestizo or ladino, and 3% European. Quetzaltenango is located in a mountain valley at an altitude of 2,333 meters (7,655 ft) above sea level.
The Municipality of Xela (Quetzaltenango) consists of an area of 127 Km2. Municipalities abutting the Municipality of Xela include : Salcajá, Cantel, Almolonga, Zunil, El Palmar, Concepción Chiquirichapa, San Mateo, La Esperanza, Olintepeque, and San Andrés Xecul. All these municipalities are part of the Department of Quetzaltenango, except San Andrés Xecul which is part of the Department of Totonicapán.
In Pre-Columbian times Quetzaltenango was a city of the Mam Maya people called Xelajú, although by the time of the Spanish Conquest it had become part of the K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj. The name may be derived from "Xe laju' noj" meaning "under ten mountains". The city was said to have already been over 300 years old when the Spanish first arrived. With the help of his allies, Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado defeated and killed the Maya ruler Tecún Umán here. When Alvarado conquered the city for Spain in the 1520s, he called it by theNahuatl name used by his Central Mexican Indian allies, "Quetzaltenango", generally considered to mean "the place of the quetzal bird" (although see note on etymology below). Quetzaltenango became the city's official name in colonial times. However, many people (especially, but not only, the indigenous population) continue to call the city "Xelajú" (pronounced shay-lah-WHO) or more commonly Xela for short, and some proudly, but unofficially, consider it the "capital of the Mayas".
From 1838 to 1840 Quetzaltenango was capital of the state of Los Altos, one of the states or provinces of theFederal Republic of Central America. As the union broke up, the army of Guatemala under Rafael Carrera conquered Quetzaltenango making it again part of Guatemala.
In the 19th century, coffee was introduced as a major crop in the area and the economy of Xela prospered. Much fine Belle Époque architecture can still be found in the city.
In 1930 the only electric railway in Guatemala, the Ferrocarril de los Altos, was inaugurated, which was later destroyed by mudslides and finally demolished in 1933. It had been built by AEG and Krupp and it consisted of 14 wagons. The track connected Quetzaltenango with San Felipe Retalhuleu. The people of Quetzaltenango are still very proud of their railway. A railway museum has been established in the city centre.
Recently, the city has become a popular destination for foreign students studying the Spanish language or Mayan language.
There are two main seasons in Quetzaltenango: the rainy season, which generally runs from May through mid-November, and the dry season, which runs from December until May. During the rainy season, rain falls consistently, usually in the afternoons. During the dry season, the city frequently will not receive a single drop of rain for months on end. From December through February, the days are quite warm, but the temperature drops dramatically during the nights.
Quetzaltenango is home to the Club Xelajú MC (PHOTOS) soccer team. The team competes atEstadio Mario Camposeco which has a capacity of 13,500 and is the most successful non-capital team in the Liga Nacional de Guatemala. It is also home to a rugby team in the newly formed Guatemalan rugby union and has enjoyed moderate success in the competition.
There are dozens of Internet cafés in Xela. Prices vary but most charge between Q3 to Q6 per hour. Some cafés have music, food and other activities and some just offer Internet and computer rentals. There are a several coffee shops, bars and hotels offering free wireless to attract those who happen to have a laptop handy.
If you live in Quetzaltenango you can obtain internet access in your home for as low as $20.00 per month for 128kbs up to $60 a month for 1meg connection. The 3 cellular companies also offer 3g wireless throughout Guatemala.
The original Nahuatl name was quetzaltenānco, quetzal-tenān-co, of which a likely etymology is:
or
(Note that while quetzalli also means feather of the quetzal bird it also means something erected, and it became associated with quetzalfeathers because those were the kind of feathers that Mesoamerican rulers used in their erect head-dresses.)
Pasaje Enriquez
Bank OF Occidente
Umial Tinimit Re Xelajuj Noj
Soccer Sport Club Of Xela (Xelaju MC)
Pasaje Enriquez
Chicken Bus Guatemala
Chicken Bus Guatemala
The Cuatro Caminos intersection outside the city
