Alta Verapaz | |
---|---|
Depairtment | |
![]() Alta Verapaz | |
Coordinates: 15°30′N 90°20′W / 15.500°N 90.333°W | |
Kintra | ![]() |
Depairtment | Alta Verapaz |
Caipital | Cobán |
Municipalities | 16 |
Govrenment | |
• Teep | Depairtmental |
• Govrenor | Dominga Tecúm Camil |
Area | |
• Depairtment | 8686 km2 (3,354 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 2800 m (9,200 ft) |
Lowest elevation | 300 m (1,000 ft) |
Population (Census 2002)[1] | |
• Depairtment | 776,246 |
• Urban | 163,012 |
• Ethnicities | Q'eqchi' poqomchi' Ladino |
• Religions | Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya |
Time zone | -6 |
Alta Verapaz is a depairtment in the north central pairt o Guatemala. The caipital an chief ceety o the depairtment is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered tae the north bi El Petén, tae the east bi Izabal, tae the sooth bi Zacapa, El Progreso, an Baja Verapaz, an tae the wast bi El Quiché.
An aw in Alta Verapaz are the touns o Chisec, San Pedro Carchá an San Cristóbal Verapaz.
In Pre-Columbie times this aurie wis pairt o the Maya ceevilization. When the Spaingie Conquistadores came in the 1520s thay conquered the central an soothren heichlands o Guatemala, but wur driven back frae this region bi fierce native resistance. Spaingie friars asked the unsuspicious natives for a chance tae "peacefully" convert the land tae Christianity, which thay succeeded in, giein the aurie the name "Verapaz" meanin "True Peace" syne it wis sae cunningly brocht tae Christianity an control o the king o Spain athoot warfare. In the 19t century this became an important coffee producin region.
As a result o the Mexican Drog War, the Los Zetas drog cartel members owerteuk hintle o the depairtment an occupee'd mony touns in December 2010. The Guatemalan govrenment declared a state o siege on December 19 tae reclaim the depairtment, allouin the militar an polis forces tae sairch an reest ony suspects athout a warrant, an at least saxteen biggins wur searched.[2][3]