Chalchuapa
Chalchuapa (Its name comes from Nahuat and means Jade River or where jade abounds) is a city in the homonymous district of the department of Santa Ana, in the western part of El Salvador, 13 km west of the city of Santa Ana and 78 km from San Salvador. With an elevation of 720 m s. n. m., has a territorial area of approximately 165.76 km². The dominant land type is rural with 98% (162.27 km²) and municipal urban area with 2% (3.31 km²).
Toponymy
The name Chalchuapa comes from Nahuat. It is composed of the roots Chalch, short for chalchihuit which means jade, hua, meaning possession in abundance, and pa, locative suffix.
Physical geography
Limited to the north by the department of Jutiapa, Guatemala; to the east, with the municipalities of Candelaria de la Frontera, El Porvenir, San Sebastián Salitrillo and Santa Ana; to the south with Nahuizalco and Juayúa (both in the department of Sonsonate); and to the west with San Lorenzo, Atiquizaya and El Refugio (all belonging to the department of Ahuachapán). It is located between 14˚09'25" and 13˚50'56" north latitude, and between 89˚37'16" and 89˚44'47" west longitude.
The city of Chalchuapa is located in the central valley of the municipality. The northern and southern parts are quite mountainous, with a series of hills, among which La Olla, Chucamitepeque, Divisadero, El Pital, Mala Cara and the Chingo volcano on the border with Guatemala stand out; the southern region has heights greater than 1800 m above. n. m. in the Cerros de Las Ranas, El Águila, Las Cruces and Ayeco.
History
The Chalchuapa area has been inhabited since pre-Columbian times by Poqomame and Pipil groups.
In 1550, the town had about 350 inhabitants.
On May 9, 1586, Brother Alonso Ponce, during his visit to the Franciscan convents between Mexico and Nicaragua as general commissioner of the Order of Saint Francis, passed through Chalchuapa (which I called Chalchuapan) after leaving Ahuachapán and passing through Atiquizaya. According to the friar, the town was large and a clergyman already resided there. He described that in the town there were many gourds and that the carving of gourds to make bowls, casseroles, cups and other vessels used to consume chocolate and other cocoa drinks was the common work of Indians, blacks and even poor Spaniards. These gourds, converted into utensils and painted, were sold at high prices and taken to Mexico and other parts of New Spain. After stopping for a while in the town, the friar continued to Santa Ana.
According to the geographical relationship made in 1740 by the mayor of San Salvador, Manuel de Gálvez Corral, the town of Santiago Chalchuapan had a population of 340 Indians and 225 ladinos, mulattos and mestizos, and soldiers from two companies of relief for the coasts. He had abundant crops of corn, beans, cotton, and raised chickens.
Post-independence
The municipality of Chalchuapa was part of the department of Sonsonate. Because it is located on the route that leads from Guatemala to San Salvador, the town was occupied by troops several times.
On July 14, 1827, the federal army under the command of General Manuel José Arce invaded Salvadoran territory and occupied the plaza of Chalchuapa. On October 19, the federal army stationed in Chalchuapa suffered the desertion of the Santaneca and Sonsonateca troops, and after this event, they evacuated the square.
On January 29, 1828, the federal army, under the command of Brigadier Manuel de Arzú, invaded the territory for the third time with 3,000 soldiers and occupied the Chalchuapa plaza without resistance. In March, at seven in the morning, 3,000 Salvadoran soldiers under the command of General Rafael Merino attacked the federal army in Chalchuapa.
In 1830, the population suffered a smallpox epidemic, and in 1837 it suffered an epidemic of cholera morbus.
In the report of material improvements of the department of Sonsonate made by Governor Teodoro Moreno on June 21, 1854, he noted: "The state of its works is unknown because Mr. 1st Mayor, who was declared liable for the fine of 10 pesos, without prejudice to sending it within eight days."
In the report of September 6, Governor Tomás Medina noted: "One hundred and as many stone blocks have been paved in the part of Barranca Honda that corresponds to the jurisdiction of said town, having given it eight yards wide. The paths named Tres-Ceibas and the others that correspond to it have been composed."
In the report of October 12, Governor Tomás Medina noted: "The corresponding paving of the Barranca Honda was completed."
During the administration of Senator President José María Peralta, the title of town was conferred upon it by legislative agreement of February 11, 1859.
In the report of the governor of the department of Santa Ana, Teodoro Moreno, made on December 31, 1858, it was reported that a masonry bridge 30 yards long and 7 yards wide had been completed over the San Juan River in the road to Guatemala and that all that remained was for the opening of the street to be completed so that people could travel through it.
The mayor elected for the year 1863 was Mr. Eligio Escobar.
In 1867, the agricultural sector of the municipality produced 1,540 quintals of coffee (from 132 coffee farms), 1,028 quintals of muscovado, 337 quintals of tobacco and 4,053 arrobas of sugar.
During the administration of President Rafael Zaldívar, the title of city was conferred on it by legislative decree of February 15, 1878.
On December 29, 1896, the Charity Portfolio of the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, Development and Justice approved the Statutes of the Chalchuapa Hospital made on December 21 by the president of the new establishment, Julián Carazo, and his partners.
Demography
Currently (2017) it has a population of 84,510 inhabitants according to DIGESTYC: Estimates and Projections of Municipal Population 2005 - 2025, occupying the 14th position in population.
Politics
Its current municipal mayor is the engineer Jorge Morán.
Economy
The inhabitants of the municipality of Chalchuapa live mainly from agricultural activities and commerce. The most important crops are coffee, basic grains, sugar cane, grasses and citrus fruits. Cattle, pigs and poultry are raised.
The most important industries are: coffee processing which is carried out in the processing centers: EL Tazumal, Las Victorias, Cuscachapa and San Ignacio; the sugar factory, for which there is the Magdalena sugar mill; factories for clothing, footwear, dairy products, cement pipes and other construction materials.
Commerce is very active, because the municipal understanding is bordering the Republic of Guatemala.
Transports
The city of Chalchuapa is connected by paved roads with the towns of Atiquizaya, Turín, Ahuachapán, San Sebastián Salitrillo and Santa Ana; by dirt road, with towns like El Porvenir. Local roads link the municipal seat with Cantonés and hamlets.
The streets are paved, cobbled, cobbled and dirt, the most important are General Ramón Flores Street and 2 de Abril Avenue.
Heritage
The colonial church of Chalchuapa has a statue of Santiago Apóstol, which dates back approximately 350 years. There is also a museum of religious art where you can admire true jewels of goldsmithing and sculpture, as well as historical documents of this city.
Places such as Tazumal, Casa Blanca, El Trapiche, Las Victorias, Laguna Seca and Laguna Cuzcachapa, among others, constitute the best example of pre-Hispanic presence in the territory. Another curious and significant fact is that the city went through all archaeological periods, also becoming the oldest evidence of human occupation in El Salvador. In the surroundings, the material vestiges of these ancient groups that inhabited the area rise to the surface; Among these have been found pieces of ceramics, engravings, carved stones, jade and obsidian.
Archaeological Sites
Archaeological investigations have shown that the current city of Chalchuapa has at least 3,200 years of continuous human occupation. The record of this long past includes a wide variety of archaeological features, including several groups of monumental architecture related to different periods of the community's prehistory. Three of these groups are currently protected, including the two from the late preclassic period (400 BC – 200 AD) from El Trapiche and Casa Blanca; and that of the classic to early postclassic of Tazumal (200 - 1200 AD). Two monumental Olmec sculptures are the southernmost examples known in Mesoamerica. Likewise, it is considered that Chalchua would have been an outstanding center in late preclassic times; and in its classical period it appears to have hosted the development of a local ethnic group that became important in much of central and western El Salvador at the end of this period. On the other hand, the town also has important examples of architecture from the colonial and republican periods.
The archaeological sites from the pre-Hispanic era are:
- The Trapiche (occupation: preclassic period)
- White House (occupation: late preclassic period and late classic)
- Laguna Cuzcachapa (Strateified sequence of 1,200 B.C. to 1524 AD).
- Tazumal (occupation: classic to early postclassic period)
- Dry Lagoon (occupation: early postclassic period)
- Victorias (occupation: preclassic period)
- Peñate (occupation: postclassic period)
- Amulunga (occupation: classic period)
- Bolinas (occupation: preclassic period)
- New Tazumal (occupation: early postclassic period)
Administrative division
Cantons
- Canton Ayutepeque
- Cantón Buenos Aires
- Canton El Arado
- Canton The Duraznillo
- Canton El Coco
- Canton The Cuje
- Canton El Paste
- Canton The Tank
- Canton El Zacamil
- Canton Galeano
- Canton Santa Rosa Guachipilín
- Canton La Libertad
- Canton La Magdalena
- Canton Las Cruces
- Canton Las Flores
- Canton Water Eye
- Canton Stone Rajada
- Canton Porvenir Jocotillo
- Canton San José
- Canton San Sebastián Las Iguanas
Urbanism
The city has different recreational places such as the 20-30 field, the Progreso Stadium popularly known as 'El Modelo', as well as restaurants.
Culture
Scouting
Chalchuapa has 1 group affiliated with the Scout Association of El Salvador, linked to the World Organization of the Scout Movement, the Tazumal Scout Group #97 was founded in January 1970 and to date has a scout unit and a rover clan. largest in the West and in all of El Salvador, with 8 patrols and 40 clan members respectively.
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