Santa Cruz El Chol
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name = Santa Cruz El Chol
|imagesize = 300px
|pushpin_map = Guatemala
|pushpin_label_position = bottom
|pushpin_map_caption = Location en Guatemala
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = 25px Guatemala
|subdivision_type1 = Department
|subdivision_name1 = 25px Baja Verapaz
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_party = FCN-Nación
|unit_pref = Metric
|coordinates = {{coord|14|57|43|N|90|29|14|W|region:GT|display=inline}}
|blank_name = Climate
|blank_info = BSh
|elevation_m=1008
|population_total= 8460
|population_as_of=2002
|area_total_km2= 140
}}
Santa Cruz El Chol ({{IPA|es|ˈsanta ˈkɾus el tʃol}}) is a municipality in the Baja Verapaz department of Guatemala. It is situated at 1008 m above sea level and contains about 8817 people.{{sfn|SEGEPLAN|n.d.|p=}} It covers a terrain of 140 km² and its annual festival is held from December 6-December 8.
History
= First settlers =
Originally, the region was named "Santa Cruz Belén de los Indios Choles" (Bethlehem Holy Cross of the Chole Indians), and it was settled in 1603 (according to the friar Joseph H. Sotomayor), which makes it one of the oldest Spanish towns in Guatemala.
= 18th century =
{{Main|Kingdom of Guatemala}}
In the early 1710s, friar and chronicler Francisco Ximénez, O.P. wrote in the fifth volume of what is known as Historia de la Providencia de San Vicente de Chiapas y Guatemala (History of the San Vicente de Chiapas and Guatemala Providence), that by order of Real Audiencia President, Governor and Captain General of the Kingdom of Guatemala, Jacinto de Barrios Leal, natives from Cahabón went into the El Chol mountain in 1689 -later names Chuacús and Chama mountains-, in order to expel the infidel and rebellious chole natives from there, and then be able to establish the town of Santa Cruz ("Holy Cross"). Verapaz Mayor, Joseph Calvo de Lara, founded the town in Urram valley, next to Rabinal mountain on a location that the Indians called "San Clemente and San Diego", where there was a cross, and therefore it was named "Santa Cruz". Friar José Ángel Zenoyo, O.P. took over the town in 1690 and helped the natives in all he could, building houses and giving them clothing.{{sfn|Ximénez|1999|p=}}
= 21st century=
In the 21st century there are very few natives that speak achí, k'akchiquel, or k'iche'- even though in the 18th century there were much more, and some of them even spoke the "chol lacandon" language, also known as "choolí" or "kholií".{{sfn|Municipalidad de Santa Cruz El Chol|n.d.|p=}}
Traditions
Among this municipality representative folkloric dances the main ones are the dances of "El Venado" ("The Deer", "Los Animales" ("The Animals") and "El Costeño" ("The man from the coast"). During Holy Week and the annual festival, one can see religious processions and colorful died-sawdust carpets that are made for the processions.{{sfn|Municipalidad de Santa Cruz El Chol|n.d.|p=}}
= Annual festival =
Santa Cruz El Chol annual festival takes places on 8 December in honor of the municipality saint patron: Holy Virgin of the Immaculate Conception. The festival is famous for its commercial activities, sports events, cultural, social and religious festivities and the traditional processions and "Romería", activity in which people rides horses for three days from the Eastern side of Guatemala to present the town's Catholic Church with gifts, prayers and special songs.{{sfn|Municipalidad de Santa Cruz El Chol|n.d.|p=}}
Climate
Santa Cruz El Chol has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen: BSh).
{{Weather box
|location = Santa Cruz El Chol
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan mean C = 20.2
|Feb mean C = 20.9
|Mar mean C = 22.4
|Apr mean C = 23.3
|May mean C = 23.4
|Jun mean C = 23.0
|Jul mean C = 22.6
|Aug mean C = 22.7
|Sep mean C = 22.4
|Oct mean C = 21.8
|Nov mean C = 21.0
|Dec mean C = 20.1
|year mean C =
|Jan high C = 26.9
|Feb high C = 28.0
|Mar high C = 29.6
|Apr high C = 30.0
|May high C = 29.5
|Jun high C = 28.1
|Jul high C = 27.8
|Aug high C = 28.1
|Sep high C = 27.7
|Oct high C = 27.2
|Nov high C = 27.1
|Dec high C = 26.9
|year high C =
|Jan low C = 13.5
|Feb low C = 13.9
|Mar low C = 15.3
|Apr low C = 16.7
|May low C = 17.4
|Jun low C = 17.9
|Jul low C = 17.5
|Aug low C = 17.3
|Sep low C = 17.1
|Oct low C = 16.5
|Nov low C = 14.9
|Dec low C = 13.4
|year low C =
|Jan precipitation mm = 1
|Feb precipitation mm = 3
|Mar precipitation mm = 6
|Apr precipitation mm = 21
|May precipitation mm = 79
|Jun precipitation mm = 180
|Jul precipitation mm = 118
|Aug precipitation mm = 74
|Sep precipitation mm = 142
|Oct precipitation mm = 74
|Nov precipitation mm = 15
|Dec precipitation mm = 2
|year precipitation mm =
{{cite web|url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/1017749/
|title = Climate: Santa Cruz El Chol
|access-date= 20 August 2015
|website= Climate-Data.org}}
}}
Geographic location
El Chol is located 52 km East of Salamá, Baja Verapaz Department capital city.
{{Geographic location
| Center = El Chol
| North = Rabinal
Municipality of Baja Verapaz Department
| East = Salamá
Municipality of Baja Verapaz Department{{sfn|SEGEPLAN|n.d.|p=}}
| South = Chuarrancho, San Raymundo
Municipalities of Guatemala{{sfn|SEGEPLAN|n.d.|p=}}
| West = Granados
Municipality of Baja Verapaz Department
}}
See also
{{Portal|Guatemala|Geography}}
Notes and references
= References =
{{reflist}}
= Bibliography =
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite journal|last1=Abac|last2=Manuel T.|first2=Evaristo|last3=Bertrán|first3=Pedro|title=Los indios que se redimen: Cartas de estudiantes indígenas aventajados|journal=La Ilustración Guatemalteca|location=Guatemala|year=1897|volume=I|issue=11|url=https://archive.org/stream/ilustracionguate00guat#page/252/mode/2up|language=Spanish}}
- {{cite book|title=Libro de Bautismo de Santo Domingo de Guzmán|last=Gonzáles de Cosio|first=Domingo|year=n.d.|location=El Chol, Guatemala|language=Spanish}}
- {{cite web|author=Municipalidad de Santa Cruz El Chol|website=Municipalidad de Santa Cruz El Chol|location=Guatemala|title=Descripción del municipio|year=n.d.|url=http://www.munisantacruzelchol.gob.gt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=54|access-date=17 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417173514/http://www.munisantacruzelchol.gob.gt/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=54|archive-date=17 April 2015|language=Spanish}}
- {{cite web|author=SEGEPLAN|title=Municipios de Alta Verapaz, Guatemala|url=http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=2:alta-verapaz&Itemid=333|location=Guatemala|website=Secretaría General de Planificación y Programación de la Presidencia de la República|date=n.d.|access-date=30 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630153430/http://www.segeplan.gob.gt/2.0/index.php?option=com_k2&view=itemlist&task=category&id=2:alta-verapaz&Itemid=333|archive-date=30 June 2015|language=Spanish}}
- {{cite book|last=Ximénez|first=Francisco|authorlink=Francisco Ximénez|title=Historia de la provincia de San Vicente de Chiapa y Guatemala de la orden de predicadores|editor=Sáenz de Santa María, Carmelo|location=México|publisher=Consejo Estatal para la Cultura y las Artes de Chiapas|year=1999|orig-year=1715?|language=Spanish}}
{{refend}}
{{Baja Verapaz Department}}
{{coord|14|58|N|90|29|W|display=title|region:GT_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki}}