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Nature

we will see

Quetzaltenango

Guatemala
Someday we will visit Quetzaltenango or begin to dream about going there! However, for now its not on our radar. Let us know in the comments if you think that should change!

Quetzaltenango

Quetzaltenango, also known as Xela or Xelaju, is the second largest city in Guatemala. There are a number of attractions in town, and it's also a good base for exploring Guatemala's Western Highlands. Situated at the southwest of the country, the surrounding department has a variety of landscapes extending from the cold highlands to the warm Pacific coast. There are numerous volcanos, hot springs, valleys, mountains, rivers. The region provides a harvest of numerous products such as coffee, wheat, fruits and vegetables, and has sheep and cattle breeding.

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 the Nahuatl name used by his Central Mexican Indian allies, "Quetzaltenango", generally considered to mean "the place of the quetzal bird." Quetzaltenango became the city's official name in colonial times. However, many people (especially the indigenous population) continue to call the city "Xelajú" or more commonly "Xela" for short, and some proudly, but unofficially, consider it the "capital of the Mayas".

Historically, the city produced wheat, maize, fruits, and vegetables. It also had a healthy livestock industry. Livestock was exported throughout the country and to El Salvador. As of 1850, wheat was the largest export, followed by cacao, sugar, wool and cotton.

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Climate

Average temperatures

Jan

22°C2.3
Precipitation: 1.8 mm

Feb

23.5°C2.9
Precipitation: 5.5 mm

Mar

25.5°C3.9
Precipitation: 14.4 mm

Apr

23.8°C6.3
Precipitation: 41.2 mm

May

23.1°C8.8
Precipitation: 131.6 mm

Jun

21.9°C9.3
Precipitation: 147.8 mm

Jul

21.9°C8.2
Precipitation: 98.7 mm

Aug

22.1°C8.5
Precipitation: 107 mm

Sep

20.9°C9
Precipitation: 134.7 mm

Oct

21.7°C8.4
Precipitation: 93.6 mm

Nov

21.3°C6
Precipitation: 18.7 mm

Dec

22.1°C2.8
Precipitation: 7.1 mm
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