Zunil

Zunil
Municipality
Panorama, 2009
Panorama, 2009
Zunil is located in Guatemala
Zunil
Zunil
Location in Guatemala
Coordinates: 14°47′N 91°29′W / 14.783°N 91.483°W / 14.783; -91.483
Country Guatemala
Department Quetzaltenango
Government
 • MayorJose Maria Chaj (2012-2016)
Area
 • Municipality
80 km2 (30 sq mi)
Elevation
2,076 m (6,811 ft)
Population
 (2018 census)[1]
 • Municipality
14,118
 • Density180/km2 (460/sq mi)
 • Urban
10,792
ClimateCwb

Zunil (Spanish pronunciation: [suˈnil]) is a town and municipality in the Quetzaltenango department of Guatemala with a surface area of 80 square kilometres (31 sq mi).[2] The town of Zunil is located 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from the city of Quetzaltenango, on the bank of the Salamá River.[3] Zunil has an altitude of approximately 2,075 metres (6,808 ft) above mean sea level.[3] The population of the municipality, which is 100% indigenous, was 14,118 at the 2018 census. The inhabitants speak Kʼicheʼ and Spanish.[2] There are thermal baths with volcanic water around the town, for example Fuentes Georginas and Almolonga.

Religion

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Zunil possesses active worship of San Simón (also known as Maximón), a life-sized mannequin representing a Maya god, sitting in a wooden throne, which is moved to a different house every year, and many people visit and leave gifts at his shrine.

Namesakes

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A crater on Mars, which may be the source of Mars meteorites, is named after the village.[4]

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Notes

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  1. ^ Citypopulation.de Population of departments and municipalities in Guatemala
  2. ^ a b Zunil at Inforpressca Archived June 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b Cattelan 2004, p.36.
  4. ^ McEwan, A.S.; et al. (2005). "The rayed crater Zunil and interpretations of small impact craters on Mars" (PDF). Icarus. 176 (2): 351–381. Bibcode:2005Icar..176..351M. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.02.009. Retrieved 2006-09-08..

References

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  • Cattelan, Marino (2004). Quetzaltenango. Guatemala: Xibalbá Publicaciones.
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14°47′N 91°29′W / 14.783°N 91.483°W / 14.783; -91.483