Acajutla facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Acajutla
Acaxutla
|
|
|---|---|
|
City
|
|
_is_moored_in_Acajutla,_El_Salvador,_during_a_scheduled_port_visit.jpg) |
|
 Acajutla
Location in El Salvador
|
|
| Country |  El Salvador |
| Department | Sonsonate Department |
| Area | |
| • Total | 166.59 km2 (64.32 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 24 m (79 ft) |
| Population
(2012)
|
|
| • Total | 29,701 |
| • Density | 178.288/km2 (461.764/sq mi) |
Acajutla is an important seaport city in El Salvador. It is located on the Pacific coast of Central America. This city is El Salvador's main port. Many of the country's exports, like coffee, sugar, and a special tree sap called Balsam of Peru, are shipped from here. Acajutla is one of seventeen districts in the Sonsonate Department. In 1992, about 18,008 people lived in the city.
Contents
History of Acajutla
Early History and Spanish Arrival
A Spanish explorer named Pedro de Alvarado came to the area of Acajutla. He was working for Hernán Cortés. Alvarado had already taken control of parts of Mexico and Guatemala. When he reached Acajutla in 1524, he faced strong resistance from the local people. However, he won the Battle of Acajutla and took control of what is now El Salvador.
Coffee and Trade Development
After El Salvador became fully independent in 1838, its economy started to rely a lot on exporting coffee. Coffee became a very valuable crop. This led to big changes in the region. People from other countries and local farm owners became interested in Acajutla. They saw that the city needed better ways to transport crops from inland areas and load them onto ships.
Events in the 20th Century
In 1932, there was a peasant uprising in El Salvador. Two ships from the Royal Canadian Navy, called HMCS Skeena and HMCS Vancouver, came to Acajutla. They were asked to come by the British Consul in El Salvador. The Consul was worried about the safety of British people and their businesses. Canadian sailors briefly landed to help, but the situation got better, and their help was no longer needed.
Later, during the twelve-year Salvadoran civil war (1980–1992), the oil refinery in Acajutla was a target. It was the only working oil refinery in El Salvador at that time.
Acajutla's Busy Port
_hospital_ship_USNS_Comfort_(T-AH_20)_is_moored_in_Acajutla,_El_Salvador.jpg)
The port of Acajutla was built a long time ago. Its first part cost about 25 million Salvadoran colones (the local money). A large wave breaker, which is like a wall to protect the port from waves, opened in August 1961. It is 338 meters long. The port is managed by a group called the Executive Commission of Autonomous Port (CEPA).
Geography and Climate
Where is Acajutla Located?
Acajutla is located on the Pacific coast of Central America. It is El Salvador's main seaport. Its exact location is at 13°35′24″N 89°50′01″W / 13.59000°N 89.83361°W.
What is Acajutla's Climate Like?
Like other places on the Pacific coast of Central America, Acajutla has a hot and humid climate all year round. During the day, temperatures are usually between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius (90 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit). This type of weather is known as a tropical savanna climate.
| Climate data for Acajutla (1991–2020, extremes 1954–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 38.5 (101.3) |
39.5 (103.1) |
40.2 (104.4) |
39.3 (102.7) |
39.3 (102.7) |
38.2 (100.8) |
38.1 (100.6) |
38.0 (100.4) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.5 (101.3) |
38.4 (101.1) |
38.8 (101.8) |
40.2 (104.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 32.7 (90.9) |
33.0 (91.4) |
33.7 (92.7) |
34.0 (93.2) |
33.5 (92.3) |
33.1 (91.6) |
33.3 (91.9) |
33.3 (91.9) |
32.5 (90.5) |
32.2 (90.0) |
33.0 (91.4) |
32.8 (91.0) |
33.1 (91.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 27.3 (81.1) |
27.7 (81.9) |
28.4 (83.1) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.3 (82.9) |
28.2 (82.8) |
27.7 (81.9) |
27.5 (81.5) |
27.9 (82.2) |
27.5 (81.5) |
28.1 (82.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.2 (73.8) |
23.8 (74.8) |
24.6 (76.3) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
24.5 (76.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
24.0 (75.2) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.8 (74.8) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) |
16.1 (61.0) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.4 (63.3) |
18.9 (66.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.2 (64.8) |
16.6 (61.9) |
17.8 (64.0) |
17.0 (62.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
16.9 (62.4) |
15.6 (60.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0.6 (0.02) |
1.8 (0.07) |
8.0 (0.31) |
45.6 (1.80) |
171.2 (6.74) |
302.8 (11.92) |
286.0 (11.26) |
255.2 (10.05) |
331.4 (13.05) |
271.9 (10.70) |
60.2 (2.37) |
6.2 (0.24) |
1,741 (68.54) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 9.3 | 12.7 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 11.3 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 86.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 67 | 67 | 69 | 72 | 77 | 79 | 77 | 78 | 81 | 81 | 71 | 68 | 73.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 303.8 | 285.3 | 300.7 | 261.0 | 248.0 | 204.0 | 260.4 | 263.5 | 207.0 | 235.6 | 273.0 | 303.8 | 3,146.1 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 9.8 | 10.1 | 9.7 | 8.7 | 8.0 | 6.8 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 8.6 |
| Source 1: Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (sun 1954–1966), Meteo Climat (record highs and lows) | |||||||||||||
What Acajutla Makes and Trades
Acajutla's deepwater harbor is the most important port in El Salvador. It has special facilities to load cargo onto ships. This allows it to ship a large part of the country's main exports. These exports include coffee (about 40% of all coffee shipped), sugar, and Balsam of Peru. The city also has the largest oil refinery in El Salvador. This refinery mainly processes oil brought in from Venezuela.
Fun Events and Celebrations
The people of Acajutla have many fun traditions and celebrations throughout the year.
Annual City Parties
They celebrate their main traditional parties between the end of May and June 2nd. June 2nd is the most important day of these celebrations.
Passion of Christ Celebration
One of the biggest celebrations happens between March and April. This is when they celebrate the Passion of Christ. On this day, people clean the roads. They also create beautiful decorative images using sand brought from the beach. Around noon, they start a reenactment of the Passion of Christ. It begins at the San Francisco de Asis church, near the La Playa neighborhood. The event ends in the same place early the next morning.
Fishermen's Celebration
On October 24th, they have celebrations for the fishermen. This day honors San Rafael Arcangel. Not many citizens attend this event, but some take a short trip on a fishing boat.
See also
In Spanish: Acajutla para niños
