Concepción Las Minas facts for kids
Concepción Las Minas is a town and surrounding area, also called a municipality, located in the southern part of the Chiquimula Department in Guatemala, a country in Central America. In 2018, about 11,693 people lived there. The area covers about 222 square kilometers.
A Look Back: How Concepción Las Minas Got Its Name
Concepción Las Minas officially became a municipality on June 8, 1893. This was decided by the president at that time, José María Reyna Barrios. However, the current borders of the municipality were set much later, on April 17, 1972.
The name "Concepción Las Minas" tells us a lot about the area. "Las Minas" means "the mines" in Spanish. Long ago, during colonial times, people dug for metals like lead, copper, iron, and silver in the local mines. The "Concepción" part comes from the local church, which is dedicated to the Virgin of the Conception.
The town celebrates its main yearly fiesta at the end of February. This celebration honors the Virgin of the Conception.
Where is Concepción Las Minas?
Concepción Las Minas is located in a special spot. To the east, it shares a border with Honduras. To the south, it touches El Salvador. To the west, it borders the Jutiapa Department of Guatemala.
It is only connected to the rest of the Chiquimula Department from the north. The municipalities of Quetzaltepeque are to its north, and Esquipulas is to its northeast.
The municipality sits on the Montecristo Massif, which is a large mountain range. The highest point in the area is the Monte Cristo volcano. This volcano is also known as Trifino de Monte Cristo. It stands at about 2,194 meters (7,198 feet) tall. Guatemala shares this volcano with both El Salvador and Honduras.
The area has five mountain ranges and nineteen peaks. Many of the small rivers, like the Rio Seco, are ephemeral. This means they only flow after it rains and can dry up completely. However, some rivers, like the Rio Frio, the Rio Anguiatú, and the Rio Grande de Zacapa, do not completely dry up, even in the dry season.
Most of the forests that used to cover the area have been turned into grasslands. These grasslands are used for raising cattle. But some forests still remain, especially in the higher parts of the mountains. These forests are mostly made up of pine trees, with some mixed hardwood trees.
There is one special protected area here called the Trifinio Biosphere Reserve. It is also known as the Biosfera de la Fraternidad, which means "Biosphere of Fraternity."
What People Do for a Living
The people of Concepción Las Minas mainly export cattle and other farm animals. This means they sell these animals to other places. However, the municipality also depends a lot on money sent home by people who have moved to the United States. These payments are called remittances.
