Conchagua (volcano) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Conchagua |
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Conchagua volcano towers above sandy beaches along the Gulf of Fonseca at the SE tip of El Salvador.
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,225 m (4,019 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Conchagua
Location in El Salvador
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| Location | La Unión Department, El Salvador |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Stratovolcano |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
Conchagua (also known as Cochague) is a large stratovolcano in southeastern El Salvador. It stands tall, looking over the Gulf of Fonseca. A stratovolcano is a tall, cone-shaped volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, ash, and rocks.
Conchagua has two main peaks: Cerro del Ocote and Cerro de la Bandera. Bandera looks newer and more like a cone. Both peaks have active fumarolic areas, which are places where steam and gases escape from the ground. However, there have been no confirmed eruptions from Conchagua in recorded history.
The volcano is surrounded by a beautiful forest called Bosque Conchagua. The name Conchagua comes from the Salvadoran Lenca language, an indigenous Native American language. It means "Flying Jaguar."
According to historians, the ancient Lenca people lived around the volcano. They worshipped a goddess named Comizahual, who was an indigenous Jaguar Princess. Lenca legends say that Conchagua was Comizahual's favorite volcano. When she died, her body was taken to the top of Conchagua. There, her body turned into many golden Chiltota birds, which then flew away from the volcano.
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On top on Conchagua volcano, on a lookout called (Mirador Espiritu de la Montana), which overlooks the Gulf of Fonseca
A City Powered by a Volcano?
Conchagua volcano has been chosen as the location for a new project called "Bitcoin City." This is a planned smart city that aims to use the volcano's energy to power everything. This includes the city's buildings and the process of "mining" cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
President Nayib Bukele announced this project. It is planned to be funded by a special $1 billion Bitcoin bond. This bond will be issued by LaGeo, a state-owned power company.
President Bukele has promised that Bitcoin City will be a place with very low taxes. He said there would be no income tax, property tax, or city tax. The only tax would be a sales tax called VAT. Half of this VAT would be used to pay back the city's bonds. The other half would go towards building and maintaining the city's public areas.
However, some people have concerns about the project. Ricardo Navarro, an ecologist, has pointed out that using geothermal energy (heat from the Earth) can still be more expensive than using oil. He believes that El Salvador might end up buying more oil if they rely too much on geothermal power.
See also
In Spanish: Volcán de Conchagua para niños
- List of volcanoes in El Salvador
- List of stratovolcanoes
