Fray Bartolomé de las Casas facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fray Bartolomé de las Casas
Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Location in Guatemala
Country	Guatemala
Department	Alta Verapaz
Climate	Af

Fray Bartolomé de las Casas is a town and area in Guatemala. It is located in the Alta Verapaz part of the country. About 31,611 people live here.

The town is about 170 meters (558 feet) above sea level. It covers a large area of 1,229 square kilometers (475 square miles). Every year, the town celebrates its main festival from April 30 to May 4. The town is named after Bartolomé de Las Casas. He was a Spanish priest, bishop, and writer from the 1400s.

History of Fray Bartolomé de las Casas

The Northern Transversal Strip

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Fray Bartolomé de las Casas is part of a special area called the Northern Transversal Strip. This area was created to help with farming and development.

One of the first projects in this strip was in Sebol-Chinajá. Sebol was an important spot because of the Cancuén river. This river connected to Petén through the Usumacinta River, which is on the border with Mexico.

In 1928, President Lázaro Chacón built a dirt road there. Later, in 1958, the Inter-American Development Bank helped fund new buildings and roads in Sebol.

In the 1960s, a military captain named Fernando Romeo Lucas García owned farms in Sebol. He worked hard to get more money invested in this area of Guatemala.

In 1962, a new law was made to help with land reform. In 1964, the Northern Transversal Strip was officially mapped out. It included parts of Huehuetenango, Quiché, Alta Verapaz, and Izabal.

Priests from the Maryknoll order also helped people move to this area. They worked with the government to settle families from Huehuetenango in the Ixcán area of Quiché.

The Northern Transversal Strip was officially started in 1970. This happened during the time of General Carlos Arana Osorio. The goal was to help the region grow through farming.

Economy and Farming

African Oil Palm Farming

African oil palm plantation areas in Guatemala as of 2014.

There is a big need for cooking oils and fats in Guatemala and nearby countries. This is why the African oil palm has become very important here. Many companies are investing in growing this crop.

Fray Bartolomé de las Casas is a key area for palm oil production. Investors hope to make Guatemala a top exporter of palm oil. This is true even if the price of palm oil goes down around the world.

Other active areas for palm oil include Chisec and Cobán in Alta Verapaz. Ixcán in Quiché and Sayaxché in Petén also grow a lot of palm oil. Companies like Palmas del Ixcán, S.A. (PALIX) operate here. They have their own farms and work with other farmers.

Another important region is Fray Bartolomé de las Casas and Chahal in Alta Verapaz. El Estor and Livingston in Izabal, and San Luis in Petén are also important. Naturaceites is a big company that works in these areas.

Climate

Fray Bartolomé de las Casas has a tropical rainforest climate. This means it is hot and rainy all year round.

Geographic Location

		Sayaxché and San Luis, El Petén municipalities	San Luis, El Petén municipality
	Raxruha, Alta Verapaz municipality		Chahal, Alta Verapaz municipality
		Fray Bartolomé de las Casas
		Santa María Cahabón and San Pedro Carchá, Alta Verapaz municipality

See also

In Spanish: Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Guatemala) para niños