Itza people facts for kids

The Itza are a Maya group who originally lived in the Péten region of northern Guatemala. Some also lived in parts of Belize. Today, most Itza people live in the city of Flores, which is on Lake Petén Itzá. They are a small group in Belize.

Who are the Itza people?

According to a 2002 count, there were about 1,983 Itza people. They still keep some of their old traditions and culture. The Itza language is very rare now. In 1986, only twelve people spoke it fluently. By 2002, about 1,094 people still spoke some Itza. The word itza means 'enchanted waters' in their language. It might have come from the name of the lake.

The Itza in Yucatán

The Itza people came from a Maya family called the Ah Itzá in Yucatán. They were a very important group in Mesoamerica during the Post-classic period. This was a time after the main Maya cities collapsed. The Itza might have come from a city called Motul de San José in Guatemala. They moved to Yucatán when many Maya cities fell apart.

From their main city, Chichén Itzá in Mexico, they built a large trading network. This network reached far south into Honduras. The name Chichen Itza means 'at the mouth of the well of the Itza'.

Old Maya books called Chilam Balam tell the story of the Itza. They describe how their power ended. This happened because of a fight between three powerful Maya families: the Cocom, the Xiu, and the Itzá. Around 1331, places like Chichén Itzá were left empty. It seems that new groups of Maya from Tabasco and central Mexico caused the original Itza state to fall.

The Itza in Petén

After losing power in Yucatán, the Itza moved back south. They went to the Petén Basin region. There, they built a new capital city called Nojpetén. Noj peten means "great island" in Itza'. The Spanish later called it Tayasal. This name came from a word meaning "place of the Itzá."

When the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés arrived in 1519, the Itza empire was very large. It covered about 230,000 square kilometers. The empire had four main parts, all under the Itza's control:

• Northern (Cobox)
• Western (Chontal)
• Eastern (Mopan and Yalain)
• Southern (Q'eqchi')

In 1523, Cortés traveled through the Itza's land. He met the Itza king, Kan Ek', in Nojpetén. They even had a Christian church service together.

The Itza were the last Maya kingdom to stay free from Spanish rule. Spanish priests visited them peacefully until 1696. But on March 13, 1697, the Itza kingdom finally came under Spanish control. This happened when a Spanish force led by Martín de Ursua arrived.

Today, families in the northern Petén region can trace their history back to the Itza. Even though the Itza language is almost gone, their old ways of farming and using plants are still important. They teach us a lot about how the Itza managed their land long ago.

See also

In Spanish: Itzá para niños

Images for kids

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  "El Castillo" at Chichen Itza

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  The sacred cenote that gave its name to Chichen Itza.

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  Map of maximal extend of Maya Itza empire in 1519 with borders – - – - of the 4+1 cardinal kingdoms and all other external Maya kingdoms.

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  Aerial view of Flores, Guatemala, built on the ruins of the Itza capital Nojpetén