Izabal Department facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Izabal
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Department
|
|||
|
|||
Izabal
|
|||
| Country |  Guatemala |
||
| Department | Izabal | ||
| Capital | Puerto Barrios | ||
| Municipalities | 5 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Departmental | ||
| Area | |||
| • Department | 9,038 km2 (3,490 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 590 km2 (230 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(Census 2002)
|
|||
| • Department | 314,306 | ||
| • Urban | 90,508 | ||
| • Ethnicities | Ladino Q'eqchi' Garífuna Afro-Caribbean | ||
| • Religions | Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya | ||
| Time zone | -6 | ||
.png)
Izabal is one of the 22 departments in Guatemala. It is located on the country's Caribbean coast. The coastal areas of Izabal are an important part of the homeland for the Garifuna people. They have a rich and unique culture.
Contents
Discover Izabal: Guatemala's Caribbean Gem
Izabal shares its borders with several interesting places. To the north, it touches Belize. To the northeast, it meets the Gulf of Honduras, which is part of the Caribbean Sea. To the east, it borders Honduras.
Within Guatemala, Izabal is bordered by other departments. To the northwest, you'll find the Petén department. To the west, it borders Alta Verapaz. Finally, to the south, it is bordered by the Zacapa department.
Lago Izabal: Guatemala's Biggest Lake
The department of Izabal is famous for surrounding Lago Izabal. This is Guatemala's largest lake! It stretches about 48 kilometers (30 miles) long and 24 kilometers (15 miles) wide. The lake covers a huge area of about 590 square kilometers (228 square miles).
A historic fort called San Felipe stands guard where the lake flows into the Río Dulce. This fort was built by the Spanish during colonial times. It protected the area from pirates.
Important Towns and Ports
The small town of Izabal is located on the south shore of the lake. Long ago, before other ports were built, this town was Guatemala's main port on the Caribbean Sea. It was also the original capital of the Izabal department. Today, Izabal town is a quiet village that doesn't see much traffic.
The department of Izabal stretches from the area around Lake Izabal all the way along the Río Dulce to the Caribbean coast. This area includes several important modern ports. These are Puerto Barrios (which is the current capital of the department), Santo Tomás de Castilla, and Livingston. Izabal also hosts Zolic, which is Guatemala's free trade zone.
Ancient History: Quirigua
Izabal is also home to the amazing Pre-Columbian Maya ruins of Quirigua. These ancient ruins are famous for their giant stone carvings, called stelae. They tell stories of the Maya kings and their history.
What is a Municipality?
A municipality is like a local government area within a department. It's similar to a county or a borough in other countries. Each municipality has its own local leaders and services. The department of Izabal has five municipalities:
- El Estor
- Livingston
- Los Amates
- Morales
- Puerto Barrios
See also
In Spanish: Departamento de Izabal para niños
