San Andrés Semetabaj facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
San Andrés Semetabaj
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 San Andrés Semetabaj
Location in Guatemala
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| Country |  Guatemala |
| Department |  Sololá |
| Municipality | San Andrés Semetabaj |
| Population
(Census 2002)
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| • Religions | Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya |
| Climate | Csb |
San Andrés Semetabaj is a town and municipality located in the Sololá area of Guatemala. The name "Semetabaj" means "stone of glass-like appearance." It comes from the Spanish word "semet" (meaning bottle or glass) and the K'akch'iquel word "abaj" (meaning stone). This town was originally called San Andrés Limetabaj.
Contents
History of San Andrés Semetabaj
Early Records After the Spanish Conquest
The first time San Andrés Semetabaj was written about after the Spanish conquest of Guatemala was in 1689. A report by a Franciscan friar named Francisco de Zuasa mentioned it. He described San Andrés Semetabaj as a small town. It was under the control of the main church in Panajachel. At that time, it had 315 people living there. Most of them (297) were native people, and 18 were criollos, who were people of Spanish descent born in the Americas.
Archbishop's Visit in 1770
Later, in 1770, an important church leader named Archbishop Pedro Cortés y Larraz visited the area. He wrote a book about his travels. In his book, he talked about the town of San Andrés Tzemetabah. He noted that it had a population of 320 people. It was connected to the San Francisco Panajachel church.
Annual Fair and Celebrations
Celebrating Saint Andrew Apostle
San Andrés Semetabaj holds a special annual fair. This fair is a big celebration in honor of Saint Andrew Apostle. It takes place during the last five days of November. The most important day of the fair is November 30th. This is the day when Saint Andrew Apostle is celebrated.
Climate in San Andrés Semetabaj
Understanding the Local Weather
San Andrés Semetabaj has a mild or temperate climate. This type of climate is known as Csb in the Köppen climate classification system. This means it has warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters.
| Climate data for San Andrés Semetabaj | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.7 (71.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
23.4 (74.1) |
24.0 (75.2) |
23.6 (74.5) |
21.6 (70.9) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.9 (73.2) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.1 (71.8) |
22.0 (71.6) |
21.6 (70.9) |
22.5 (72.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.4 (59.7) |
15.4 (59.7) |
16.7 (62.1) |
17.8 (64.0) |
18.2 (64.8) |
17.2 (63.0) |
17.5 (63.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.2 (63.0) |
17.1 (62.8) |
16.1 (61.0) |
15.3 (59.5) |
16.8 (62.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 9.1 (48.4) |
8.8 (47.8) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
12.7 (54.9) |
12.3 (54.1) |
12.3 (54.1) |
12.1 (53.8) |
10.3 (50.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.2 (52.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
5 (0.2) |
5 (0.2) |
24 (0.9) |
87 (3.4) |
283 (11.1) |
166 (6.5) |
162 (6.4) |
306 (12.0) |
152 (6.0) |
50 (2.0) |
6 (0.2) |
1,246 (48.9) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org Instituto Nacional de Sismología, Vulcanología, Meteorología e Hidrología de Guatemala |
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Geographic Location and Surroundings
Where is San Andrés Semetabaj Located?
The main part of the municipality, called the municipal capital, is located 1945 meters (about 6381 feet) above sea level. This high elevation gives it its temperate climate.
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Chichicastenango, Quiché Department municipality | |
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| Panajachel and Concepción, Sololá Department municipalities |  |
Tecpán and Patzún, Chimaltenango Department municipalities | ||
 San Andrés Semetabaj  |
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| Santa Catarina Palopó and San Antonio Palopó, Sololá Department municipalities |
Getting to San Andrés Semetabaj
You can reach the municipal capital by a paved road. There is also an access road called "Las Trampas." This road connects to the CA1 highway, also known as the Inter American Highway, at kilometer 117. The road to San Andrés Semetabaj is 22 kilometers long. Guatemala City, the capital of Guatemala, is about 143 kilometers east of San Andrés Semetabaj.
See also
In Spanish: San Andrés Semetabaj para niños
