Santa Catarina Pinula Facts for Kids

Santa Catarina Pinula is a town and a municipality located in the Guatemala Department of Guatemala. As of 2018, about 70,982 people lived here. The town is known for its beautiful scenery and rich history.

What's in a Name?
A Look Back in Time
- Spanish Colony
- The El Cambray II Landslide: 2015
How Santa Catarina Pinula is Organized
What's the Weather Like?
Sports and Famous People
Where is Santa Catarina Pinula Located?
See also

What's in a Name?

The name of Santa Catarina Pinula has a special meaning. According to a historian named Francisco Antonio de Fuentes y Guzmán, the name comes from two parts:

Santa Catarina: This part honors the town's patron saint, Catherine of Alexandria.
Pinula: This word comes from the Pipil language. It means "Flour of water." The word "Pinul" means a type of flour called Pinole, and "Ha" means water. This name might have been given by Mexican natives who came with the Spanish explorers.

A Look Back in Time

Santa Catarina Pinula was originally a native settlement called Pankaj, or Pinola. The people living there bravely defended their home against the Spanish forces led by Pedro de Alvarado. Eventually, they had to surrender to the Spanish at a fortified place called Jalpatagua.

Spanish Colony

After the Spanish took control, a new town was built where the old native settlement used to be. This new town quickly became an important place in the area. It even became a religious center for the Order of Preachers, a group of priests.

In 1690, when historian Fuentes y Guzmán wrote about the town, he said it was doing very well with its farming. He also shared a story that when the town's church was being built, workers found a lot of silver. But they quickly hid it from the Spanish so it couldn't be used by them.

Later, in 1754, a special order from the king changed things. All the religious centers run by regular orders of priests were given to the local church authorities.

The El Cambray II Landslide: 2015

On the night of October 1, 2015, after many days of heavy rain, a large part of a hill collapsed. This caused a huge mudslide that covered the El Cambray II settlement. Many homes were destroyed, and sadly, some people lost their lives or were injured. Many others had to leave their homes. After this natural disaster, the area was put on high alert.

How Santa Catarina Pinula is Organized

Santa Catarina Pinula as seen from the Inter American Highway.

The region of Santa Catarina Pinula has one main town, which is Santa Catarina Pinula itself. It also includes fifteen smaller villages and seven settlements. These different areas help make up the entire municipality.

What's the Weather Like?

Santa Catarina Pinula has a subtropical highland climate. This means it has mild temperatures all year round, with warm days and cool nights. It also experiences a wet season and a dry season.

Climate data for Santa Catarina Pinula
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	23.5 (74.3)	24.7 (76.5)	26.1 (79.0)	26.7 (80.1)	26.2 (79.2)	24.4 (75.9)	24.4 (75.9)	24.8 (76.6)	24.2 (75.6)	23.6 (74.5)	23.2 (73.8)	23.2 (73.8)	24.6 (76.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	17.7 (63.9)	18.5 (65.3)	19.6 (67.3)	20.5 (68.9)	20.6 (69.1)	19.9 (67.8)	19.8 (67.6)	19.9 (67.8)	19.6 (67.3)	19.1 (66.4)	18.3 (64.9)	17.8 (64.0)	19.3 (66.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	12.0 (53.6)	12.3 (54.1)	13.2 (55.8)	14.3 (57.7)	15.1 (59.2)	15.5 (59.9)	15.3 (59.5)	15.1 (59.2)	15.1 (59.2)	14.7 (58.5)	13.4 (56.1)	12.4 (54.3)	14.0 (57.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	3 (0.1)	2 (0.1)	6 (0.2)	27 (1.1)	155 (6.1)	270 (10.6)	234 (9.2)	186 (7.3)	249 (9.8)	157 (6.2)	30 (1.2)	7 (0.3)	1,326 (52.2)
Source: Climate-Data.org