Santa Cruz Verapaz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Santa Cruz Verapaz
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Municipality
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 Santa Cruz Verapaz
Location in Guatemala
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| Country |  Guatemala |
| Region | Corredor Seco |
| Department |  Alta Verapaz |
| Municipality | Santa Cruz Verapaz |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal |
| Area | |
| • Municipality | 99.9 km2 (38.6 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,406 m (4,613 ft) |
| Population
(Census 2018)
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| • Municipality | 32,042 |
| • Density | 320.74/km2 (830.7/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 8,630 |
| • Ethnicities | Q'eqchi Ladino |
| • Religions | Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya |
| Climate | Cfb |
| Website | http://www.inforpressca.com/santacruzav/ |
Santa Cruz Verapaz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈsanta ˈkɾus βeɾaˈpas]) is a town and municipality in the Guatemalan department of Alta Verapaz. It sits high up at 1,406 meters (4,613 feet) above sea level. In 2018, about 32,042 people lived here. The area of the municipality is 99.9 square kilometers. Every year, Santa Cruz Verapaz celebrates its main festival from May 1st to May 5th.
Contents
Discovering the History of Santa Cruz Verapaz
Santa Cruz Verapaz has a rich history that dates back hundreds of years. It was founded by a group of friars (religious brothers) from the Dominican Order.
How Santa Cruz Verapaz Was Founded
Three friars named Juan de Torres, Pedro de Angulo, and Luis de Cancer started the settlement. They called it "Santa Cruz de Santa Elena." It was located in an area known as Munchú territory. Because of this, the town was first known as "Santa Cruz Munchú." The official founding date was May 3, 1543. This date was recorded in a document from May 1, 1546, by Juan Matalbatz, who was the governor of the region at that time.
The Historic Catholic Church
The Catholic church in Santa Cruz Verapaz was built in the 16th century. This makes it a very old and important building. It was one of the first Catholic churches built in this region of Guatemala. This happened during a special time called the Capitulaciones de Tezulutlán, when missionaries worked to bring Christianity to the area peacefully.
Over the years, the church's beautiful design has been damaged by earthquakes. Guatemala often experiences earthquakes, which can cause damage to old buildings. Despite this, the church remains a significant historical site. On July 12, 1970, the Secretary of Education officially named the church a National Historic Place.
Understanding the Local Climate
Santa Cruz Verapaz has a temperate climate. This means it usually has mild temperatures, not too hot and not too cold. The climate type is known as Cfb in the Köppen climate classification system.
| Climate data for Santa Cruz Verapaz | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.1 (70.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
24.2 (75.6) |
25.0 (77.0) |
24.8 (76.6) |
23.9 (75.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.6 (74.5) |
22.8 (73.0) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.5 (70.7) |
23.2 (73.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.8 (60.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
18.0 (64.4) |
19.1 (66.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.0 (66.2) |
19.0 (66.2) |
19.0 (66.2) |
18.2 (64.8) |
17.0 (62.6) |
16.5 (61.7) |
18.1 (64.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 10.5 (50.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.2 (55.8) |
14.1 (57.4) |
15.0 (59.0) |
14.7 (58.5) |
14.4 (57.9) |
14.5 (58.1) |
13.7 (56.7) |
12.5 (54.5) |
11.6 (52.9) |
13.1 (55.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 76 (3.0) |
46 (1.8) |
66 (2.6) |
59 (2.3) |
140 (5.5) |
303 (11.9) |
278 (10.9) |
254 (10.0) |
302 (11.9) |
254 (10.0) |
155 (6.1) |
83 (3.3) |
2,016 (79.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org | |||||||||||||
Geographic Location and Nearby Areas
Santa Cruz Verapaz is located in a specific part of Guatemala. It shares borders with several other towns and municipalities.
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Cobán | Cobán | |
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| San Cristóbal Verapaz |  |
Tactic | ||
 Santa Cruz Verapaz  |
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| San Miguel Chicaj, municipio de Baja Verapaz |
See also
In Spanish: Santa Cruz Verapaz para niños
