Santa Rita, El Salvador facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Santa Rita
District
Flag Seal
Santa Rita Location in El Salvador
Country	El Salvador
Department	Chalatenango
Municipality	Chalatenango Centro
Established	1807 or 1822
Disestablished	12 May 1902
Reestablished	28 April 1903
Named for	Rita of Cascia
Area
• Total	20.52 sq mi (53.14 km2)
Elevation	1,257 ft (383 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	7,367
• Density	359/sq mi (138.6/km2)
Time zone	UTC–6

Santa Rita is a district in the Chalatenango department of El Salvador. It is one of the biggest areas in Chalatenango. Santa Rita is located by Lake Suchitlán. It shares borders with several towns. These towns include Comalapa, Dulce Nombre de María, Concepción Quetzaltepeque, El Paraíso, and San Rafael.

A Look Back: The History of Santa Rita

Official records show that the town of Santa Rita was started in 1822. However, some reports say it began earlier, in 1807. For a while, Santa Rita was part of the San Salvador area. This was from when it was founded until 1833.

Changes in Location and Control

On May 13, 1833, Santa Rita moved to the Chalatenango area. It was managed by the town of Tejutla. But it didn't stay there long. On October 21, 1833, it went back to San Salvador. In 1835, it moved again to the Cuscatlán area. Finally, in 1841, it became part of El Salvador.

Important Events in Santa Rita

On November 1, 1846, a battle happened in Santa Rita. General Francisco Malespín fought against Salvadoran soldiers. These soldiers were loyal to President Eugenio Aguilar. General Malespín won this battle during a war to get back the presidency. Santa Rita moved to Chalatenango one last time in 1855.

The town was officially closed down on May 12, 1902. President Tomás Regalado made a rule that it would be part of Dulce Nombre de María. But President Pedro José Escalón brought Santa Rita back. He made a new rule on April 28, 1903, to restart the town. Another law was passed in 1919. This law made sure Santa Rita stayed separate from Tejutla and Dulce Nombre de María.

A Sad Event in History

On March 17, 1982, a sad event happened near Santa Rita. Four journalists from the Netherlands and four members of the FMLN group died. This happened on the road from El Paraíso to Santa Rita. It was during the Salvadoran Civil War.

Exploring Santa Rita: Geography

Santa Rita is located at an elevation of 1,257 feet, or 383 meters. Its total size is about 20.52 square miles, or 53.14 square kilometers.

Changes in Tree Cover

From 2001 to 2019, Santa Rita lost some of its tree cover. According to Global Forest Watch, the area lost 310 hectares of trees. This was a decrease of 18% of its tree cover.

People of Santa Rita: Population

In 1890, Santa Rita had 1,090 people living there. By 1956, the population grew to 2,241. The 2007 census counted 5,985 people in Santa Rita. Most people, about 93%, lived in rural areas. Only 400 people, or 6.7%, lived in urban areas. There were 1,498 homes, with about 6 people living in each home. As of 2020, the town had an estimated population of 7,367 people.

How Santa Rita is Organized: Administrative Divisions

Santa Rita is divided into four main areas called cantons. It also has three smaller areas called caserios.

Leaders of Santa Rita: Mayors

The current mayor of Santa Rita is Ismael Romero Gutiérrez. He belongs to the Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) political party. The table below shows all the mayors elected in Santa Rita since 1994.

See also

In Spanish: Santa Rita (El Salvador) para niños