Cuilapa, also known as Santa Rosa Cuilapa, is a town, with a population of 41,359 (2018 census),[3] in Guatemala. It serves as the capital of the department of Santa Rosa and as the administrative seat for the surrounding municipality of Cuilapa.[4]
Cuilapa marks the geographic center of the Americas.[5]
On Saturday 8 March 1913, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit Santa Rosa, destroying its department capital, Cuilapa.[6] Both the initial quake and the aftershocks destroyed a lot of private homes, and also the cathedral and the prison, leaving behind significant human losses; similar destruction occurred at Barberena, Cerro Redondo, Llano Grande and El Zapote.[6]Fraijanes, Pueblo Nuevo Viñas, Coatepeque and Jalpatagua were also affected.[6] Around Cuilapa, there were landslides and road blockades, and even a long crack was reported at Los Esclavos hill.[6]