Sololá Department

Sololá Department

Departmento de Sololá
Sololá Department Departmento de Sololá
Department of Guatemala
	View of Volcán Atitlán
	Flag Coat of arms
	Sololá
	Coordinates: 14°46′N 91°11′W / 14.767°N 91.183°W
Country	Guatemala
Capital	Sololá
Municipalities	19
Government
• Type	Departmental
Area
• Department of Guatemala	1,061 km2 (410 sq mi)
Population (2018)
• Department of Guatemala	421,583
• Density	400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
• Urban	259,533
• Ethnicities	K'akchiquel Tz'utujil K'iche Ladino
• Religions	Roman Catholicism Evangelicalism Maya
Time zone	UTC-6
ISO 3166 code	GT-SO

Sololá is a department in the west of Guatemala. The capital is the city of Sololá. Lake Atitlan is a key feature surrounded by a number of the municipalities.

Municipalities

Population

As of 2018, the department had a population of 421,583.^[1] The area is populated almost entirely by different Mayan ethnic groups, of which the two largest groups are the Kaqchikel people and K'iche'.^[2]^[3] Kaqchikel people accounted for 50.1%^[3] of the department's population, and K'iche' accounted for 35.3%.^[3] Indigenous people in total account for 96.5% of the department's population.^[3]

Economy

With fertile soil, Sololá farmers produce maize, wheat, barley, vegetables, and fruit. Fruits include apples, cherries, cherimoya, peaches, and pears. Livestock is also common, including sheep. Since 1850, the region has had a large wool industry.^[2]

Ecology

The area is mountainous. In 1850, the British described it as having a "healthy" climate "rather inclining to cold, or...temperate." Temperatures warm further south.^[2] Lago de Atitlán is located in Sololá.