Yucuaiquín

Yucuaiquín
Municipality

Coat of arms

Location of the municipality of Yucuaiquín
Yucuaiquín

Location in El Salvador

Coordinates: 13°33′N 88°0′W / 13.550°N 88.000°W / 13.550; -88.000
Country  El Salvador
Department La Unión Department
Area
  Total 21.31 sq mi (55.18 km2)
Population (2007)
  Total 7,294

Yucuaiquín is a municipality in La Unión Department of El Salvador. It has a total area of 55.2 square kilometres (21 sq mi) and a population of 7,294. It is located at an altitude of 450 metres (1,480 ft) AMSL.

Name

Yucuaiquín is a native word that is derived from two roots of the Poton Language: "Yuku" meaning fire and "Aykin" meaning land or town. So, the name has been interpreted to mean 'Town of Fire', that is according to the historian Jorge Lardé y Larín.
Historically, the name has evolved: in 1549 it was known as Yncuayquín, soon Inquiaquín (1573), Yoayquín (1577), Yocoaiquín (1689) and Jucuaiquín or Yucquín.

History

When the Spaniards arrived, Yucuaiquín was located in a valley called "Llano Grande". The area was populated by Indians of the Lenca culture, leading to a war that lasted over twenty years and the destruction of the Lenca culture in the region. It obtained the village title on April 28, 1926. On February 15, 2002, it officially became a city.

Politics

The current Mayor of Yucuaiquín is Oscar Rene Mendoza, who is affiliated with the FMLN party.

Administrative divisions

City Map

The municipality is divided into 9 cantons and 1 city:

City:

Cantons:

Each canton is subdivided into caseríos (like a neighbourhood).

Culture

Spanish is the only language of Yucuaiquín. The Roman Catholic Church plays an important role in the Yucuaiquinense culture, but it's not the only Christian Church on Yucuaiquín, there are another Protestants Churches too, as Jehovah's Witnesses, Assemblies of God and Seventh-day Adventists.
On October Yucuaiquinenses celebrate their "Fiestas Patronales" in honor of their patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi.

Sister city

United States Somerville, Massachusetts

Coordinates: 13°33′N 88°00′W / 13.550°N 88.000°W / 13.550; -88.000

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 2/6/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.