Metapán is a city and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Santa Ana department Santa Ana () is a department of El Salvador in the northwest of the country. The capital is Santa Ana, one of the largest cities in El Salvador. It has 2,023 km² and a population of over 613,000. The Santa Ana Volcano The Santa Ana Volc ...

of El Salvador. Metapán is situated in the northern part of the department, bordering Honduras and Guatemala. It is the second largest city in the department after Santa Ana and is divided between 29 ''cantones''.

Geography

The city of Metapán, next to the San Jose River, lies at 470 meters above sea level. It is located 46 kilometers north of Santa Ana city, connected via a paved highway. The municipality extends beyond the city and into the country surrounding the city. The major Hydroelectric Power station at the Guajoyo river is located in Metapán. The eastern side of

Lake Güija Lake Güija is a lake in Central America. The lake is situated on the border between Guatemala and El Salvador and has an area of 45 km2, of which approximately 32 km2 lies in El Salvador. The lake is of volcanic origin and was forme ...

is located in the municipality.

History

Metapán means in the

Nawat language Nawat (academically Pipil, also known as Nicarao) is a Nahuan language native to Central America. It is the southernmost extant member of the Uto-Aztecan family. It was spoken in several parts of present-day Central America before the Spanish c ...

“River of The Maguey,” from ''met'' (

maguey Maguey may refer to various American plants: * Genus '' Agave'', especially ** Species ''Agave americana'', the century plant ** Species ''Agave salmiana ''Agave salmiana'' (also known as ''maguey pulquero'' and green maguey) is a species of the ...

) and ''apan'' (River). The area around the city was originally populated by

Chʼortiʼ people The Chʼortiʼ people (alternatively, ''Chʼortiʼ Maya'' or ''Chorti'') are one of the indigenous Maya peoples, who primarily reside in communities and towns of southeastern Guatemala, northwestern Honduras, and northern El Salvador. Their in ...

. After the Spanish conquest and subsequent independence of the country, the city formed part of the

Sonsonate Department Sonsonate () is a Departments of El Salvador, department of El Salvador in the western part of the country. The capital is Sonsonate. The department has a population of over 463,000 and an area of 1,226 km². Created on June 12, 1824. The ...

until the Santa Ana department was created in 1855.

Church

Metapán is known for its well preserved colonial church. The church has the following dimensions: 60 yards long by 14 wide, of entablature and tile: Doric and Tuscan order. Its construction began in 1736 and concluded on June 11, 1743, due to the zeal and efficiency of the priest Francisco Javier Estrada. In the center of the round of the choir it reads: “this building of Metapán was finished in June of 1743,” in blue blurred letters. There is also an image of “El Señor Angue”, a sculpture of Crucified Christ that dates back to the 17th century. In recent years there has been a large growth of Pentecostal Protestants, which continues to grow.

Economy

Historically, Metapán is known for iron ore production. The city had up to three furnaces for

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a ...

. As of 1850, the city was producing 150 tons of iron a year.

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

researcher John Baily described the iron as being of "high character...and is found to be superior to that generally imported for making

axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has ma ...

s and other heavy cutting instruments in common use."

Sport

Metapán is home to football team

A.D. Isidro Metapán Asociación Deportiva Isidro Metapán, also known simply as Isidro Metapán, is a Salvadoran sports club based in Metapán, Santa Ana, El Salvador. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Primera División, the ...

. Isidro Metapán recently has emerged as one of the top clubs of El Salvador, having won a total of ten first division titles since joining the first division of Salvadoran football, Primera División. It is also home to Segunda División de El Salvador team Leones de Metapan.

References

External links

News of Metapan city (Spanish)

Municipal website (Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metapan Municipalities of the Santa Ana Department