Volcán Siete Orejas (

Mam Mam or MAM may refer to: Places * An Mám or Maum, a settlement in Ireland * General Servando Canales International Airport in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico (IATA Code: MAM) * Isle of Mam, a phantom island * Mam Tor, a hill near Castleton in th ...

: ''Wuq Xinkan'') is a stratovolcano in

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...

located within the Quetzaltenango Department, in the municipalities of

Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango (, also known by its Maya name Xelajú or Xela ) is both the seat of the namesake Department and municipality, in Guatemala. The city is located in a mountain valley at an elevation of above sea level at its lowest part. It m ...

, Concepción Chiquirichapa, La Esperanza, and San Martin Sacatepequez. It is in the

Sierra Madre de Chiapas The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is a major mountain range in Central America. It crosses El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. The Sierra Madre de Chiapas is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges that consists of an almos ...

Geography

The volcano has 7 peaks, set around a large crater of which the southern side appears to have collapsed. The highest peaks are located on the north-west side and have an elevation of and .Rodriguez. The U-shaped volcanic edifice opens south towards the coastal piedmont, creating both cold and temperate climatic zones within a relatively small area.Department of Protected Areas and Helvetas ProBosques, 2008 Within the edifice are hot springs as well as the headwaters of the rio Ocosito which flows into the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the conti ...

Ecological significance

The volcano forms part of the Sierra Madre, hosting an abundance of endemic species such as the endangered Guatemalan Fir or "Pinabete" (''Abies guatemalensis'') and forming an integral part of one of the largest contiguous biological corridors of southwestern Guatemala. Bird species include the pink-headed warbler, black-capped siskin, highland guan, rufous-collared robin, white-breasted hawk, and rufous-browed wren.

Cultural significance

The volcano's ridgeline houses over 18 Mayan ceremonial altars, most of which are still actively used by local Mayan priests. The name Siete Orejas originates from the local name in the Mam language: ''Wuq Xinkan''. According to locals, this name originated from a legend about a large boulder on one of the peaks.

Recreational opportunities

On clear days the ridgeline of the volcano has wide views of the surrounding area, from the city of Quetzaltenango, to San Marcos and the coastal piedmont, including views of volcanoes Santa Maria, Santiaguito, Tajumulco, and Tacana. In 2009 the municipality of Concepción Chiquirichapa founded the Regional Ecological Park "Cacique Dormido" which offers hiking, camping, bird-watching, and cultural tours on the volcano.

Gallery

References

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Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Siete Orejas Quetzaltenango Department Mountains of Guatemala Stratovolcanoes of Guatemala

Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates ...

Sierra Madre de Chiapas Pleistocene stratovolcanoes