Metapán is a city and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality ...
in the
Santa Ana department
Santa Ana () is a department of El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on ...
of
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
. 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 is located in the municipality.
History
Metapán means in the
Nawat language “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''
* Genus '' Furcraea'', a source of natural fiber
* Maguey flowers, an edible flower
Other us ...
) and ''apan'' (River). The area around the city was originally populated by
Chʼortiʼ people. After the Spanish conquest and subsequent independence of the country, the city formed part of the
Sonsonate Department 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
Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the ...
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 researcher John Baily described the iron as being of "high character...and is found to be superior to that generally imported for making
axes and other heavy cutting instruments in common use."
Sport
Metapán is home to football team
A.D. Isidro Metapán. 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
Primera may refer to
* Nissan Primera, a car
* Primera Air, a former airline
* Primera división (disambiguation), multiple top division football leagues
* Primera, Texas, a town in Cameron County, Texas
* Alí Primera, Venezuelan musician, compos ...
. It is also home to
Segunda División de El Salvador
The Segunda División de El Salvador (Second Division of El Salvador) is the second tier of football in El Salvador governed by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol (FESFUT). Teams contest to promote to the Primera División.
The winning sides ...
team
Leones de Metapan
Asociacion Deportiva Metapaneca Leones de Occidente are a Salvadoran professional football club based in Metapan, El Salvador.
History
On2015 the club had purchased the spot of C.D. Guadulapano spot to be able to compete in the newly increased ...
.
References
External links
News of Metapan city (Spanish)Municipal website (Spanish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Metapan
Municipalities of the Santa Ana Department